One year after his sister, Valerie Chang, won Best Chef: South for Maty’s at the annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, Nando Chang was on stage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago to receive the regional award for Itamae AO. The back-to-back regional chef wins by the siblings were especially noteworthy, coming after an award drought for the prestigious awards.
In an emotional speech, Chang, a Peruvian American of Chinese descent, told the story of his family’s journey to Miami. He and his sister came here in 2001. “I remember falling in love with America the moment we landed, driving on those vast highways, right out of the airport,” he said. “I couldn’t help but think, all these roads, all these directions meant endless opportunities, back at home, all I had known were one-way streets.”
On his first day in the kitchen, Chang told the crowd he felt at home. “All different types of people from all different types of backgrounds, working together towards the same goal. Becoming a cook felt natural to obsess over raw fish, sushi rice, sashimi knives and music,” he said. “That combination, the beautiful chaos, gave me the identity that I had been searching for my whole life.”
Chang joined some fellow Beard honorees who spoke about bringing their immigrant experience to their kitchens. “As bittersweet as this moment is for many immigrants in America, I want to say I could not be prouder or feel stronger to be a part of this beautiful country… Immigrants make America great.”
