Japanese bar Kumiko crafts luxury into cocktails

By Jesse Wright, Staff Writer

(Published March 18, 2019)

Julia Momose has been busy.

She is one of the partners behind Kumiko, the newest Japanese restaurant in the West Loop and while she has an exacting eye for excellence, this project is a bit more personal than her first outing, Oriole.

The group kept their new restaurant in the West Loop because they wanted to open the bar near Oriole, which is just around the corner, and because they felt The West Loop is the epicenter of Chicago’s restaurant scene. Beyond that, Momose was born and raised in Japan, and Kumiko is inspired by the cocktail culture, cuisine and hospitality of her home country.

At Kumiko, Momose heads up the bar and is creative director, meaning she directs the drinks as well as the drink ware. Each drink has its own glass, hand-picked by her or her husband on trips to Japan and Momose has designed drinks that carefully pair with Kumiko’s tasting menu.

No matter what guests eat or drink, Momose said she expects patrons will enjoy the dining experience.

“We wanted the things that they would put their fingers and lips on to be beautiful,” she said.

Her other restaurant, Oriole, earned two Michelin stars, and guests at Kumiko can expect the same attention to detail.

Momose explained one of the drinks she’s most proud of is the high ball, the traditional cocktail made of whiskey, ice and club soda. A relatively simple drink but not so for Momose.

“You think of it being simple, but for us it’s much more than that,” Momose said. “It’s about the glass, the ice, the whiskey and all the little things that make something simple so much more.”

Besides the alcoholic drinks, Momose said she’s also proud of the extensive spirit-free drinks on the menu.

Momose is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve.

“We’re continuing to look to see what else is out there and make small adjustments,” she said. “My husband returned from Japan several days ago and I asked him to bring back some wooden spoons and glasses. We’re constantly discovering new ways we can improve and so it’s never going to end.”

Kumiko is located at 630 W Lake St. For more information, visit barkumiko.com or follow the Kumiko story on Instagram and Facebook and Twitter.

[Kumiko team]

Caption is the file name.