"Moving into a new Midtown space next to sister restaurant Maty’s, Itamae Ao will shift to an intimate omakase format seating only 12 guests at a time; chef and co-owner Nando Chang says the change is meant to better craft the dining experience and provide a more sustainable working environment for staff while delivering a more elevated evening for guests. The concept—inspired by the Chang family and their seafaring roots—uses the name “Ao” (Japanese for “blue”) as a homage to the family’s ancestral ties to the ocean and will draw on inspirations from their grandparents’ origins in the seaport towns of Pacasmayo and Barranca." - Olee Fowler