El Bulli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids El Bulli |
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The restaurant, seen from above
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1964 |
| Closed | 30 July 2011 |
| Head chef | Ferran Adrià |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide) |
| City | Roses |
| Country | Spain |
| Coordinates | 42°15′00″N 003°13′35″E / 42.25000°N 3.22639°E |
El Bulli was a very famous restaurant located near the town of Roses in Catalonia, Spain. It was led by the amazing chef Ferran Adrià and his brother Albert Adrià. The restaurant had a beautiful view of Cala Montjoi bay, which is on Spain's Costa Brava.
El Bulli earned three Michelin stars, which are like top awards for restaurants. Many people called it one of the most creative restaurants in the world. It was also known for something called molecular gastronomy. This is a way of cooking that uses science to create new and surprising dishes.
El Bulli closed its doors as a restaurant on July 30, 2011. Later, in 2014, it reopened as a special center for food creativity.
Contents
A Special Restaurant Experience
El Bulli was not open all year round. It usually welcomed guests from June to December. Getting a table there was very difficult! They only served about 8,000 people each season. However, more than two million people tried to book a reservation!
A meal at El Bulli was quite expensive, costing around €250 (about US$325). Even though it was so popular, the restaurant itself didn't make a profit after 2000. The money came from books and talks given by Ferran Adrià. In 2008, the restaurant had 42 chefs working there.
Restaurant magazine is a well-known publication that ranks the world's best restaurants. El Bulli was named the No. 1 restaurant in the world five times! This happened in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. It was also ranked No. 2 in 2010.
How El Bulli Started
The story of El Bulli began in 1961. A German doctor named Hans Schilling and his Czech wife, Marketa, chose the location. They wanted to build a holiday resort there. By 1963, their resort included a small beach bar. This bar was called "El Bulli-bar" or "Hacienda El Bulli." This little bar was the start of the famous restaurant.
The name "El Bulli" came from the French bulldogs that the Schillings owned. The first restaurant officially opened in 1964.
El Bulli earned its first Michelin star in 1976. This was when a French chef named Jean-Louis Neichel was in charge. Ferran Adrià joined the team in 1984. By 1987, he was the head chef. The restaurant received its second Michelin star in 1990 and its third in 1997.
El Bulli also published books about its cooking and ideas. These books shared their recipes and how they developed new dishes. In 2008, Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler, and Albert Adrià published a book called A Day at El Bulli. This book showed a full 24 hours in the life of the restaurant. It included pictures, stories, and recipes.
Special Ingredients and Techniques
The Adrià brothers, Ferran and Albert, created a special line of products called Texturas. These products were the result of a lot of testing and experiments. They included ingredients for techniques like Sferificación (spherification), Gelificación (gelling), and Emulsificación (emulsification).
For example, Texturas included products like Xanthan and Algin. Xanthan gum is used to thicken soups, sauces, and creams. You only need a tiny bit, and it doesn't change the taste. Algin is a key part of the "Spherification Kit." It's used to make tiny spheres that look like caviar, or other shapes like raviolis and gnocchi.
The Restaurant Closes
In 2010, Ferran Adrià announced that El Bulli would close in 2012. He said it was losing a lot of money. He later clarified that El Bulli would reopen in 2014. It would no longer be a restaurant, but a "creativity center."
In 2011, El Bulli's website confirmed this plan. It stated that July 30, 2011, would be its last day as a restaurant. The goal of the new El Bulli Foundation was to be a "think-tank" for creative cooking and food. It would be managed by a private foundation. This new center would host not only chefs but also architects, philosophers, and designers. They would explore new ideas about food and dining.
Documentary Film
A documentary film called El Bulli: Cooking in Progress was made about the restaurant. It showed the creative process that happened behind the scenes. The film followed Ferran Adrià and his team during the 2008–2009 season. It was first shown at a film festival in Amsterdam in 2010.
Exhibition in London
In July 2013, Somerset House in London held an exhibition about Ferran Adrià and El Bulli's food. The exhibition showed how the restaurant's kitchen and ideas evolved. There were multimedia displays that explained how they created their famous dishes. You could also see original sketches and handwritten notes of their recipes. They even had plasticine models of the dishes they served!
Images for kids
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The kitchen at El Bulli
See also
In Spanish: El Bulli para niños
