The Chang family’s mini culinary empire expands with tonight’s opening of Itamae AO in Midtown Miami.
Building on the success of Itamae, brother and sister Nando and Valerie’s breakout Nikkei hit in the Design District, Itamae AO is an intimate chef’s counter restaurant adjacent to Maty’s. Both spots are helmed by Nando and Valerie, respectively. (Chef Valerie was recently named a James Beard finalist for Best Chef: South for her work there.)
Similar to the original Itamae, Nando’s AO iteration is a reflection of the family’s Peruvian heritage, though it leans more than ever into the ocean with an eight-course omakase that highlights tropical and seasonal ingredients from around Miami, Peru and the U.S. (AO translates to “blue” in Japanese.)
“It was only in the last few years that I’ve fully come to understand who I am as a chef and my culinary identity, one that can blend seamlessly with my family’s point of view while also standing out on my own,” Chang said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to showing off this latest version as Itamae AO and for Miami to enjoy our food once again, this time in the form of The Nikkei Experience.”
Chang’s unconventional menu is categorized by dry-aged fish, sashimi, nigiri, an intermezzo, noodles, anticuchos, aguadito and dessert. Though some of the original Itamae’s most beloved ingredients have been remixed into new dishes. For instance, his father Papa Chang’s sweet shiitake mushrooms, previously in the popular Totoro Roll, now top a lucuma custard dessert. Ceviche, an Itamae signature, returns in the form of local grouper dry-aged and cut into sashimi with a classic aji limo leche de tigre.
For drinks, the chef has curated a thoughtful menu of sake, shochu, Japanese whisky and an eclectic list of the staff’s favorite wines that best pair with seafood and emphasize low-intervention, biodynamic producers.
The restaurant’s sleek, personal design is intended to feel open and interactive, with seating for just 10 guests and views of the chef as he prepares each course. Clad in natural wood textures with rattan sliding panels and a striking blue terrazzo countertop, every detail of the space was conceived by Chang himself.
Itamae AO is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday with seatings at 6:30 and 9:15pm for $165 per person, not including tax and tip. Guests can add on a beverage pairing that includes wines, sake and sherry for $95 per person.
Reservations open 14 days in advance at 8am daily via Resy. Itamae AO is located at 3255 Northeast First Avenue. For more information, visit www.itamaeao.com and follow on Instagram at @ItamaeAO.