El Bulli: Ferran Adria’s Cult of Excellence

Who is Ferran Adria? At 47, Adria is considered one of the top chefs in the world and one of the most imaginative creators of haute cuisine. He is the head chef of elBulli, a restaurant in the town of Roses on the Costa Brava in Catalonia, Spain where the ideal customer comes not to eat but to have an experience. And come prepared to pay for it: an average meal runs 275 Euros or $512.50 US.

elBulli has operated at a loss since 2000, sustained by revenue from Adria’s published books and lectures. elBulli employed all of 42 chefs in 2008.

Open six months from April to October, reservations for each season are taken the day after the close of the previous season. Witness Adria’s rise to near cult status. How many restaurants have you been to with more than five courses? At El Bulli, ready yourself for 30.

While associated with “molecular gastronomy”, Adria considers his cuisine deconstructionist, based on the pursuit of meaning to the point of undoing the oppositions on which the meaning is apparently founded. Adria aims to provide unexpected contrasts of flavor, temperature and texture, to take the diner by surprise. During the six months El Bulli is closed, Adria busies himself perfecting his recipes in his Barcelona atelier, El Taller.

El Bulli ranked second in the Restaurant Top 50 in 2005 and was awarded first place in 2006, displacing The Fat Duck in England. El Bulli has retained this title in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, and Albert Adrià published A Day at elBulli in 2008, available at amazon.com For an online indoctrination, visit elbulli.com

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