Danny Lledó
Danny Lledó – Chef and Owner
Chef Danny Lledó is the owner of Xiquet, where his Mediterranean heritage inspires his award-winning modern Spanish tasting menu. Recipient of a Michelin Star since 2021 and AAA’s Five Diamonds since 2022, Chef Danny is proud to continue the family tradition of culinary excellence, following in the footsteps of his father, who is an accomplished chef from Denia, Spain. Lledó also honed his restaurant skills working at top Spanish restaurants for José Andrés’ Think Food Group, Taberna del Alabardero and Botin (known for being the world’s oldest restaurant).
Currently the most awarded paella chef in America, Lledó has accumulated eleven paella honors, six of which were first place awards including Best Paella at the Paella Wine & Beer Festival in Los Angeles, Best Valencian Paella at PaellaFest in Washington, D.C., and People’s Choice Paella at the Paella Wine & Beer Festival in Orange County, CA. Lledó’s wins on the West Coast have garnered more invitations for him to compete internationally. He competed as a finalist at the prestigious Paella Valenciana de Sueca International Competition in 2018, as a finalist of Fideua de Gandia International Competition in 2019, and again at the Paella Valenciana de Sueca International Competition in 2019, where he won an Accèsit award.