The District Chronicles

Issue date: 9/6/09 Section: Business

Media Credit: Khalid Naji-Allah/Staff Photographer

Cooking has always been a passion for 35-year-old Oji Abbott. He worked as a sous chef at the Washington Convention Center and a line cook at Planet Hollywood for three years each. He watched his great-grandmother and grandmother cook while growing up, but augmented his skills with a culinary arts degree from Stratford University in Falls Church, Va.

Abbott loves soul food, but stays away from recipes that call for pork. His aversion for pork stems from his knowledge of what he calls "the Black man's experience in America," dating back to slavery.

"African Americans' main source of meat was pork," said Abbott. "Not by choice, but because that is what was given to them by the slave owners."

Abbot is also cognizant of the fact that pork causes major ailments among Black people, including diabetes and hypertension.

Holding true to his goal and philosphy, Abbott now owns Oohs and Ahhs Soul Food on the historic U Street corridor at 20 U Street, NW.

Six years ago, he made $96 on opening day and his first customer was a hair stylist from Salon Essence two doors down the street. "She ordered a turkey burger and fries," he recalls.

From the early days, meatloaf, turkey wings and beef ribs have been staples. But the menu also includes fried fish, baked and fried chicken, yams, macaroni and cheese, cornbread and collard greens - all foods he watched and helped his grandmother and great-grandmother cook growing up. This time around, though, he cooks in low fat oil, and cuts down on the amount of grease and butter used in his dishes.

"It's a nice break from the fast-food monotony," Whitney Hopkins declared. "It's a nice hole-in-the-wall spot to get and eat great home cooked meals."

Jasmin Henderson, a DC native with roots in Tennessee, was delightfully surprised by the authentic southern style cooking at Oohs and Aahs. "The food was a delicious slice of home, and the men serving it were even tastier," she mused.

There is not only love in the food, but love in the restaurant itself. Abbott's mother, 59-year-old Karen Abbot, comes into the restaurant a couple times a week to help out. Oohs and Aahs staffers affectionately describe her as a bossy, loving and caring woman.

Abbott enjoys having the people he cares about working close to him; so he employs family and friends like nephews Chris Fleger and Donte Boone. Even his son, Jeffrey Jones, works there.

"They see me being my own boss and running my own business and it inspires them and lets them know they can do the same," said Abbott.

Abbott knows that soul food is a staple in the Black community, but relishes in the opportunity to share his culinary culture with the world. "We serve whoever would like to come and wants to eat our food. I am happy to serve everyone," he said.

Though the quaint and affectionately referred to "hole in the wall" does have a nostalgic, old school to it, Abbott plans to bring it into the 21st century with new floors, an expanded upstairs dining area, and possibly a bar. The restaurant currently seats 20 to 30 people; the goal is to increase that to 50 to 70 people.

Address: 1005 U Street NW Washington, DC
Phone: 202.667.7142

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