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The cuisine of elBulli: a revolution that respects the past
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Ferran Adrià was the architect of a movement that brought about a paradigm shift in world cuisine in the late 20th and early 21st centuries: a culinary style known as techno-emotional cuisine. At elBullirestaurante, this culinary innovation was always respectful of the past.
It was a gentle revolution that consistently recognised the value and legacy of French gastronomic culture, from the codified classicism of Auguste Escoffier to nouvelle cuisine, considered the first of the culinary avant-garde movements of the last century.
Walking into elBulli’s kitchen was like entering one of the most emblematic gastronomic spaces. It was where thousands of unforgettable gastronomic experiences that changed the direction of world cooking were created, thanks to a new language conceived by Ferran Adrià and the core of his creative team.
This new language was gradually forged through an insatiable search for new products, new tools, new techniques and new concepts. These would contribute to the development of intermediate elaborations that, when combined, created countless final elaborations for customers to enjoy as part of a tasting menu.
It was a gentle revolution that consistently recognised the value and legacy of French gastronomic culture, from the codified classicism of Auguste Escoffier to nouvelle cuisine, considered the first of the culinary avant-garde movements of the last century.
Walking into elBulli’s kitchen was like entering one of the most emblematic gastronomic spaces. It was where thousands of unforgettable gastronomic experiences that changed the direction of world cooking were created, thanks to a new language conceived by Ferran Adrià and the core of his creative team.
This new language was gradually forged through an insatiable search for new products, new tools, new techniques and new concepts. These would contribute to the development of intermediate elaborations that, when combined, created countless final elaborations for customers to enjoy as part of a tasting menu.
Did you know…
The number of final elaborations that make up the elBulli repertoire is 1,846.
This number was not chosen at random: 1846 is the year in which Auguste Escoffier, the leading light of classical cuisine, was born. When Ferran Adrià decided to bring his creative career at the helm of the restaurant to a close a few months before the final service, he chose this symbolic number as a token of the deep respect that elBulli’s corporate culture has always shown for the past.
As a finishing touch on this adventure, Ferran Adrià brought together the entire team to launch a long creative process to elaborate a version of Peach Melba, Auguste Escoffier’s iconic dessert, which would be the final flourish for the tasting menu offered during ‘The Last Waltz’, on 30 July 2011.
This number was not chosen at random: 1846 is the year in which Auguste Escoffier, the leading light of classical cuisine, was born. When Ferran Adrià decided to bring his creative career at the helm of the restaurant to a close a few months before the final service, he chose this symbolic number as a token of the deep respect that elBulli’s corporate culture has always shown for the past.
As a finishing touch on this adventure, Ferran Adrià brought together the entire team to launch a long creative process to elaborate a version of Peach Melba, Auguste Escoffier’s iconic dessert, which would be the final flourish for the tasting menu offered during ‘The Last Waltz’, on 30 July 2011.
