Chef on the Rise - Oji Jaja

Executive Chef, Eatonville Restaurant, Washington DC

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Rock-born chef Oji Jaja is repping the black, gold and green in Washington DC, in fine culinary style to boot. Jaja, whose progress we've applauded for years -- he was nominated for the Jamaica Observer Food Awards Chef of the Year in 2010 and made us all proud as Tom Cruise's chef in residence during the filming of Knight and Day at Geejam in Portland along with his wife Katie Holmes and daughter Suri. Jaja has taken up culinary residence at Eatonville Restaurant in the American capital since July, finding welcome favour with foodies there. "I was invited to DC back in June for Eatonville's dinner series where the theme was Caribbean Food and Folklore. The event was a success with all the tickets selling out, and the guests left very happy," he shared. Going in for a farewell meeting with restaurant owner Anas Shallal, Jaja recalled: "Without giving me the opportunity to say much, Shallal offered me the position of executive chef... I gave it some thought and figured with all that was included, this would make a great opportunity."

Held in high esteem in local food circles, Jaja told Thursday Food that while Eatonville's menu is more Southern-focused, there are daily specials as well as a features menu which allows him flexibility to incorporate elements of modern Caribbean cuisine. Washington, the chef informed, is not his first experience working overseas. Jaja was previously employed to the Ritz Carlton, working in the positions of assistant food and beverage manager and stewarding manager at the Ritz in Naples and Key Biscayne in Florida, respectively.

Contracted for a year to Eatonville, he explained that he sees his particular goal as elevating the standards of the restaurant by improving presentation, flavour and efficiency. "The introduction of Caribbean flavours are welcomed by the [Washington] community," noted Jaja, a level two graduate of Runaway Bay HEART Hotel and Training Institute who holds a Johnson and Wales associate degree in culinary arts. "Especially since they don't have a space in which they enjoy high-quality Caribbean cuisine," he added.

What has been the most interesting aspect of living and working in Washington? "It's a melting pot of cultures here; with that you find restaurants from all over the world and this allows you the opportunity to experience them all in a 20-mile radius," he shared. Pointing to his lack of fluency in Spanish as his most significant challenge, Jaja divulged that while he's yet to run into other Jamaican or Caribbean chefs, "I'm sure I will run into them sooner than later."

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Chef on the Rise - Oji Jaja