Jose Andres is the chef behind Jaleo, Oyamel, Zaytinya, Minibar and more beloved D.C. restaurants.
Here's an interview with him, by Forbes contributor Rahim Kanani.
An excerpt:
I am from Spain, but I have lived in DC for over 20 years. For me, this is home. I opened Jaleo in 1993 and I am very humbled that DC welcomed me with open arms. Everyone has always known Washington to be the political center of the US, but over the years, Washington has transformed into an amazing cultural and food center, and we are only getting better. Fate brought me to DC and very quickly it became home. I met my wife two months after I moved to the city, and our daughters were born here. After the initial success of Jaleo, we had amazing opportunities to expand. We opened several restaurants in the area that include Zaytinya, minibar, Oyamel and barmini by Jose Andres. and we are always looking to what’s next. I have restaurants and projects all over the country but Washington, DC is my home base.
As a chef, it has been amazing to see how much has changed and how many top chefs and restaurants have opened up from the fine dining tasting menus, to burger joints and even the amazing food trucks. For a long time people looked to Los Angeles, New York and Miami for food, but the world is starting to pay attention to us and I am very humbled to have been part of this evolution.