We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Dimech and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk has been a factor in my life both as an Air Force officer and currently as a Paellero (paella chef). The willingness to take risks enabled me to volunteer for very rewarding and dangerous assignments with the United Nations in Cambodia and the Former Yugoslavia and in numerous volatile locations throughout the Middle East. Currently it allows me to take chances with ingredients and techniques without which my style of artisan paella is impossible.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was first exposed to paella in 1994 while running the bulls in Pamplona. Knew immediately it’s potential as a food canvas that was oddly not being exploited as such. At first my decoration was relatively limited with little more than placing a crab in the center of the pan and lemons and or mussels arranged symmetrically.. This drew some criticism from traditionalist and limited my efforts. With time however I realized the historical nuances of paella in Spain was calcifying its development and no longer paid attention to what others believed was or was not acceptable when making paella. My paellas today contain about 4 times more ingredients than a typical paella in Spain and are very heavy in meat proteins. Ingredients unheard of in Spanish paella are routine and may include coconut cream, pesto, cashews, prosciutto, quail eggs etc. The response from my customers clearly confirms the correctness of this decision.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Beaches needless to say but also bar hopping in Encinitas and a stroll through La Jolla and Coronado. Hot tubbing in my backyard with Viking drinking horns is a good way to finish any evening.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is only one possible response…..my family. They are and will remain the raison d’etre for all that I do.

Website: https://www.paulspaellas.com

Instagram: @paulspaellas

Yelp: Paul’s Paellas

Youtube: Paul’s Paellas

Image Credits
Owned by me.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSoCal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.