AlwaysTraveling: El Bulli (Roses, Spain‎)

Jeff Zalaznick — June 16, 2009

In honor of tonight’s late opening of El Bulli (it usually opens in April) I thought it appropriate to publish my meal of July 24th, last year (above, Sea Anemone 2008). I do not know why it has taken me so long to share this, but for some reason I needed to let it marinate for a bit.

History:

For the unitiated, El Bulli overlooks the Cala Montjoi Bay in Roses on the Costa Brava in Catalonia, Spain, and unbelievably, was founded as a minigolf installation in 1961 by a German couple who named it for their French bulldogs (a breed known colloquially as bulli). The year 1964 saw the restaurant’s first incarnation, which won its first Michelin star in 1976 with Chef Jean-Louis Neichel, and its second (1990) and third (1997) stars with Ferran Adrià, who started there in 1984 and took the helm in 1987. At last count, El Bulli employed more than 40 chefs and is a temple of molecular gastronomy . El Bulli has been judged the world’s best restaurant a record five times (2002 & 2006-2009).

 

My Thoughts:

1) El Bulli makes you feel better about yourself as a person and proud of yourself as an eater.

At El Bulli, you feel incredible about yourself. You have made it. You are holding court in the king’s castle. The culinary holy grail (above, Razor Clam / Laurencia). It is a totally surreal experience. Euphoria seizes your grip on reality. Finally, you can walk with your head held high amongst the culinary elite. You get to truly savor this feeling because as one of the eight thousand (out of two million) who will get to eat there this summer, there is no rush. I sat down at 7pm and finished well after 1am. We then sat on the terrace (a must) for a few hours— that’s an eight-hour meal. In order to truly appreciate this, one needs to be an experienced eater. It makes all the hard work worth it.

 

2) The El Bulli team is incredible.

The swagger and exclusivity that you would think would come with the territory is non-existent. Upon arrival, you are greeted graciously by Juli Soler (Chef Ferran Adrià‘s partner in crime) but so casually that you feel as if you made the reservation on OpenTable a few hours before, not as if you had been trying for years of your life (above, Water Lily).

3) I understand why El Bulli is considered the best restaurant in the world.

El Bulli was not the best meal of my life. But it was the most interesting, and food-wise, the most intense. It totally blurred the lines between what was edible and what was art. It humbles dining experts, as it makes you realize that there are still so many gastronomic boundaries to be explored and broken.

Everything at El Bulli is fun. Everything is perfect in its own way. This is exactly what is so impressive: the El Bulli Way is different. In this oversaturated food world, where trends take control and dishes start to seem similar, it is so seldom that we actually find something or someone who is doing it truly in their own way. That is why El Bulli is so special. They do it their way. And, their way is fantastic.

4) You got to have friends.

Losing my El Bulli virginity was a team effort by way of a wonderful marriage between my closest friend Zach Aarons and Camilla Gale. Had Zach not had the foresight to ask Camilla to be his wife, I would have never been asked to Provence for the engagement party. Had I never been asked to Provence, had Zach not had the good fortune to get a reservation and had someone not dropped out, then I would still be living the shameful existence that is never having been to El Bulli. Zach, good choice.

Honestly though, I was truly honored to be a part of this historic meal between the Gale and Aarons families, and I cannot thank both of you enough for including me. Now, the question is, where are we going this summer?

Overview:

Restaurant: Restaurante El Bulli
Address: Cala Montjoi, Ap. 30 17480, Roses, Girona, Spain‎ (view map)
Rating: *** (Michelin)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A+
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Parmesan “Air”, Hot & Cold Pea Soup, Spherical Olives, Sea Anemones, Rabbit Brains – menu changes constantly though so just go with it

Click here to see the entire El Bulli meal, in order, Dish by Dish >>