CUISINE
T
hree-star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca is
one of the best restaurants in the world. In the
Catalan town Girona, the Roca-brothers Joan,
Josep and Jordi present some truly unique local
cuisine in an avant-garde and innovative way.
More than 25 years ago the brothers Joan and Josep Roca
decided to follow in the footsteps of their restaurant owning
parents by opening El Celler de Can Roca. Joan as a chef
and Josep as sommelier. The idea? Reinventing the original
Catalan cuisine. Nouvelle cuisine in France was booming and
was an important source of inspiration for the brothers. They
were, together with other great names such as Ferran Adrià,
the personification of the revolution in Spanish cuisine.
Years later, the much younger Jordi joined the venture. As a
pastry chef, he is an indispensable link in the Roca-triangle.
This year El Celler de Can Roca has – again - been voted
second on the list of the 50 best restaurants in the world by
the leading British magazine Restaurant.
The first Michelin star came in 1995. Four years later the
brothers moved on from their original location, which resided
12
next to their parents restaurant, to a new but still local space.
Their new project, the current El Celler de Can Roca, was
built only a few minutes walk from the old Can Roca. Three
years after the move they received their second star and in
2009 the brothers were rewarded with their third. “The stars
are not a goal in itself, but it is fantastic to get one. Our
obsession is to do the best we can and to ensure there is per-
fect harmony: in the kitchen, on the menu, with our whole
team and between the three of us. If it is good, recognition
will come. And then you are able to deliver what those three
stars promise.”
In order to continue to develop themselves, the Roca-brothers
travel the world organising brainstorming sessions with film-
makers, industrial designers and artists. This helps drive
their innovation and creativity that has put Spanish cuisine
on the map in recent years, and can also be found in El Celler
de Can Roca. Joan specialises in the so-called sous-vide tech-
nique, a form of vacuum cooking, Josep has introduced the
‘wine experience’ in his extensive cellar and Jordi has created
a selection of desserts based on perfumes. •
www.cellercanroca.com