Congratulations to Josh Mummert of Kumiko, the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Chicago Young Chef Award Winner!
Named after intricately designed Japanese wood art, Kumiko in Chicago is a dining bar that similarly pays attention to the little details, which creates an unforgettable experience. Led by Julia Momosé, the bar serves one of the most dynamic cocktail programs in the country.
Last year, Chef Mummert launched the spot's ambitious tasting menu, which perfectly syncs with its cocktails. Originally working at One MICHELIN Star Elske, he joined the Kumiko team three years ago, embodying a strong sense of care and attention to detail. One example of his dedication? He stomps on dough hundreds of times to make his ideal udon.
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What inspired you to become a chef?
From as young as I can remember, I wanted to be in the kitchen. My dad and mom both cook a lot, and food has always been something that has really fascinated me. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, hunting and fishing and in the garden, and having this connection to where our food is coming from and getting to see the full process of going fishing with my dad, gutting our fish, and cooking it.I got my first kitchen job when I was 15 years old, working as a line cook. I would come home from school, change, go right to the restaurant to cook until 10 p.m. and then come home to do homework for a little bit. I've been cooking for about 10 years now, and it has been an incredible journey. I went to culinary school, cooked a little bit all over.
The first time that I really saw what hospitality could be was when I was working at [Two MICHELIN Key] Blackberry Farm in Tennessee as an intern for two summers in 2017 and 2018. It is the idea of going beyond for the guest, and I loved the style of food that they were doing. Blackberry is very farm-to-table, being able to walk down to our gardens, see what’s growing, pick things, and come up with an amuse-bouche for the night. That creative outlet for me just became so integral.
What is your favorite dish on the menu?
So hard to choose. I love all of our dishes. They all represent who I am as a person, as a cook.We’ve had an udon course on the menu, and I love making udon. Japanese noodles, to me, are very sacred. There are people who have spent years of their lives dedicated to learning how to make the perfect soba noodle.
Udon was something that felt a little bit more approachable. The traditional Japanese method for making udon is stomping. You stomp on the dough about 100 times, then you flip it, knead it a little bit, stomp on it again. We do that full process at Kumiko. I put bags on my shoes, triple bag the dough, and get to town. 500 repetitions.
Right now, it’s mentaiko beurre blanc with Himokawa udon from the Gunma Prefecture of Japan. It’s a long, wide flat noodle. Comes with a side of Onsen Tamago, which are the eggs that are cooked at onsen temperature. It gets a beautifully cooked Dungeness crab and a shiso and onion salad topped with spicy greens.
What motivates you in the kitchen?
I'm always trying to find new things to inspire dishes, but my motivation for being in the kitchen today is the same as it has always been, and that is to provide the highest level of hospitality that we can, and to create memorable experiences for people.Growing up, our family didn't always get to go out to dinner. I cook with the mindset of maybe the person who came in tonight, this is their one night out a year. I want to make sure that this is the perfect experience for them. They just got to come relax and enjoy delicious food, delicious drinks, and beautiful hospitality.
How do you motivate your team?
I want to make sure that my team is happy and taken care of and provide them with a kitchen where they feel challenged and appreciated, where they are learning, growing, and heard. We are a very small team, only four of us total. I make sure that they are all aware that their voice is heard, that they are a very integral part, and that I appreciate that.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Black coffee. I'm the worst at remembering to eat breakfast. If I can remember to grab a granola bar and a banana I will, but usually it's just coffee.How do you wind down at the end of a shift?
It's mostly just about touching base with the team. The wins, the losses, how we can improve. For me, the recap is the most integral part of my wind down time, because it's a moment for us all to pause, come together collectively, and talk about the day.Then, I usually just come home, make myself dinner, and put on Bob's Burgers and try to find some time to relax.
Do you have a favorite food-related show, book, program, etc.?
I was just reading Dan Barber's The Third Plate, which I really appreciate.
Do you have any sustainable initiatives?
We really try to work with pretty much everything that we bring in. I hate seeing scrap. In culinary school, they would make us save all of our scraps in a bin, and we would weigh it. I bring that with me wherever I go.We're doing a full fish breakdown, utilizing all parts of the fish (the bones, the head). It all gets smoked and roasted on our tasting menu. One of our courses is Amadai, and we puff the scales of the fish, and then we use all of the bones and heads to make broth.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to become a chef?
There are going to be very, very hard days, and there are going to be challenges that seem insurmountable, but every day comes to an end and every day restarts. For me as a young cook, I would get very caught up in my mistakes, and it was hard for me to move past that. Mistakes are meant to be learning opportunities.Hero image: Julia Momosé / Chef Josh Mummert Expo
Thumb image: Julia Momosé / Chef Josh Mummert
