Mutsuko Soma

Coming Up

The line work behind soba is built on repetition, and Mutsuko Soma’s training moved through that discipline in stages: Art Institute of Seattle, Washington in 2002; kitchen work at Harvest Vine, Saito, and Chez Shea in Seattle, Washington; then certification as a kikizakeshi (sake sommelier) in Tokyo, Japan. From there, soba-making study in Tokyo, Japan from 2009 added a more exacting noodle grammar to the rest of the kitchen work. Back in Seattle, her years as chef at Miyabi 45th in Seattle, Washington from 2012–2016 put those pieces into daily service before she took on the roles that followed. Today, Mutsuko is chef-owner of Kamonegi since 2017 and owner of Hannyatou since 2019.

Where They Are Now

Soba-making at Kamonegi is the central craft, and Mutsuko Soma uses the room around it to keep that craft legible. The restaurant name points to kamonegi, the duck-and-scallion soba she calls her favorite, and the menu stays aligned to that focus rather than drifting away from it. Hand-formed noodles remain the measure of the place: mixed, rolled, and cut with the kind of control that comes from doing the work repeatedly, until flour, water, and muscle memory answer at the same pace. Foie Gras “Tofu” has remained on the menu since the start, and it shows the same restraint elsewhere in the kitchen. The dish reads simply before it opens into Foie Gras au torchon richness, with wasabi and dashi setting the frame. Seasonal tempura and Japanese appetizers with a twist widen the menu without breaking its center, keeping the restaurant in motion while the soba stays fixed as the main practice. The beverage side of the work is equally structured: WSET Level III and Shochu Advisor give Mutsuko Soma a formal command of what accompanies the meal, not just what is cooked for it.

In Their Words “I wanted to go somewhere that didn’t use those ingredients so much, where I could learn French, Italian, or Mexican cooking.” “We never had dried soba, which tastes completely different.”

Honors

Mutsuko's honors include James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific, James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Northwest semifinalist, StarChefs Seattle Rising Stars Award Winner, Food & Wine Best New Chefs (2019), and Eater Seattle Chef of the Year.