The New York Times recently published it’s list of the 100 best restaurants in that metropolis, and it included an eclectic compilation that included many places that reflect the diverse ethnicity that is found there and often referenced the immigrants from around the world who operate some of those establishments. The list was compiled by that publications longtime restaurant critic, Pete Wells, and it is not known what qualifications he has for that post besides his obvious enthusiasm for eateries located in the Big Apple. Many Asian and Hispanic places were listed and some of them were located in the borough of Queens where many immigrants from those regions are living. Recently in Oklahoma City African immigrant chef Chimei Zounon, who was brunching at the north side Granny’s Kitchen, told of his enthusiasm for a Japanese restaurant , Goror- Ramen, that is situated in the trendy Paseo District of Oklahoma City and several other establishments in Oklahoma’s capital city that he frequents with his husband Christopher Booze. He availed himself of the “nikuman” there, a Japanese dish that includes chicken and other tasty ingredients, and said it was of the highest quality. Zounon, who has prepared food in restaurants in Cleveland Ohio and Dallas, Texas, and has also prepared meals that were served in private residences, told of how he is a native of the West African nation of Benin, which was formerly a colony of France, and that his grandmother operated a restaurant there that he grew up in that included fare that was a fusion between French and other European traditions and African. After he arrived in the US decades ago as a college student and began to prepare food for his roommates as well as other students, he developed an interest in the foods that are served in Brazil and various parts of Asia, and in time he served as a chef at the Choukouya Resto Bar & Restaurant in Cleveland where he developed a customer base of considerable size. He also appeared in a series of podcasts that featured his cooking. But the cold winters of that town made him nostalgic for the sunny skies of Texas, and he eventually made his way back to the Lone Star State. He also began to cater events in the Oklahoma City area, where he met his husband and they have been married for more than two years. Zounon was educated in the French language, as where some of the members of the staff at Granny’s Kitchen, and during his sojourn there he conversed with several of them in that tongue in a melodious manner. The chef reports that he is grateful to be in Oklahoma’s capital city as it’s restaurants are beginning to reflect those of a world class place and that he plans to be part of it as he expands his food preparation efforts.
Against the Grain 