Peruvian-Japanese Itamae opens new location in Miami’s Design District
Their dream had to wait.
The Chang family had opened a counter spot, Itamae, where they showed off the flavors of their Peruvian Nikkei cuisine inside a food hall in the Design District. And there, Fernando Chang worked alongside his children, Val and Nando Chang, who became the first sister-brother duo named semifinalists for a James Beard award for best chefs in the South.
Their hope was always to open their own standalone restaurant. Coronavirus closing delayed it — but their dream is finally a reality.
The Changs opened Itamae Nov. 25 in a new courtyard location across from the Politan Row
food hall (formerly St. Roch Market), where the chef siblings expand on their menu, a cultural fusion of Japanese and Peruvian fare specific to their home country.
They replace Ella cafe at 140 NE 39th St., #136, in the Palm Court.
“This was the spot we wanted all along. Now we can control everything: the food, the music, the service,” Val Chang said.
A larger location means a larger menu. Appetizers include smoked fish dip and torrejitas de choclo corn fritters, a wide selection of tiraditos, ceviches made with daily catches, signature sushi rolls and bowls, and a broad selection of wines, including low-intervention natural wines sorted by Karina
Iglesias, the co-owner of the small-plates favorite in downtown Miami, Niu Kitchen.
Plus, the restaurant’s courtyard location means that they can seat 40 with plenty of social distancing outdoors, while they keep the inside of their new restaurant closed during the pandemic.
It was the idea for this restaurant that brought the Chang family back together. Their father had emigrated from Peru and worked as a sushi chef in Miami for several years before sending for his children. The restaurant allowed the younger Changs to develop their skills, Nando as a sushi chef and Val, who had worked in a pair of Michelin-star kitchens, as a chef and operator.
They were handed the keys to the new location in February — just days before restaurants had to close to control the spread of the coronavirus. They continued operating as a ghost kitchen while they built out the restaurant, and they continued running another spot, B Side sushi, inside the 1-800-Lucky Market in Wynwood.
Fernando will run B-Side (“There always must be a Chang in a Chang restaurant,” Val Chang said) while the siblings handle the new spot, along with former Taquiza founder (and Val Chang’s partner) Eric Saltzman.
“It’s a dream we all set out together on,” Val Chang said, “and we’re achieving it.”
ITAMAE
140 NE 39th St., #136, in the Palm Court, Design District. Hours: MondaySunday, noon-6 p.m.