Kumiko: A Japanese Dining Bar in Chicago

Kumiko is a Japanese Dining Bar (ダイニングバー)* in Chicago, led by chef, creative director, and beverage visionary Julia Momosé. At Kumiko, food and drink are treated with equal reverence, each crafted with deep intentionality and care.

Guests can enjoy an à la carte menu of refined, ingredient-driven dishes alongside a distinctive seasonal tasting menu, which features four thoughtful pairing options: light cocktails, stirred cocktails, spiritfree, and Japanese sake.

Through Kumiko, Momosé hopes to expand the understanding of Japanese cuisine—showcasing its soulful breadth, from the elegant and delicate to the comforting and fried. It is cuisine that is both artful and everyday, reserved and expressive.

Whether you join us to savor some cocktails, or walk in for a lovely dinner with friends, Kumiko welcomes you with warmth and gratitude.

The dining room is currently open to guests 18 and older. Reservations are required for the tasting menu, and are strongly recommended for à la carte dining. We look forward to welcoming you with warmth and gratitude.

* pronounced dainingu bā

The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes

The Way of the Cocktail is the debut book from Julia Momosé and Emma Janzen.

With its studious devotion to tradition, craftsmanship, and hospitality, Japanese cocktail culture is an art form treated with reverence. In this essential guide, Japanese-American bartender Julia Momosé (winner of Michelin’s Exceptional Cocktails Award, 2022) of Kumiko in Chicago takes us on a journey into this realm. She educates and inspires while breaking down master techniques and delving into the soul of the culture: the traditions and philosophy, the tools and the spirits—and the complex layering of these elements that makes this approach so significant.

The recipes are inspired by the twenty-four micro-seasons that define the flow of life in Japan. Enter a world where the spiced woodsy cocktail called Autumn’s Jacket evokes the smoldering burn of smoking rice fields in fall, and where the Delicate Refusal tells the tale of spring’s tragic beauty, with tequila blanco and a flutter of sakura petals. Perfected classics like the Manhattan and Negroni, riffs on some of Japan’s most beloved cocktails like the Whisky Highball, and even alcohol-free drinks influenced by ingredients such as yuzu, matcha, and umé round out the collection.

The book is also available to purchase at Kumiko. Julia will be happy to inscribe your copy!