This Miami restaurant has a Michelin star and an award-winning chef. Now it’s closing
Another Michelin-starred Miami restaurant is closing, this one from a celebrated James Beard Award-winning chef.
Itamae Ao, the stunning 10-seat Peruvian-Japanese restaurant in Midtown from Chef Nando Chang, has announced that it’s closing, with the final service Saturday, Aug. 2.
The announcement comes a month after Maty’s, the Peruvian restaurant operated by Chang’s sister Valerie, also a James Beard Award winner, shut down. Itamae Ao’s future was immediately uncertain: It’s accessed through the adjoining Maty’s space, and with Maty’s closure, there was no way for customers to enter the smaller restaurant.
Chang, who said he is looking for a new home for his award-winning concept, said he was grateful for “the great run we’ve had in this special space.”
“Itamae AO has always been closely tied to Maty’s — not just because my sister was its chef but because it literally serves as the entrance to our restaurant,” he said. “When she stepped away, we knew it would soon be time for us to move on as well. Itamae AO isn’t going away, and I’m excited to find our new home.”
This summer, while he actively seeks a new space, Chang plans to take Itamae on the road with pop-ups in Milwaukee and New York City.
The Changs entered the Miami restaurant industry with their father Fernando, operating the original Itamae counter at a Design District food hall. Later, they opened the restaurant as a standalone. Valerie Chang went on to open Maty’s, earning the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2024; her brother earned the same award in 2025, a two months after Itamae Ao earned a Michelin star.
The guide praised Chang’s skill with classic Peruvian-Japanese flavors.
“Searing levels of acidity and spice figure prominently on this bold tasting menu, often in the form of leche de tigre,” the guide says. “From lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi to creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops and parmesan, the cooking possesses style and substance in spades.”
At the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago, Chang delivered an emotional speech, thanking his family and the city where he has found a home.
“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.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 6:17 PM.