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Hau Chu

Hau

Hau Chu is a food, arts and culture reporter at The Banner covering Montgomery 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

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.
How many people watch Olympic curling and think ‘I could do that’? We find out.
The Potomac Curling Club in Laurel hosts open houses and Learn to Curl events for enthusiasts and newbies who get hooked on the oddball sport every four years.
First-time curler Sean White throws a curling stone during a Potomac Curling Club open house in Laurel.
The viral, overflowing tacos of Flavor Hive arrive in Maryland
Flavor Hive, which started in 2024 as a Virginia food truck, has rapidly expanded with its customizable bowls and chip-bag constructions.
Flavor Hive, which opened Feb. 12 in Rockville, built its viral fame on walking taco bags where customers bring in their own bag of chips and add on rice, meat and other toppings. The Banner brought a bag of Fritos and Xochitl sea salt chips as test subjects.
7 things to do in Montgomery County, from Savor Bethesda to a Lunar New Year celebration
This week brings Savor Bethesda, Rockville’s Lunar New Year celebration and more things to do around Montgomery County.
The owners of Zao Stamina Ramen renamed their shop as Ramen Menri on Feb. 1. They wanted to highlight more simple and subtle flavors such as the Menri Dashi Shio, which is available as part of the restaurant's Savor Bethesda special through March 1.
Rockville Science Center in search of $1 million in donations for new home
Rockville Science Center is planning to vacate its property by May 1 as it seeks $1 million for a new home while continuing to host workshops for high school engineering students building drones, robots and more.
Nicholas Yegorov, 16, is the design lead and captain of the robotics team at the Rockville Science Center, which announced it will have to move.
What’s it like to date in Montgomery County?
Ali Deckelbaum and Molly Dresner, who grew up and live in the area, created The Court in 2024 to set up singles across the D.C. region.
Molly Dresner, left, and Ali Deckelbaum became friends at Potomac's Bullis School. They stayed friends and created The Court in 2024 to set up singles in Montgomery.
Chef in Michelin-starred kitchens hand-forms corn tortillas in Rockville food truck
Saul Zelaya, who grew up in Gaithersburg and has cooked in D.C. restaurants such as Kinship and Rose’s Luxury, opened the Hijos del Maíz food truck in January.
Chef Saul Zelaya chats with a customer from his food truck, Hijos del Maíz, in Rockville.
7 things to do in Montgomery County, from a textile gallery to an owl prowl
An exhibit of textile artists from around the world and an owl prowl are among the events happening around Montgomery County this week.
A close look at a batik textile by Indonesian artist Dudung Alie Syahbana, whose work will join other global artists at a new exhibit at Bethesda's Amy Kaslow Gallery starting Feb. 5.
‘They took it all from me’: Maryland residents lost at least $6 million in call center schemes
Nearly two dozen Maryland residents were scammed out of funds, cryptocurrency and gold bars, said Montgomery County officials and agents from the FBI Baltimore field office.
Lisa, an 82-year-old Rockville resident, said at a news conference with Montgomery County officials and FBI Baltimore field office agents that she gave her life savings to scammers who impersonated as federal authorities.
Mandalay stands out with Burmese cuisine amid Purple Line construction
Mandalay in Silver Spring has been open at 930 Bonifant Street since 2004 but Purple Line construction woes, on top of the pandemic, have cut customer traffic.
Owner Joe Myint takes customer orders over the phone at Mandalay Restaurant in Silver Spring.
D.C.’s Fossette Focacceria brings Tuscan-style sandwiches to Bethesda
Fossette Focacceria’s six Tuscan-style sandwiches are available at AP Pizza Shop in Bethesda from chef Mike Friedman, who is also behind Aventino, All-Purpose and the Red Hen.
January 29, 2026 - AP Pizza Shop in Bethesda. The Italiano is loaded up with Genoa salami, finocchiona, sopressata, mortadella, mozzarella, spicy peppers and finished with oil and vinegar.
Silver Spring comic shop offers refuge by way of Dungeons & Dragons
Pure Panic Comics & Games in Silver Spring hosts a diverse group of hobbyists who bond over games and comics. The Banner Montgomery started a game of Dungeons & Dragons to explore their community.
Pure Panic Comics & Games on Fenton Street in Silver Spring.
7 things to do in Montgomery County this week, including tea time with Legos and local history
You can build Legos with a cup of tea and learn about an overlooked figure in Black history, among other things to do across the county this week.
Josiah Henson Museum and Park in North Bethesda will host a History Hour on Jan. 22 to discuss the legacy of the facility's namesake.
Once a ‘new Chinatown,’ Rockville expands its definition of Chinese cuisine
Rockville has long stood out for its variety of regional Chinese food. Family-run restaurants in the city are maintaining and evolving culinary traditions from their native China and Taiwan.
From left, A&J Restaurant owners Elaine Tang and Jye Tang and their daughter, Debbie Tang, who serves as the restaurant’s general counsel.
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