French cuisine that could only be born of this land

Iomante, a French restaurant in Kushiro City, does not have a fixed menu. Instead, each day’s dishes are crafted after viewing the seasonal ingredients available that day. The restaurant’s owner and chef, Kazuma Funazaki, describes himself not as a chef, but as “a messenger who conveys the thoughts and passion of farmers and fishers.” Long before opening his own restaurant, he cultivated ideas through close relationships with such local farmers and fishers—ideas which are now given form at Iomante. The ingredients used here are remarkably diverse: seasonal fish and vegetables from Kushiro, Yezo sika deer meat from Akan Town, kelp from Hamanaka Town, dairy products from Shiranuka Town, and much more. Another essential element is Ainu culture. Drawing on regional history, the restaurant actively incorporates traditional knowledge such as using Amur cork tree—long valued by Ainu people for medicinal purposes—as a spice. This is a new style of French cuisine that could only be created in Kushiro.

*Information as of July 2025