Nando Chang
Itamae AO - Miami, FL
Nando Chang is the Peruvian-born chef and restaurateur behind Michelin-starred Itamae AO in Miami. A 2025 James Beard Foundation Award nominee for “Best Chef: South” and three-time semifinalist, he has achieved national recognition for both introducing and redefining Nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) cuisine in Miami. Born in Chiclayo, Peru, and raised by his grandparents, Chang immigrated to the United States at age 12 with his younger sister Valerie to join their father, Fernando “Papa” Chang, in pursuit of the American Dream. In 2023, he and Valerie made history as the first siblings to be inducted together into Food & Wine’s coveted “Best New Chefs” class. Itamae AO, which opened in May 2024, was named to Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants” and received its first Michelin star in April 2025.
Chang’s early years working in Miami’s sushi kitchens and as a private chef laid the foundation of skills — fish handling, fish butchery — that would become signatures of his cooking. In 2018, he, Valerie, and their father opened Itamae, a vibrant, technique-driven Nikkei restaurant, in Miami’s Design District; a year later, they followed this with a fast-casual off-shoot, B-Side, inside the popular Asian food hall 1-800-LUCKY. Itamae quickly drew national acclaim, earning inclusion in the New York Times’ “Restaurant List” in 2021 and a Bib Gourmand the following year in Michelin’s inaugural Florida guide.
In 2023, as both Chang and Valerie embarked on their first solo concepts, Itamae closed its doors, evolving into Itamae AO, a 10-seat omakase restaurant in Miami’s Midtown neighborhood. At its helm, Chang offers a deeply personal menu rooted in Japanese technique, Peruvian soul, and the tropical ingredients of Miami, Peru, and beyond. This April marked the return of Itamae in its original, more casual format as he embarked on a limited-time residency at Maty’s, Valerie’s restaurant in the adjoining space. Nando Chang lives in Midtown with his wife, Lauren Cedeño, who also serves as general manager of Itamae AO, and their dog Chapo. Outside of work, he can be found rooting for the Miami Dolphins as a diehard fan, taking joyrides in his 1998 Nissan Silvia, and prioritizing rest.
