Mutsuko Soma is a James Beard Award finalist and Japanese chef and owner of Kamonegi and its sister bar, Hannyatou.
[3] After graduation, she worked in various Seattle kitchens, including Harvest Vine, Saito, and Chez Shea in Pike Place Market.
[1] Soma got stuck in Japan due to issues with her visa, which prompted her to enroll in a two-year soba-making program.
[12][13] Furthermore, Soma partnered with Washington State University's Bread Lab to experiment with different genetic variations of buckwheat in Kamonegi.
[15] That fall, Soma was featured in The New York Times article, "The New Generation of Chefs Pushing Japanese Food in Unexpected Directions.