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| Chef
Howsoon Cham |
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 As the chef/owner of
Red Ginger of
Georgetown, Howsoon
Cham, nicknamed H.O., has a place
of his own which combines his interest
and background in new world cuisine
with his talent for cooking. He is
not afraid to create food with flavor.
Born in Gambia, West Africa,
it was his athletic ability
that originally brought him
to the United States sixteen
years ago. He attended Bethany
College in West Virginia on
a soccer scholarship, where
he helped fund his education
by working in local restaurants
during school breaks. Although
for a while he did put his international
affairs degree to work at the
Gambian embassy, his love and
passion for food won out and
he decided to become a full
time chef.
Working at restaurants around
Washington, his cooking style
evolved as he absorbed techniques
and styles from chefs under
whom he trained. He has mentored
under Jeff Buben and Peter Smith
of Vidalia, the prestigious
southern restaurant. Prior to
that he was chef de cuisine
at Georgia Browns, as well as
executive chef at Willie & Reeds
and John Harvard's restaurants.
Howsoon declares that “while
I never went to culinary school,
some of my mentors, Patrick
O’Connell of the Little
Inn of Washington, Charlie Trotter
in Chicago and Norman Van Aken
of Miami were not formally trained
at culinary schools either.” H.O.
may not have formal training,
but he has all the right instincts.
He has transformed the menu
at Red Ginger of Georgetown
to give guests delicious Caribbean
and Latin American cuisine.
Chef H.O.’s menu reflects
the manner with which new American
cuisine has been affected by
the diverse fare from around
the globe. Red Ginger of Georgetown's
dishes range from grilled lamb
chop in red mole, curry oxtail
stew, plantain crusted oysters,
shrimp with purple corn polenta,
masa crusted chicken livers,
curry dusted sea scallops over
yellow corn grits, Jamaican
rum & apple cider cured
pork, jumbo lump crab cake and
the well known Caribbean jerk
chicken. Every item on the menu
is paired with some of the finest
wines and looks like a work
of art as it arrives at the
table. The plates are adorned
with interesting, unique and
delicious tropical combinations
of yucca, plantains, bonioto
and Latin salsas.
The cozy eatery is painted with
tactfully hip and appropriately
exciting colors. The architecture
is modern without being over
bearing and the paint vivid,
without disrupting the casual
atmosphere and lending a refreshingly
light and comfortable mood to
the establishment. Even the
restrooms are adorned with colorful
flowers and tempura paints.
The pictures presently displayed
are uniquely made of butterfly
wings ecologically raised in
the Congo with proceeds dedicated
to fight aids in Africa.
So as your usual "dining
joints" grow a little old
take the short walk to Wisconsin
Avenues hidden treasure. And
be sure to ask to say hello
to Chef Cham. |
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