Chef

Daniel Ochoa

Discipline: Chef
Based in: Madrid, Spain
Venue: Montia · Restaurant

i. Biography

Where They Are Now

At Montia in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Daniel Ochoa works in a kitchen context defined by precision, restraint and seasonality. The setting suits a cook whose value lies in measured execution: detail held steady, flavor built slowly, and each plate given the attention the room demands. Early in his career, Daniel Ochoa worked as Head Chef at Montia in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Spain, and that role remains a clear marker in the record — a point where he was not only cooking, but shaping the restaurant’s culinary identity. His cooking is read through ingredients and the disciplined handling of them. Daniel’s signature dishes include Callos stew, Rye Dessert, Chickpea in Green with Summer Truffle and Chenopodium, Lamb, and Chard and Green Herbs. The names themselves point to the range: depth and warmth in Callos stew, a tighter register of texture and balance in Rye Dessert, a green and composed plate in Chickpea in Green with Summer Truffle and Chenopodium, and a plainspoken confidence in Lamb, Chard and Green Herbs. Taken together, these dishes place Daniel Ochoa within a style associated with grounded, seasonal cooking at Montia. The work moves between savory richness and more delicate combinations without leaning on flourish. Callos stew brings density; Chickpea in Green with Summer Truffle and Chenopodium pulls toward freshness and nuance; Rye Dessert and Lamb, Chard and Green Herbs extend the range with an emphasis on structure, clarity and control. What is notable here is not display but discipline. At Montia in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Daniel Ochoa works in a way that reads as exacting and composed, with ingredients allowed to register clearly on the plate. The result is a body of work built on careful decisions at every stage, from the first arrangement to the finished dish.