Peru
Speaker
Valerie & Nando Chang
Chef at Maty's (Miami, USA) and Chef at Itamae (Miami, USA)
The freshness of Valerie's young approach is set against the values of Nando's Nikkei cuisine.
Nando Chang was raised by his grandparents in Chiclayo, Peru, before moving to Miami with his younger sister Valerie at the age of twelve to join his father in pursuit of the American dream. He started working right after school and on weekends in the sushi restaurants where his father worked. There, he learned how to handle and debone fish.
In 2018, the family opened Itamae, a Nikkei restaurant that offers Peruvian-Japanese flavours and traditions, driven by technique, while celebrating the best of local and seasonal ingredients. Under Nando's leadership, Itamae received a Michelin Bib Gourmand, was included in the New York Times 2021 restaurant list, and was named one of Miami's best restaurants by The Infatuation.
In March 2023, the Changs opened Maty's, named after their grandmother, in Miami's Midtown neighbourhood.Six months after opening, Maty's was named one of Bon Appetit's 24 Best New Restaurants and appeared on the New York Times restaurant list.
