Amid a successful engineering career in the Washington, D.C., area, Tim Ma, EE 00, decided to make a big change into the world of food. He uprooted to attend culinary school in New York City and gained experience in kitchens in New York and the Virgin Islands. Ma returned to the D.C. area in 2009 when he opened his first restaurant, Maple Ave., in Vienna, Va. The intimate establishment—it has nine tables—became an immediate sensation, earning rave reviews from the Washington Post, the Washingtonian and North Virginia Magazine. Ma is opening a second restaurant, Water & Wall, in Arlington, Va. It’s been named one of the region’s most anticipated openings by several publications. Ma’s skills as a chef have earned him several honors, including being named third in the Favorite Chef category by Washingtonian and a nomination for Rising Culinary Star of the Year by the Restaurant Association.
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