Chef Valerie Chang steps away from beloved Peruvian restaurant Maty's
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Maty's chef Valerie Chang won a James Beard award in 2024. Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for James Beard Foundation
Acclaimed chef Valerie Chang announced Thursday she was stepping away from Maty's, the celebrated Midtown Peruvian restaurant.
Why it matters: In the two years since it opened, the restaurant has rightfully earned its place within Miami's dining scene, securing a spot on Florida's growing list of Michelin Guide restaurants and boasting one of the nation's top chefs.
- Chang won the Best Chef: South category at the 33rd annual James Beard Awards last year.
Friction point: Representatives of Chang, as well as the restaurant's Instagram page, announced the last service would be July 5, but later said Maty's closing wasn't "a sure thing."
- Chang is a co-owner of Maty's and Itamae AO, her brother's restaurant, which has been operating in the Maty's space as an à la carte residency since April. That residency will end July 5.
What they're saying: "We opened this restaurant to honor our grandmother, Maty, in the best way we know how—through food," Chang wrote on her Instagram.
- "Our dad showed us very early on that being in the restaurant could give us an opportunity to struggle a little less — that perhaps we weren't bound only by what our parents could give us, but by what we could also make with our own hands."
- "As this chapter comes to an end for me, I want to take this moment to express my deepest gratitude for everyone who has allowed me to cook for them at Maty's over the past two years," she wrote.
Flashback: Chang, her brother Nando Chang (of Itamae AO) and their father, Fernando, operated the now-closed restaurant Itamae. The trio also earned a James Beard nomination.
- This month, Nando Chang won the Best Chef: South category at the James Beard Awards.
What's next: No reasons were cited for her departure, but in her post, Chang wrote she was "excited to share what's next! Nos vemos pronto."
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that, despite having announced an end of service date, Maty's representatives now say the restaurant's closing isn't certain.