The King is Dead, Long Live The King

​The precursor of a Gastronomic Revolution...

It is true that not many people can say they have shaped the world, especially the world of food and gastronomy.

Georges August Escoffier (Made French Cuisine world famous and documented methods and techniques. He moved menus, cooking techniques and the organisation of the professional kitchen into what we are familiar with today1), Paul Bocuse (one of the most prominent chefs associated with the Nouvelle Cuisine),  and Joel Robuchon (Awarded in 1976 « Meilleur Ouvrier de France », then in 1987  « Chef de l’année », then in 1990 « Cuisinier du siècle ». As of today, with 26 Michelin stars, he is the only chef to hold such a worldwide record2) have inspired many of the chefs today and have contributed to exporting French Gastronomy, Culinary Techniques and excellence in food to the world.

Yet, It is in Spain that you would find the highest regarded and most influential chef in the World of today. El Bully is the only restaurant in the world where you need to book years in advance to get a table, with over 2 millions reservations requests a year for only 50 covers a day for six months of the years, and the restaurant is only opened for dinner (eating a 30+ courses meal you would imagine it takes a lot of work and many hours to prepare).

Somehow, the dream is coming to an end for customers that never had the chance to dine at the restaurant and bath in the atmosphere, and for chefs that would have ‘killed’ to work there (About 3,000 chefs apply for a position at El Bulli every year but only 30 stagiaires (trainees) will be accepted for no pay at all). Ferran Adrià, the Head chef at El Bulli, most commonly known as the Father of the Molecular Gastronomy (started as a kitchen porter then worked his way up the brigade to become the Famous chef he is today),  has announced in early 2010 the closure of the restaurant for 2012 and 2013; however, the site will reopen as a Culinary Research Foundation during that time, so not all is lost. ‘The King is Dead, Long Live the King‘.

Indeed, Ferran Adria can say he has shaped the world of food and gastronomy by using previously unknown techniques (he even had to invent names for those techniques), some quite crazy, like deconstructing food and reconstructing it into something to challenge the brain yet remaining tasty and amazing, using liquid Nitrogen, Calcium Alginate and other chemicals, or a dehydrator, in order to create a new way to present and serve food, playing with textures and colours. My favourite, the snow ball is one of the best experiences for the brain, it is like being a kid again and eat literally what looks like a snow ball, but tastes heavenly (Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to eat there; I only have the book to imagine).

To all the lucky and happy customers who have had the chance to eat there, and to all the chef who have the ability to change the world of gastronomy tomorrow by using their flair, passion and dedication.

1 www.Escoffier.com
2 www.joel-robuchon.net