bio

Julia Momosé is a chef, bartender, author, and the creative force behind Kumiko, the internationally acclaimed Japanese dining bar in Chicago. Born and raised in Japan, Momosé was introduced to the spirit of hospitality through her mother’s heartfelt and intuitive hosting. That early exposure to care and intention continues to shape everything she creates—whether a seasonal dish, a spiritfree beverage, or a multi-course experience.

After moving to the U.S. for university, Momosé studied Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University. Though she ultimately left before graduating for personal reasons, her training in spatial design and systems thinking laid the groundwork for a career defined by precision, intentionality, and aesthetics. While working in bars and restaurants to support herself, she began to build a language of hospitality rooted in both design and deep cultural resonance.

Her early bartending work evolved into a distinctive and award-winning beverage philosophy. Known for her commitment to Japanese tradition, seasonality, and meticulous technique, Momosé helped popularize the use of shochu in American cocktails and introduced the concept of spiritfrees—carefully crafted non-alcoholic drinks that are equal in creativity and complexity to their spirited counterparts.

In 2018, she opened Kumiko, a warm, minimalist space inspired by her Japanese heritage and design background. Initially celebrated for its innovative beverage program, the bar quickly became a destination for thoughtful, refined dining. In December 2024, Momosé stepped into the role of executive chef, guiding a new era of Kumiko with a culinary perspective that mirrors her approach to drinks: detailed, personal, and deeply intentional. Her seasonal menus draw on personal memories and Japanese comfort dishes—like curry rice and miso shiru—reinterpreted through a lens of mixed heritage, embracing the Midwest’s ingredients and seasons.

Momosé’s work has been widely recognized, with accolades including:

• Named to Crain’s Chicago 40 Under 40, recognizing her influence on Chicago’s hospitality and cocktail landscape (2025)

• James Beard Award (2025) winner for Outstanding Bar

• Tales of the Cocktail (2025): Restaurant Bar of the Year and World’s Best Bar

• James Beard Award (2022) for The Way of the Cocktail

•  Inaugural recipient (2022) of the Michelin Guide Chicago Exceptional Cocktails Award

• The World’s 50 Best Bars (2020, 2022, 2023, 2025)

• North America’s 50 Best Bars “Best Bar in the Midwest” (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

• Esquire’s Best Bars in America (2020)

• Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places (2019)

• Chicago Magazine’s Best New Bar (2019)

Beyond Kumiko, Momosé has consulted on beverage programs around the world, including for Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in Tokyo, Milan, New York, Seattle, and Chicago. Her advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic helped lead to legislative change in Illinois, allowing bars to sell cocktails for off-site consumption. She remains a strong voice for equity in hospitality and serves as a mentor through programs like Speed Rack and is on the council for Giving Kitchen.

Through both her culinary and beverage work, Julia Momosé continues to shape a more thoughtful, inclusive, and expressive future for hospitality—one grounded in care, cultural storytelling, and craft.