Visit Kyoto and you’re bound to come across a Michelin-starred restaurant or two. Named the No. 1 city in Asia by Travel + Leisure readers in the 2026 World’s Best Awards, it has 98 awarded restaurants in total, six of which have three Michelin stars. It’s no easy feat then for a new opening—especially an outpost of an American establishment—to make waves. But SoNoMa, a project from Michelin three-starred SingleThread in Sonoma, didn’t get the memo.
Just a few months after its March 2026 opening, the chef’s counter is buzzing. Staff say seats have filled with a wide-ranging international clientele since day one. And, of course, they say, many Californians have made reservations to glimpse what Kyle and Katina Connaughton, the power couple behind SingleThread Farm, have up their sleeve.
First, some wordplay: the Japanese characters that spell Sonoma (想乃間) roughly translate to “a relationship between thoughts and space”—in essence, a place for creativity. Indeed, the food is an imaginative interplay between Japanese and Californian gastronomies. But SingleThread loyalists should know that SoNoMa is more transmutation than carbon copy. The original serves California farm ingredients in the style of Japanese kaiseki. “But here, we’re trying to reflect California expression with Japanese seasonality. It’s kind of a mirror effect,” says chef Keita Tominaga.
The Essential Guide to Kyoto
SoNoMa is housed within Capella Kyoto, a much-anticipated opening in its own right that also debuted in March. Behind a simple white curtain, the gastronomic journey begins in the tranquil lounge. It’s furnished with low wooden chairs, cushioned settees, and paper-lamp-topped tables on one side, and a wood-wrapped bar on the other. I chose a seat beneath the triptych of framed foliage and was offered a menu featuring a map of California wine country and an extensive wine list. (Sake is also available.)
Although I chose the nonalcoholic pairing for my meal, I took the recommendation to start with a glass of Aperture Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma. It paired well with the seasonal welcome drink and amuse-bouche: Hokkaido asparagus and thin strips of crispy burdock served with a soy-milk-and-miso mousse.
Soon enough, it was time to walk through the sliding wooden door and take my place at the 12-seat chef’s counter. What followed was a delightful parade of creative bites served in equally interesting bowls and platters. The bespoke ceramics, often in organic shapes and textures, were made by a collection of Japanese master potters and artisans.
Standouts dishes included vegetable gohan (a Japanese rice dish) seasoned with tender spruce tips, and caviar-topped malted inka no mezame (a premium, buttery Japanese potato variety) soup over egg custard. Dessert featured a vivid medley of tropical fruits—a nod to Okinawa—including a white chocolate egg filled with runny passionfruit “yolk.”
“Ninety-percent of our ingredients are from Japan,” said Tominaga. The rest? There are a few American accent ingredients, such as the cherry filled with cashew paste or the fennel in the savory pannacotta. In all cases, seasonality is key. Tominaga estimates that it takes about six weeks for the menu to change entirely. “We change one dish at a time,” he says.
As the menu shifts slowly, so too can the staff. SingleThread Farm veterans will rotate in residence. From beginning to end, guests can expect service from both the international and Japanese staff to be warm and easy. There’s all the attentiveness and none of the stuffiness associated with haute cuisine.
The experience is also intimate. Tominaga worked front and center, prepping plates while engaging guests in light conversation. Throughout my meal, Tominaga was center stage, ready to answer questions about dishes like squash blossoms filled with scallop and ayu pâté. (“Ayu, or sweetfish, is quintessential summertime” in Japan, he says). A Sonoma native and son of a Bay Area sushi chef, he has worked at both SingleThread and Michelin-starred Tenoshima in Tokyo. His seamless switching between English and Japanese was a boon for the global clientele.
Kyle and Katina Connaughton of SoNoMa by SingleThread meet with a local farmer in Kyoto.Credit: SoNoMa by SingleThread
Like many fine-dining establishments, there’s no menu at SoNoMa. Until the meal ended, I didn’t know how many stops there would be along the culinary journey. One early summer night, the final tally was 11. I also received a blue-and-cream keepsake menu as I left the restaurant.
SoNoMa is neither fussy nor theatrical, but it is fine dining. Come for the SingleThread connection and stay for an impressive display of Japanese ingredients—both agricultural and viticultural. This artistry, from ceramics to floral arrangements to meticulously plated food, comes in a comfortable setting. The experience is well worth the journey.
As of September 2026, the omakase dinner is priced at $280 (¥45,000) per person, including service charge and tax. The restaurant serves guests aged 13 and up. Bookings can be made here.
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Dining and Cooking