Danny Lledó Shares the Nuances of Paella

Why It Matters

The interview shows how authentic Valencian paella can be elevated in fine dining and how adaptive strategies during crises can sustain culinary innovation.

Key Takeaways

• Chef Yedot emphasizes rice as paella’s star ingredient.
• Wood‑fire technique accelerates cooking, significantly altering broth‑to‑rice ratios.
• Pandemic forced innovative carry‑out classes and limited‑menu adaptations.
• Chiquette’s tasting menu positions paella amid multi‑course experience.
• Valencian identity shapes menu language and culinary storytelling.

Summary

The episode of Menu Talk features chef‑owner Danny Yedot of Washington, D.C.’s Chiquette and its sister venue Taller de Chiquette, both rooted in Valencian culinary tradition rather than generic Spanish fare.

Yedot explains that paella’s rice, especially the short‑grain bomba, is the true protagonist, receiving the same attention as premium proteins like lobster and caviar. He details his wood‑fire method, where the sofrito is cooked first, rice added, then a carefully balanced broth‑to‑water mix is poured, a process that shortens cooking time from 18 to about 13 minutes due to temperatures approaching 1,000 °F.

He recalls pandemic‑era innovations—virtual paella classes for corporate teams and a limited‑menu take‑out that kept the kitchen alive. A memorable line underscores his cultural pride: “We are not just Spanish chefs, we are Valencian chefs; ‘chiquette’ means ‘boy’ in our dialect.”

Yedot’s approach illustrates how regional authenticity can thrive in a fine‑dining, multi‑course format, offering a template for chefs seeking to blend tradition with modern service models while navigating crises.

Original Description

Danny Lledó is the chef and owner of Xiquet and Taller de Xiquet. The former is a Michelin-starred, tasting-menu restaurant in Washington, D.C., and the latter offers similar food in an à la carte setting downstairs.

Born in the United States, Lledó comes from a family of cooks—his father is an accomplished chef from Dénia, Spain, located between Valencia and Alicante, and he focuses on that region’s cuisine at his restaurants, particularly paella. That rice dish is the centerpiece of his tasting menu, which starts with small plates and ends with dessert and drinks outside the dining room on the restaurant’s mezzanine.

Lledó is the most awarded paella chef in the United States, with six first-place honors in competitions such as the Paella Wine & Beer Festival in Los Angeles. His was named the best Valencian Paella at PaellaFest in Washington, D.C., and it won the people’s choice award at the Paella Wine & Beer Festival in California’s Orange County.

He recently discussed his paella and other aspects of Valencian culture and the D.C. dining scene for this podcast.