Culinary Team
Deborah Fleig—design & inspiration
Deborah is a renaissance woman. She’s a graphic designer, photographer, sake sommelier, operates the Ten Thousand Waves retail store, leads tours to Japanese hot springs, and is an artisanal sake importer & distributor.
Her extensive travels to Japan each year allows her to spread the gospel of Japanese culture, food, and drink to us in Santa Fe. Deborah's design permeates izanami. One of her biggest contributions is the wild variety of sake in the fridge.
Kiko Rodriguez—Executive Chef
Kiko grew up in Veracruz, Mexico, and learned from his grandmother how to combine—with love—the freshest ingredients from land and sea with the flavors of his native culture. He spent time expanding his horizons in some of the best restaurants in Santa Fe prior to landing at izanami ten years ago.
His perfect palate, creativity, and colaborative managerial style inform the presentation of new izakaya cuisine at izanami. Through his efforts, izanami has been selected in the MICHELIN Guide 2026.
What do you look for in a restaurant when deciding where to go? Quality and creativity of the food—of course. Great selection of libations—certainly. A beautiful, comfortaable, well-lit, enviornment where you can talk with your friends without shouting—important.
But the most important thing—the thing that keeps you coming back—is the people. Do they have a passion for what they're doing? Do they go above and beyond to make sure your vist is memorable? Do they care?
Our entire staff is here for you.
