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Hau Chu

Hau

Hau Chu is a food, arts and culture reporter at The Banner covering Prince George's County and its surroundings. He previously spent nearly a decade at The Washington Post writing about life and oddities across the D.C. region, primarily for the Local and Features/Style sections. Before that, he also worked at the New York Daily News. Hau was born and raised in the Virginia suburbs of D.C. and attended George Mason University. Please reach out to him with any tips on stories, new local bands and overlooked eateries.

The latest from Hau Chu

Where to watch some World Cup matches across the capital region
The World Cup kicks off Thursday, and watch parties are popping up across Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and beyond. Here are some of the best places to catch matches.
Fans of Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi following an MLS match between D.C. United and Inter Miami in Baltimore in March.
7 things to do across the capital region, including Trolley Trail Day and summer concerts
The best things to do across the capital region this week include Shakespeare in the Parks and Trolley Trail Day.
The annual Shakespeare in the Parks summer series will take over parks across Montgomery and Prince George's counties with "As You Like It," starting June 14 through July 5. Last year brought a production of "The Comedy of Errors," pictured here in Rockville's Meadowside Nature Center on July 3, 2025.
A second free food market will open in a Prince George’s County library
The District 7 Fresh Market opens June 8 at the Spauldings Branch Library in District Heights. A similar market opened in Fairmount Heights to provide fresh foods and pantry staples.
A free grocery store in a library chips away at food insecurity
The Fairmount Five Market opened on May 28 at the Fairmount Heights Branch Library. Some residents in need can sign up to grab free pantry staples and fresh foods.
The Fairmount Five Market in the Fairmont Heights Library is stocked with a variety of essentials many families rely on.
7 things to do in the capital region, from a cult classic’s anniversary to a block party
Things to do in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties this week include a 40th anniversary screening of “Heavy Metal Parking Lot,” two Ari Lennox concerts and more.
Scenes from the cult classic, "Heavy Metal Parking Lot." The documentary short, which was filmed in Landover, will celebrate its 40th anniversary at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center on May 31.
Maryland’s lone ‘retro’ Pizza Hut only sort of exists in Oxon Hill
A recent visit to a Pizza Hut in Oxon Hill saw the former sit-down parlor somewhat revived but blocked off like a museum exhibit.
Pizza Hut in Oxon Hill was touted as Maryland’s lone retro outpost still in operation. But the dining room was still closed as of lunchtime Tuesday.
Pickles are great. But this pickle smoothie is a step too far.
The pickle smoothie from Smoothie King puts pickles in line with protein and bacon as the latest ingredient to be crammed up our noses.
Smoothie King debuted a pickle smoothie with Grillo’s Pickles. The briny beverage joins similar recent collaborations including pickle beer from PBR and Grillo’s-flavored Liquid I.V.
Peter Chang in College Park closes after less than a year in business
Peter Chang, the acclaimed Chinese chef, and his family have grown their restaurant empire across the region in recent years. But on Monday, they abruptly closed their College Park outpost.
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2026 - Peter Chang Kitchen & Bar at 8503 Baltimore Avenue in College Park. The restaurant’s owners announced Monday that the Prince George’s County outpost was closed effective immediately.
7 things to do in the Capital Region this week, including Preakness watch parties and a plant sale
Things to do in the Capital Region this week include Preakness watch parties and a two-day warehouse sale of succulents and cacti.
Rewild, a boutique houseplant shop with locations across the Capital Region, will open up its Hyattsville warehouse for Rewild West, a sale showcasing succulents and cacti.
Maryland is betting big on the Sphere. We had to see it up close.
Maryland officials are betting a smaller Sphere in National Harbor will jolt economic development and transform Prince George’s County for years to come. We went to Las Vegas to see what the hype is about.
The Sphere looms over Las Vegas.
Prince George’s Stadium is changing. He knows how much it was needed.
Darren Blackmon, a Bowie native, returned home to be the Chesapeake Baysox’s head groundskeeper after growing up attending and working at Prince George’s Stadium. The ballpark is completing a $50 million renovation project.
Darren Blackmon, a Bowie native, returned home to be the Chesapeake Baysox’s head groundskeeper after growing up attending and working at Prince George’s Stadium.
Prince George’s County offers standout tastes of West Africa
Chefs from Cameroon, Nigeria and Senegal are serving delectable staples of their homelands, including wood-fired beef and jollof rice, across Prince George’s County.
Bros J Suya first opened in Beltsville as a truck in 2021. The Cameroon-inspired restaurant’s main attraction is suya, strips of wood-grilled beef.
The can’t-miss events through the summer across the capital region
These are some of the highlight events being held in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties this spring and summer.
Bruce Springsteen performed the first concert at CFG Bank Arena post renovations on April 7, 2023.
Glenstone, Potomac’s contemporary art haven, evolves as it turns 20
Whether you’ve visited on multiple occasions or merely heard vague details about Glenstone, the private art museum, one word comes up repeatedly: experience.
Simone Leigh's "Last Garment" on display at the Water Court at the Glenstone Museum in Potomac.
This season, the Nats are pitching new food options
New concessions at Nationals Park include Baltimore transplants Fuzzies Burgers and Stuggy's hot dogs.
Fuzzies Burgers, one of two new Baltimore-born vendors in Section 105 at Nationals Park, offers its signature item, The Fuzzy, and fries, including shore style with malt vinegar powder and Old Bay.
A fast-casual baked potato? Tato’s in Montgomery Mall provides.
Potatoes star at Tato’s, which opened at Montgomery Mall in February after debuting in Silver Spring’s Commas Food Hall last year.
The Mexico at Tato’s features barbacoa and salsa macha, which is made here with sunflower seeds instead of the usual peanuts.
I ate a dozen bowls of pho across Montgomery County. Here are the best.
The best bowls of pho in Montgomery County showcase traditional techniques and chart the evolution of the beloved Vietnamese noodle soup.
A customer eats a bowl of brisket pho at PhoWheels in Burtonsville.
Steeze Burger, once called the best in the region, finds a permanent home in Gaithersburg
Steeze Burger had only popped up for a year before The Washington Post named it the best burger in the D.C. area. Gaithersburg native Hunter Karametos plans to open the first brick-and-mortar location in April.
Gaithersburg native Hunter Karametos will open a brick-and-mortar version of his pop-up, Steeze Burger, in April. His double cheeseburger was named by The Washington Post in 2023 as the D.C. area's best burger.
K2 Cafe and Kitchen expands its blended, family-tested cuisine to Clarksburg
K2 Cafe and Kitchen, which started in Poolesville in 2021, opened a second location in January.
The tandoori chicken bowl, one of the most popular dishes at K2 Cafe and Kitchen.
7 things to do in Montgomery County, from mahjong 101 to a ‘Play in a Day’
Events around Montgomery County this week include an introduction to mahjong, art exhibits and several theater companies joining to put on a play in a day.
Glen Echo's Adventure Theatre participates in Play in a Day, a challenge to D.C.-area theaters to stage an entire play in 24 hours. Glen Echo's Adventure Theatre participates in Play in a Day, a challenge to D.C.-area theaters to stage an entire play in 24 hours.
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