Coming to America?

[Tonyy13]

Chef,

I would like to thank you for your time, and I feel like I speak for almost everyone on the site by saying that we are all having a small part of our dreams fulfilled by being able to have a personal interaction with yourself.

My question is what is thought of the American dining scene in Spain? Do you look to any American chefs for inspiration, as they look to you? Do you have any sort of plan to come and bring an operation to America? Do you prefer any American ingredients over those commonly found in Europe?

Thank you once again, we are all honored.

TA

[Ferran Adrià]

I doubt there will be another elBulli in the world. Better said: it’s impossible there will be another elBulli in the world. Why? Because elBulli is creativity and the four or five people who are at elBulli have to be together. If we are anywhere else, we’re not at elBulli.

Another question is whether we could create something different: we’ve started from the low end of the chain, which would be Fast Good, which we’re perfecting and soon we’ll be opening the second location. But maybe, between Fast Good being the lowest way of eating decently and elBulli, we could think of something in between. That’s the question, if some day we’ll decide to create something in between. We’ve considered that, but haven’t reached a conclusion yet.

[Ferran Adrià]

I'd like to share some thougts with you about Hacienda Benazuza and the restaurant we have there, which recently achieved its second Michelin star. We weren't looking for this second star, but we're inmensely happy for the people who are at the Hacienda.

I always regret of not having had enough time to spend there. Rafa, Benazuza's chef, has put a lot of effort into it. The world of luxury hotels is a tough one and the effort to bring people to the restaurant is much higher there than the effort that would have been required, were the restaurant located in Barcelona.

Right now, the situation of Hacienda, reminds me and the team of elBulli in the beginnings. How difficult it was to start it. If I decide to go to Benazuza with three people in the off-season months, that will be the right moment. But all this requires time: we need better equipment and facilities, and now we have more decision making capacity than a couple of years ago.

There's no middle ground about Hacienda Benazuza: the options are quitting or doing something important in the hotel world. Right now, it's a challenge. Neither my partners nor myself are there because of the money.

So, taking a look at the options, I'm afraid we have to do something important in the hotel world.