Innovate or Die

A couple of years ago my husband Dave and I were among the lucky few who took the harrowing drive from Roses to have dinner at El Bulli.  We were with our good friends, Kim and Greg.  Every year there are just eight thousand seatings at this outwardly unassuming restaurant and over two million reservation requests.  To Greg that was a challenge he would rise to.

I had heard of Feran Adria but I was not prepared for what we were about to experience.  Reading about a chef like that is like studying Picasso without ever seeing the work.  You can speak the language but you don’t know what you are talking about until you fill in the gaps with passion.

The dining room is traditional and the kitchen is anything but.  We ordered the tasting menu which was if I remember rightly was made up of twenty three courses.  The word that comes to my mind to describe my meal that evening is purity.  Flavor and texture in its purest form.  Complex techniques  presented to the diner in the most elegant way and every moment a surprise that constantly challenged our senses.

As the years have gone by, I appreciate more and more what a magical night that was.  El Bulli has five times been named the top restaurant in the world. The techniques that created the meal we ate that night continue to revolutionise the industry.

Feran Adria serves as an inspiration and proves ‘it’ hasn’t all been done before.

Photographs:  Gourmet magazine