Valerie Chang Cumpa’s culinary story began early. More than the familiar at-home experience where most kids learn, Valerie and her brother Nando were with their dad in his restaurant. That exposure to the energy, craft, and creativity of a real restaurant lit a spark for her that became a lifelong passion. Valerie and her brother carried that with them, eventually opening a family restaurant that celebrated their Peruvian roots. 

Today, Valerie specializes in Peruvian cuisine as a way to express the immigrant story through food. “Much of my cooking lives in the in-between space between Peruvian and American – representing the journey immigrant children go through, and even the identity insecurity that can come with growing up between cultures.” 

Valerie’s award-winning work brings artistry to seafood dishes and shows off her talent for balancing bright flavors. For Valerie, cooking is both her craft and her gift, emphasized through her hard work, dedication, and dynamic personality. And we’re not the only ones who think so, as she won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2024.