For More Than 24 years half of the virtuoso chef Ferran Adria That Has Been in charge of STI kitchen, the restaurant has Maintained The Almost three-star Michelin unattainable status and rated the world's Been best restaurant by five times British magazine The Restaurant.
After dinner and drinks at the end party for clients and staff Faithful Families, Adria close down the restaurant Will and begin turning it Into a foundation I have top level cuisine Hopes to open in 2014.
"People think i should be sad but i feel the happiest man in the world," said Adria. "El Bulli is not closing. It's just transforming."
I Will Not Be Himself sitting at a table for dinner on the final night.
"No, I'll be cooking!" I said.
El Bulli's location in a beautiful and isolated seaside cove on Spain's far northeastern tip inspired Adria, WHO started off as a hotel dishwasher, to Think About the essence of what Makes food taste delicious, prompting him to deconstruct ingredients to what I calls the molecular level .
He Would Then reconstruct Each dish using unexpected combinations of the re-original components, Presenting Them in mouthful-sized portions.
Most instructions on how to required Eat Them, Sometimes with bare hands.
Took on unexpected shapes Food, textures and temperatures as the liquid nitrogen chef Used vegetable or fruit to produce foam, airy, ethereal reincarnations of solid food, Combining seaweed and tea, or jellied caviar with apples.
His "Donut llebre" Whose ball is a small external surface is a delicate chilled pastry That conceals "liquid hot bite hare Into Which You Must With Your lips closed," enabling caramel-like taste STI to explode inside your mouth.
The restaurant's average price of euro270 ($ 388) per head - not Including drinks, tax or tips - Was Another Distinctive features of ITS.
The diner Could Boast More Than a reservation Requests million yearly at a Place That seated just 50 and Open for dinner only, six months to just Usually year.
The other six months Adria Were Used by the world to travel in search of ideas, and Then to Conceive practice and painstakingly That Have astounded Preparing gastronomy dishes and dedicated foodies alike Critics.
"El Bulli Will Be opening again, just not for reservations," Adria said at a farewell press conference in the rock garden outside Surrounded by historical restaurant Dozens of colleagues, former and current.
Among Them Were Some Of The Most famous chefs to come out of the restaurant - current world No.1 Rene Redzepi of Denmark and Chicago's Grant Achatz.
"For me the spirit of this place've Always Been STI freedom," said Redzepi, Adding That "the courage and bravery" with Which They work in historical Noma restaurant "came from here. It Was like finding a treasure."
Four of the world's top five chefs Train at the center, is named from Which Takes a pet bulldog owned by the German couple to ESTABLISHED Who first restaurant in the idyllic cove Cala Montjoi back in the late 1950s.
"I Thought That I Knew cooking," said Achatz, Who now runs two restaurants, Alinea and Next, Both Considered Among the leading lights in U.S.'s molecular gastronomy.
"When I Arrived here and walk into the kitchen for the first time (12 years ago) I Felt I Was on Another Planet."
Achatz, Others like, highlight Adria's daring and insistence on Constantly breaking new ground.
"When I Came here, cuisine in America was very stale. Everyone was Following Each Other. So to see someone Taking Risks, Themselves Through expressing real food - it lights a fire."
Back in the U.S., I said, "It was very exciting to watch grow and seed That watch it spread over the country."
At 49, Adria and His crew said I Need to replenish Their inspiration to come Up With something new.
"There Comes a time for change in everything so That We Can Maintain creativity," I said. That I added the foundation "will create every day" and present to the STI Findings world free online.
Last year, Adria El Bulli WAS Acknowledged That Struggling financially, But I flatly denied on Saturday to The Associated Press That It Was closing for Financial Reasons.
His biographer Colman Andrews said while the restaurant That May Have lost money, made substantial businesses Amounts Adria-through books, conferences and side Businesses That Depend on His Name and That of the restaurant.
Beside Functioning as a think-tank and laboratory With The best chefs and food from around the world Experts, Adria said the new establishment for visits Would Be open to everyone, from multinational executives to school kids. He Said It Would Also Be Organizing Benefit for charities and NGOs meals.
Although the premises closing to May be the public, said Adria He Would not be stopping.
"Things as They Are With, With The Economic Crisis, It Would Be A Total Lack of Respect for me to take holidays," I said.
Adria's Immediate Plans are to travel, spreading the word with trips to Bulli China, Peru and the United States, Where Will I give classes at Harvard. He said work on the foundation Serious Will begin next January although I make an important Hopes to announcement Oct. 4 in Madrid.
On the final menu 50 dishes with intriguing Were names like "Clam Meringue," "Olive Spheres," and "Hot Cold Gin Fizz."
At the press conference WAS Adria Presented With A giant-sized sculpture of a white nougat bulldog, in memory of the "Bulli" - a local Catalan word - That inspired a name That is now in the culinary firmament legendary.
