El Bulli—Food, Health and Art

El Bulli is a three-star restaurant near Roses town in Catalonia, some two hours northeast of Barcelona in Spain. The star classification is bestowed by Michelin Stars Awards owned by French-based tire manufacturer Michelin which gives the award to restaurants for cooking excellence. Before its closure on July 30, 2011 but with a proposed reopening in 2014, El Bulli was described as the world’s most imaginative generator of skillfully prepared food or haute cuisine, and judged by the Restaurant Magazine as number one of its list of the world’s top 50 best restaurants for five times up to 2009.

Early years. The location of El Bulli, which is atop a hill overlooking Catalonia’s Costa Brava was chosen by Dr. Hans Schilling, a German, who was the owner of that piece of land. The name El Bulli came from the Schillings’ French bulldogs. Several years after its opening in 1964, the restaurant had its first Michelin star while it was managed by French chef Jean-Louis Neichel. In 1984, Chef Ferran Adria, who now runs the facility, became part of it and was assigned in full charge of its kitchen in 1987. In 1990 and 1997, El Bulli achieved its second and third star, respectively from Michelin. Since its opening, it has become as a holy Mecca or sought-after food center for food lovers of Spain and other parts of the world. In 2008, some of its recipes were incorporated in the book A Day at El Bulli, and these were (a) Melon with ham, (b) Pine nut marshmallows, (c) Steamed brioche or enriched bread with rose-scented mozzarella, (d) Rock mussels with seaweed and fresh herbs, and (e) Passion fruit trees.

Foods at El Bulli: The restaurant has developed what is known as molecular gastronomy consisting of foods that surprise and attract many of its guests. These are part of a 35-course taster’s menu that provides customers with a great and wondrous experience of tastes and textures. Some of these recipes are (a) Hot gin frizz, (b) Piña colada, (c) Cloud of carrot with tangerine or concentrate of orange-colored citrus fruits, (d) Round mango with caramelized ravioli, (e) Apple caviar, (f) Rabbit with hot apply jelly, (g) Sardines with fish roe or internal egg mass of the fish, (h) Hot and cold trout roe tempura, (i) Frozen polenta or ground cornmeal, (j) Oysters with smoked Iberian pancetta or bacon, (k) Spherical egg with white asparagus and truffle or mushroom, (l) Clam meringue or topping of beaten white egg, (m) Clam ceviche or raw seafood, and (n) Golden egg with steamed shrimps and tea.

Health and art: Good foods at El Bulli are healthy because they significantly involve good ingredients that are best when they are available in season, or when these ingredients are treated in simpler ways. They are good when they lead customers to satiety and pleasure and for health benefits, or when they promote a good state of nourishment through innovation and creativity in kitchen science. Already, the restaurant’s cooking is an avant-garde art because of its most exciting and innovative methods that come up with foods going beyond tasting good, and that make cuisine as an art, and vice-versa.