Janet Becerra
Pancita | Seattle, WA
December 2025
Growing up just south of Seattle in Kent, Washington, Janet Becerra always cherished her mother’s home-cooked meals. She spent her free time glued to the television, anticipating what Martha Stewart and Ina Garten were about to prepare. While attending college, Becerra struggled to find a subject that spoke to her, but she knew she had a passion for food. She dropped out and ultimately enrolled in South Seattle College’s Culinary Arts program in 2013.
After culinary school, Becerra worked at Miyabi 45th under Rising Stars alum Mutsuko Soma before moving to France, where she spent time traveling and working in hotel kitchens. Her travels also included a three-month stage at Pujol in Mexico City. Returning to Seattle, she worked for Rising Stars alum Maximillian Petty at Eden Hill Restaurant, where she started as a prep cook before becoming the chef de cuisine of Eden Hill Provisions.
Becerra left Eden Hill two weeks before the pandemic hit, and spent her newfound free time cooking nostalgic Mexican dishes. She bought a molino and began nixtamalizing and grinding her own corn. It didn’t take long for her home cooking to turn into Pancita. Her pop-up soon turned into a residency at Lottie's Lounge. After a few months, Becerra met restaurateur Sarah Penn. Penn offered Becerra a residency at her restaurant Pair, creating Pancita at Pair. What started as a six-month residency extended into another year of partnership. When Penn passed away in 2024, Becerra and Co-Owner Kate Ramsey adopted the space and created the current rendition of Pancita. There, Becerra is dishing out personal, nuanced Mexican food to the North Seattle neighborhood.
