Mutsuko Soma

Mutsuko Soma is a James Beard Award semifinalist and Japanese chef and owner of Kamonegi and its sister bar, Hannyatou. She specializes in handmade soba noodles and is the only chef on the West Coast to roll soba by hand.^[1]

Mutsuko Soma
Born	Tochigi Prefecture
Alma mater	The Art Institute of Seattle
Occupation	Chef

Early life

Soma was born and raised in Tochigi, Japan. As a child, Soma watched her grandmother make soba by hand for her family.^[1] Throughout her interviews, she names this as a chief source of inspiration for incorporating handmade soba into her restaurants. Additionally, at age 16, she began working part-time at a restaurant, sparking her interest for a career path as a chef.^[2]

Career

In 2002,^[2] Soma came to the United States to study at the Art Institute of Seattle.^[3] After graduation, she worked in various Seattle kitchens, including Harvest Vine, Saito, and Chez Shea in Pike Place Market.^[4] At age 25, Soma returned to Tokyo and became a WSET Level 3 certified kikizakeshi (sake sommelier).^[1] Soma got stuck in Japan due to issues with her visa, which prompted her to enroll in a two-year soba-making program.^[5][1] During this program, while learning all aspects of the process from grinding buckwheat to recipe adaptation, Soma learned that Washington state is one of the largest producers of buckwheat.^[5] This fact inspired her to create a soba restaurant in Seattle.^[6]

On November 4, 2012, Soma opened Miyabi 45th in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.^[7] The restaurant specialized in handmade soba and received praise from food critics and the wider community. Soma received a feature on Serious Eats for her work at Miyabi 45th, where she gave a step-by-step guide to her process for soba-making.^[8] Additionally, Miyabi 45th was featured in Bon Appetit Magazine's 2013 article, "Where to Eat in Seattle, Washington."^[9] In January 2016, Soma departed Miyabi 45th to go on maternity leave.^[10]

On October 13, 2017,^[11] Soma opened up Kamonegi in Fremont, which specializes in tempura and handmade soba noodles.^[4] The restaurant also received critical acclaim, earning positive reviews from The Seattle Times and The Stranger.^[12][13] Furthermore, Soma partnered with Washington State University's Bread Lab to experiment with different genetic variations of buckwheat in Kamonegi. In 2017, Soma was named Eater Seattle's Chef of the Year.^[5] In April 2019, Soma was named one of Food and Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs.^[14]

In 2019, Soma opened Hannyatou, a sake bar, next to Kamonegi.^[15] That fall, Soma was featured in The New York Times article, "The New Generation of Chefs Pushing Japanese Food in Unexpected Directions."^[16]

In 2020, Soma was named the winner of Starchefs Seattle Rising Stars Award Winner.^[15] That same year, Soma won a $50,000 grand prize for the best Original Cup Noodles flavor.^[17]

In 2022, Soma was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific.^[18]

Personal life

Soma is married and has a daughter.^[19]

References

1. Agarwal, Aakanksha (2021-03-01). "Movers & Shakers: Mutsuko Soma is only West Coast chef rolling traditional soba noodles". Seattle Refined. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
2. Luna, Ruby de (2018-10-24). "Don't eat all the summer cherries. Pickle them for ponzu, Chef Mutsuko Soma says". www.kuow.org. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
3. "Kamonegi wins Restaurant of the Year award". Northwest Asian Weekly. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
4. "Soba Dreams Do Come True: Mutsuko Soma to Open Restaurant in Fremont". Seattle Met. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
5. Hill, Megan (2018-01-17). "Soba Master Mutsuko Soma Is a Force to Be Reckoned With". Eater Seattle. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
6. Galvin, Sarah. "Chow Bio". The Stranger. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
7. Gujavarty, Shalini (2012-09-10). "Miyabi Replaces Rain Sushi in Wallingford; Police Release Sketch of Yancy Noll Killer". Eater Seattle. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
8. Tomky, Naomi. "The Secrets of Amazing Soba: Behind the Scenes at Miyabi 45th". Serious Eats. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
9. Dickerman, Sara (2013-07-22). "Where to Eat in Seattle, Washington". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
10. Hill, Megan (2016-10-25). "Mutsuko Soma Reappears for Soba Pop-Up". Eater Seattle. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
11. Hill, Megan (2017-10-13). "Kamonegi, Open Today, Evokes the Soba Restaurants of Japan". Eater Seattle. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
12. Tomky, Naomi. "The Soba at Kamonegi Is Just So Good". The Stranger. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
13. "The art of making soba noodles at Kamonegi". The Seattle Times. 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
14. Rothman, Jordana. "F&W Best New Chefs 2019: Mutsuko Soma of Kamonegi in Seattle". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
15. "StarChefs - Profile - Rising Star Chef Mutsuko Soma of Kamonegi". StarChefs. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
16. "The New Study of Food". Food Media: 5–20. 2012. doi:10.5040/9781350042193.ch-001.
17. "Seattle chef wins best Cup Noodles recipe". The Seattle Times. 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
18. "4 Seattle chefs, 1 restaurant named 2022 James Beard Award finalists". The Seattle Times. 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
19. Guarente, Gabe (2020-11-11). "A Day in the Life of Seattle's Soba Master, Mutsuko Soma". Eater Seattle. Retrieved 2023-06-26.