Latest news with #Maty's
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This Miami chef took home a James Beard Award last night, just a year after his sister won
If you needed extra proof that culinary bonafides run in the Chang family, last night you got it. At the 35th annual James Beard Foundation awards—which were held on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago—Nando Chang of Itamae AO took home the coveted medal in the Best Chef: South category, following closely in the footsteps of his sister Valerie, who won the exact same award a year earlier for her own acclaimed kitchen work over at Maty's. The Chang siblings, as well as their father Fernando, opened the first iteration of Itamae in 2018, when it was a mere food counter at the then-St. Roch Market (now known as MIA Market) in the Design District. The original counter—which served Nikkei cuisine, a delicious fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food—eventually grew into a standalone restaurant across the Palm Court, before it closed in 2023 so both Nando and Valerie could work on their own solo concepts. For Valerie, that was Maty's, a Peruvian charmer named for their grandmother and for Nando, Itamae AO, a 10-seat omakase counter directly connected to its sister restaurant (literally) that turns out a beautiful and beguiling tasting menu of Japanese-Peruvian bites. Nando's refined reimaginings earned the Miami restaurant its first-ever Michelin star earlier this year, so the James Beard sparkler is simply another glorious garnish on top of one tasty year. Itamae AO was one of two Miami-based finalists among this year's James Beard nominees, with ViceVersa—the aperitivo bar off the lobby of the Elser Hotel in downtown Miami—being recognized in the Best New Bar category. Alas, that local haunt was ultimately beat out by Identidad Cocktail Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Prior to Valerie Chang's 2024 victory in the Best Chef: South category, and her bro's subsequent win a year after, a Miami-based chef hadn't taken home a James Beard Award since all the way back in 2010. Along with the Miami nods, Florida also saw two other finalists this year: Sue Chin and Jason Chin of Orlando's Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and others) in the Outstanding Restaurateur category, and Winter Park's Ômo by Jônt in the Best New Restaurant category. Congrats to all of our Florida winners and finalists!
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Two Miami chefs, one family: Brother wins top award his sister won last year
Nando Chang, the Peruvian-born chef whose Miami restaurant Itamae Ao earned its first Michelin star this year, has just won a James Beard Award — the exact same award his sister Val won a year ago. Chang, who opened Itamae Ao in 2024, was named Best Chef: South at a ceremony Monday night at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. An emotional Chang thanked his parents, his wife Lauren, brothe Elvis and 'my favorite chef and sister, Val.' He talked about being a Peruvian of Chinese descent, an identity that was 'interesting and at times confusing' and of his love for his adopted country, despite the difficult times for immigrants now. 'I want to say I could not be prouder . . . to be a part of this beautiful country,' he said. 'Thank you, America, and thank you, Miami. ' He also thanked the James Beard Foundation for their commitment to diversity: 'All food is immigrant and immigrants make America great.' The Changs and their father Fernando opened the first iteration of Itamae as a food counter at MIA Market in the Design District (then called St. Roch Market) in 2018. The restaurant served Nikkei cuisine, a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese fare and eventually went on to open as a standalone restaurant across the Palm Court from its original location. The first version of Itamae closed in 2023 to make way for the future. As his sister turned to the opening of Maty's, her Peruvian restaurant named for their grandmother, Nando Chang focused on creating Itamae Ao, a 10-seat wonder that serves a meticulous and imaginative chef's choice menu of Japanese-Peruvian bites highlighting specially dry-aged fish. The restaurant is located through a separate door inside Maty's, and the menu includes stunning examples of sashimi, nigiri, anticuchos and aguadito, highlighting Chang's skill at enhancing Japanese techniques with Peruvian flavors. Chang had long wanted to focus on a more personal dining experience that was more elevated and intimate than he was able to provide at the first Itamae. 'It's something I've dreamed of for a long time, to go straight to omakase,' he told the Miami Herald in 2023. 'That's the kind of experience I want to provide.' In April, Chang brought back the original Itamae to take over the Maty's space for a couple of months. That residency is ongoing at the moment, but Chang is still intensely focused on the intricacies of the dishes at Itamae Ao. 'We want every single bite to make you go 'Whoa!' ' he said.
Axios
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
What do the pope and this Miami chef have in common? Love for Peru.
If you didn't already believe that eating at Maty's was a religious experience, get this: Chef Valerie Chang Cumpa hails from the same Peruvian town where Pope Leo XIV served as bishop. Catch up quick: The Chinese-Peruvian chef — a member of the award-winning Chang family that ran Itamae together — grew up in Chiclayo, Peru, before moving to Miami at age 10. Pope Leo, a naturalized Peruvian citizen, served as bishop of Chiclayo until 2023. His ascendance to the papacy has brought newfound attention to the Peruvian community there. One restaurant, Las Americas, has a sign outside its door that reads: "The pope ate here." "In Chiclayo, we're very proud of our food," Chang Cumpa tells Axios. What they're saying: Chang Cumpa says she had her first communion in Chiclayo's main cathedral, where Pope Leo has held Mass. Some of her family members have met him before. Chang Cumpa was on her way to work last week as she listened to the newly elected pope's first public address. When the pope switched from Italian to Spanish to send a message to his Peruvian diocese, she was beside herself. "I honestly thought he was going to speak in English. When he said that about Chiclayo, I couldn't believe it. How beautiful. My home town." The big picture: Chang Cumpa, a James Beard Award-winning chef, celebrates her family's roots at Maty's, her Peruvian restaurant in Midtown named after her late grandmother. One of the many family photos that hang on the wall — of her great-grandparents' wedding — is from 1928. "It's beyond the food. It's a love letter to thank my grandma for everything she did," Chang Cumpa said in a recent episode of Toast web series " Signature Dish." State of play: Chang Cumpa tells Axios that Miami's diversity has propelled the 305 into the culinary capital it is today. In her own family, Chang Cumpa says she doesn't take the awards or recognition for granted. Her brother is Michelin-star chef Nando Chang of Itamae Ao, and their father, Fernando "Papa" Chang, heads up B-Side at 1-800-Lucky. "We're still immigrants. We still have that immigrant fight and that desire to do right by our parents, who did a lot of fighting." Zoom in: On the Toast show, Chang Cumpa says the most popular dish at Maty's is the scallop cebiche — a savory seafood dome covered with sliced grapes and topped with cilantro leche de tigre. "Basically every table that comes in to eat orders one of these," Chang Cumpa tells host Sophia Roe. Chef's recs: Here are chef Valerie's favorite Peruvian restaurants in Miami (that are not owned by her family).
Miami Herald
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
This tiny Miami restaurant led by a beloved local chef just won a Michelin star
Another Miami restaurant has earned a Michelin star, this time for a local culinary hero. Itamae Ao, a 10-seat counter in Midtown, was awarded a star by the Michelin Guide, which reviews and rates restaurants from around the world, Thursday night at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. The honor brings to 15 the number of Michelin-starred restaurants in and around Miami, which first joined the internationally famous Michelin Guide in 2022. Since then, the following Miami restaurants have earned stars: Ariete; Boia De; Cote; Elcielo; EntreNos; Hiden; Le Jardinier; Los Felix; Ogawa; Shingo; Stubborn Seed; Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt; The Surf Club Restaurant; and L'Atelier du Joël Robuchon, which was the first Florida restaurant to receive a two-star rating. Led by chef Nando Chang, who has also been nominated for a James Beard Award this year, Itamae Ao serves the Peruvian-Japanese fusion Chang and his family have long been known for in Miami. The restaurant, which opened in May 2024, started its life in 2018 as Itamae at local food hall MIA Market (then St. Roch Market) in Miami's Design District, with Nando Chang working with his sister Val and father Fernando. The restaurant eventually moved on to its own space across the Palm Court, with most tables outdoors in the courtyard and a smaller counter indoors, then to its current location as part of Maty's, Val Chang's Peruvian restaurant (which on the Michelin Guide as Recommended). Nando Chang is in the middle of a month-long residency reviving the original Itamae at Maty's and, should he win the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South, will be following in his sister's footsteps: Val Chang won the same award last year. Other newly starred Florida restaurants Four other restaurants in Florida earned Michelin stars, including Sorekara in Orlando, which serves Japanese cuisine. Sorekara, under the helm of chef/owner William Shen, earned two stars, making it the second two-starred restaurant in the state. Chef Ryan Ratino, who is known for his two-star restaurant Jônt and one-star restaurant Bresca in Washington, D.C., now has two spots on Florida's guide. His Chef's Counter at MAASS in the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, which serves contemporary cuisine via a tasting menu, earned the first Michelin star for Fort Lauderdale. Ratino is also the force behind Ômo by Jônt in Winter Park, which earned a star on Thursday. The first Michelin starred spot in Palm Beach is Konro in West Palm Beach, which also serves a tasting menu of contemporary cuisine. No starred restaurants in Florida lost their stars this time around. Other Miami Michelin honors Two Miami starred restaurants were also awarded green stars this year, which are given to restaurants that demonstrate outstanding commitment to sustainable gastronomy and have a strong environmental focus. Chef Jeremy Ford's Stubbon Seed in Miami Beach won a green star for using ingredients sourced from the chef's 5.5 acre farm in Homestead, a composting program and a partnership with the community program Compost for Life and initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of the restaurant. EntreNos from chefs Evan Burgess and Osmel Gonzalez, who operate out of the Tinta y Cafe in Miami Shores, earned a green star for locally sourced produce and land-based protein; sustainably sourced seafood; dinnerware made by a Miami-based artisan, its organic and biodynamic wine program and the fact they repurpose food waste into vinegars and sauces. Jacqueline Pirolo of Macchialina on Miami Beach earned the Michelin Sommelier Award, while Juan Camilo Liscano of Palma in Miami won the Michelin Young Chef Award. Affordable honors Two local restaurants originally designated as Bib Gourmands — a title that indicates quality food at a great value — lost their designation Thursday: the Aegean restaurant Doya and Zak the Baker in Wynwood. Zak the Baker remains on the Michelin Recommended list, which was released for Miami earlier this year. No new Bib Gourmands were added in Miami, but Fort Lauderdale earned its first Bib Gourmand via Heritage, the pizza-and-pasta spot from chef/owner Rino Cerbone. There were a couple of Palm Beach restaurants added to the Bib Gourmand list, too: aioli and Palm Beach Meats, both from West Palm Beach. Four Orlando restaurants were added, too: Coro, Banh Mi Boy, Smokemade Meats + Eats and UniGirl. Florida has 36 Bib Gourmand-designated restaurants. The Miami Bib Gourmand restaurants are Bachour; Chug's Diner; El Turco; Ghee Indian Kitchen; Hometown Barbecue; La Natural; Lucali; Mandorin Aegean Bistro; Michael's Genuine; Phuc Yeah; Sanguich de Miami; Tam Tam; Tinta y Cafe; and Zitz Sum.
Miami Herald
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Which South Florida restaurants will earn Michelin stars this week? Here are our picks
Michelin stars are coming to South Florida this week — and this time, it's not just Miami restaurants that might benefit. The internationally famous Michelin Guide will be announcing its 2025 annual star additions in Florida on April 17, but this year it's not only highlighting the best restaurants in Miami, Orlando and Tampa as it has for the past three years. Restaurants in those cities will be considered, but this year, restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches and Clearwater/St. Petersburg will also be in the mix. Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said the booming South Florida restaurant scene deserved a closer look. 'Florida continues to raise the bar with its emerging culinary talent, international influences and the palpable passion of its local restaurant communities,' he said in a statement last year. 'Over the past three years, we've seen the Florida selection grow and strengthen as our Inspectors shined a spotlight on their discoveries. We look forward to exploring these new destinations and highlighting the excellence of their local restaurant scene.' At this point, Florida has no three-star restaurants and only one two-star restaurant, the glamorous French spot L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami's Design District. Miami's single-star restaurants are: Ariete, Boia De, Cote, Elcielo, EntreNos, Hiden, Le Jardinier, Los Felix, Ogawa, Shingo, The Surf Club Restaurant, Stubborn Seed and The Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt. Considering the sheer number of restaurants that have opened in the past year, the Miami area could easily see another spot get a star. Whether Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach restaurants will be recognized is hard to say: In its first year of Michelin consideration, no Tampa restaurant earned a star, though now five restaurants in the city have them (Orlando has seven). There are a few things that make handicapping the winners slightly easier. Michelin added 10 Miami restaurants to its recommended list earlier in the year, and some of those could be rewarded with a star. And though nothing is guaranteed, the guide also seems to have an affinity for omakase-style experiences and tasting menus and look kindly upon chefs whose sister restaurants already have stars. Also on April 17, Michelin will also choose the 2025 Bib Gourmands, restaurants that offer good food at a reasonable price. At the moment, Miami has 18 Bib Gourmands: Bachour, Chug's Diner, Doya, El Turco, Ghee Indian Kitchen, Hometown Barbecue, Jaguar Sun, La Natural, Lucali, Mandolin, Michael's Genuine, Phuc Yea, Rosie's, Sanguich de Miami, Tam Tam, Tinta y Cafe, Zak the Baker and Zitz Sum. Miami Itamae Ao: Is this Chef Nando Chang's year? He's already up for a James Beard Award for Best Chef: South, a year after his sister Val Chang won with her Peruvian restaurant Maty's. This omakase spot is tucked away in the back Maty's in Midtown. Naoe: We are just going to assume Michelin has never been to this hidden sushi counter on Brickell Key (although it makes the Forbes Five-Star list every year). Because why has it been ignored so far? Recoveco: This South Miami restaurant with a small but creative menu from husband-and-wife team Nicolas Martinez and Maria Teresa Gallina made the list of Michelin-recommended restaurants earlier this year. Palma: Chef Juan Camilo Liscano's small restaurant near Little Havana offers an ever-changing tasting menu and, like Recoveco, made the Michelin recommended list earlier this year. Sereira: This elegant Portuguese restaurant from internationally famous chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, who has a two-starred restaurant in Lisbon, was too new for consideration in 2024. Michelin has had time to examine it closely now. Sunny's Steakhouse: In the end, it won't matter if everybody's favorite Miami steakhouse doesn't earn a star, because it's so good it's going to be impossible to get a reservation there anyway. But the hype is real, and Sunny's needs to be in the conversation. Fort Lauderdale Daniel's, a Florida steakhouse: From the team behind Coral Gables' Fiola, this downtown steakhouse works hard to source as much as possible from Florida and brings a sophisticated Miami vibe to the heart of Broward County. The Katherine: Chef Timon Balloo's eclectic restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Broward, and we'd love to see his hard work and creativity rewarded. MAASS: This restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel & Residences comes from chef Ryan Ratino, the force behind the one-starred Bresca and two-starred Jont, both in Washington, D.C., so it's got a pedigree that makes it a possible. Palm Beaches We confess we haven't spent a lot of time eating in Palm Beach County for obvious reasons — we can barely keep up with everything opening in Miami — but here are a few spots to keep an eye on. Buccan: Chef Clay Conley draws raves for his upscale American cuisine in Palm Beach, both here and his restaurant Grato (which could be another contender). Cafe Boulud: Chef Daniel Boulud's restaurant Daniel in New York already boasts a Michelin star, which makes a star at this French spot in Palm Beach a possibility. Moody Tongue: This omakase-style restaurant at the Hilton West Palm Beach has a sister with a star in Chicago, so it could be a contender.
