Our Story.

It all started with pottery….bear with us.

As a potter on a small island in the Pacific Northwest, Setsunai founder and chef, Josh Ratza, was looking for a niche market for his pottery goods on Lopez Island, which at the time consisted of mugs, bowls, plateware, and the like. He had already been experimenting with food fermentation personally, so he began crafting fermentation weights and crocks to support his growing interest in food & cooking. This brings us to his kimchi-making journey.

After becoming a mad fermenter and selling his ferments under the table, Josh got serious and headed off to deal with the Department of Agriculture and on his quest to find a commercial kitchen on Lopez. The kitchen space that Setsunai currently occupies was available as a shared space with a local coffee roaster - which is where our real journey begins!

After several years of making and selling fermented products, participating in Farmers Markets and food pop-ups, the Lopez Little Winter Market was gaining a following and looking for more food vendors.

During the Summer of 2016, Josh started experimenting making udon and ramen noodles from scratch, as it seemed like the perfect vehicle for his kimchi, which was growing in popularity.

Inspired by the Lucky Peach, a ramen exploration magazine, armed with very little knowledge and lots of drive, Setsunai was born! We started making brothy noodle bowls topped with kimchi to sell at the Markets; week by week, our fans grew hungrier and hungrier.

By the Spring of 2017, Josh decided to pivot, converting the kimchi fermenting operation in his kitchen into the small but mighty noodle bar that we know today.

Chef Josh Ratza continues to study and fine-tune his ramen & udon making techniques, developing his well-rounded suite of flavorful broths, while supplementing his nourishing noodle bowls with local meats and vibrant organic produce.

Setsunai is passionate about their mission to support & uplift local farms on Lopez Island and the neighboring counties, purchasing organic products, and providing our guests with a satisfying meal that has been thoughtfully handcrafted.