Last Wednesday night, I had dinner at El Bulli. Yes, that El Bulli, the 3-star home of Ferran Adrià, currently the world's most influential chef. Millions of words have been written about this dining experience and Adria's status as Zeitgeist-shifting genius. And, yes, the meal was fabulous beyond expectation. So what new perspective can I offer?
Well, what struck me (somewhere between the cloud of popcorn and the frozen quinoa of foie gras) was that this meal requires absolute surrender from the diner. It starts with the reservations. They tell you when you can come. I e-mailed in January for a midsummer reservation. I was already too late; they were fully booked for the season. Reportedly, they received close to a quarter-million requests for the 8,000 available slots. I then began to beg, by phone and fax, asking for a reservation on any date. I'd make the trip to Spain whenever it suited their schedule. After five weeks of intense negotiation, I had a table. When you sit down, they ask if you have any food allergies or dislikes.
There is no menu—no dishes to select, no prices to consider. The kitchen has a new repertoire of dishes each year, all created around a theme or themes. (This year seems to be all about freezing things with liquid nitrogen, the color white, and interpretations of eggs.) They decide exactly which dishes from the repertoire you will have. I had a five-hour meal with more than 30 courses. The table next to me was there for a mere three hours. I cannot think of another restaurant that maintains such complete control over the dining experience. And I don't think it would work in New York or anywhere else. It would be derided as too pretentious and extravagant. But on the Costa Brava in Spain, it works... to perfection. www.elbulli.com
P.S. Stay tuned for more about this meal of a lifetime.
Originally published on Epicurious.com.