El Celler de Can Roca, Girona

As our final birthday surprise for my Dad by some miracle we managed to secure a reservation at the recently voted 'Worlds Best Restaurant 2013'.

El Celler de Can Roca is located approximately 100 km north of the city of Barcelona in Girona, and is dead easy to reach via a direct train. Girona itself is definitely worth paying a short visit, it is a delightful city, with beautiful winding streets in an area known as 'The Call', and a wonderful city wall which gives you beautiful views of the city from above.

View from the city walls



River in Girona

Despite opening in 1986, more recently the extremely talented brothers (Joan - the head chef, Josep - the sommelier, and Jordi - the dessert chef) have moved to a purpose built facility and their traditional Catalan restaurant has gone from strength to strength. Their first Michelin star came in 1995, their second in 2002 and again, seven years later the third star was awarded. In 2006 the family had been finally listed in the Best 50 restaurants in the world, and has climbed the rankings ever since finally gaining the highest accolade, first place, in April 2013.

Ready to go inside...!

Due to this recent award, (as well as its' many others) we were doubtful when we rang and tried to get a place a mere 4 months before our trip to Spain. During that phone call we were politely told that they were in fact booked up at least 12 months in advance, but they would keep us on the records in case of any cancellation. Due to our determined effort, and calling most weeks to try and secure a table, we finally landed a lunchtime cancellation just weeks before our trip. We did realise it takes effort and persistence to get a reservation, and although we were assured we were on the cancellation list, it did appear that we were extremely lucky, and just rang at the right time, therefore I would really recommend pestering them a little if you want a place.

Inside the restaurant

The new build is beautiful, very understated, and elegant. Inside the wooden floors and glass windows leave you feeling you are really connected to nature and the simple table settings make you really feel you are dining with humble friends - a theme which seemed to continue throughout the meal. The team were extremely relaxed, and after being seated for a few minutes the menus were bought out to us which consisted of two options - a shorter 'Classics Menu' consisting of 7 courses + extras for 155 euros, and the larger 'Feast menu' with 14 smaller samples and the same extras for 195 euros.

Wine Menus

We looked at both menus, and after much deliberation we decided to go for the smaller menu, however, after seeing that the char grilled king prawn dish (which I had seen on an episode of Master chef the professionals) was on the feast menu we asked if we were able to add this as an extra course - and they were more than happy to oblige. Next to follow was the wine menu trolley...When I went to pick up the white wine book my brother actually thought I'd picked up the menus for all 10 or so tables! It was absolutely huge - and full of options for all tastes and budgets. Immediately my Mum and I knew that we would never be able to choose ourselves, and knowing we didn't want the full tasting menu of matched wines, we asked if we could have a selection of maybe two whites and a red to compliment the meal.

We were also asked if we would like a glass of Cava to start the meal off with a bang, to which we obviously agreed and much to our surprise when the bill later arrived we noticed this was on the house - a lovely touch, and another example of the un-fussy nature of the place.



The Globe

The countries

The first course to arrive was visually stunning. Served within a paper globe were 5 canapes reflecting the most recent travels of Joan and Jordi Roca. We were advised to start with Korea - panco fried bread, bacon, with soja sauce, snow pea, kimchi and sesame oil, as it was served warm and then do the remaining four in whichever order we fancied. I took a clockwise trip, next arriving at China - pickled vegetables and plum cream, Morocco - almond, rose, honey, saffron, ras el hanout and goat yoghurt, Peru - ceviche broth and finally Mexico - 'burrito' with mole poblano and guacamole. My personal favourites were Korea and Mexico, but all were delightful, and absolutely took you to the country which inspired their creation.

Olive Tree

Next was an impressive bonsai tree, and we were told to search for the olives growing within the branches which we were more than happy to get stuck into. These were no ordinary olives, stuffed with anchovy, and coated in a crisp sweet caramel shell they were like nothing I have ever tasted. I'm not sure how the rest of my family felt about them - they certainly were a unique flavour, but one I absolutely loved, the sweet coating seemed to just intensify the flavour of the salty anchovies and unmistakable olive.

Carpano bon bons

Following on from this we were bought out Carpano bon bons with grapefruit and black sesame, of everything we tasted this was my least favourite. I imagine it would have been heaven in a mouthful if you liked the sharpness of grapefruit and intensity of vermouth but it just wasn't for me - saying that, this was the only thing I disliked in around 20 courses!

Crispy Shrimp

The next course to arrive was named 'crispy shrimp', perfectly crisp Parmesan style crackers, with brown shrimp and infused with shrimp head juice (sounds rather gruesome, but tasted incredible - this wasn't the only time head juice featured on our menu!). These were like the perfect prawn cracker!

Zucchini Omelette

 After this, four mini courgette omelettes arrived on silver spoons for us to devour in one bite. These were lovely - fresh with the crunch of zucchini and smooth from the egg and cream coating.

Breads

 During this time a waiter bought around a basket with no fewer than six types of bread to choose from. You could have had as many as you wanted - and also asked for seconds, and thirds, on our table a few of the options that took our fancy were the ciabatta, a walnut bread, a brioche and a red wine loaf.

Mushroom Brioche

Next were four delightful little brioche spheres, filled with a creamy mushroom mixture (made from boletus edulis mushrooms). As simple as this little canape seemed - and I'm sure it wasn't, this was, in fact, one of my favourite dishes! The filling was likened to my Granny's homemade mushroom soup and it really bought back happy foodie memories from my childhood - something the Roca brothers try to evoke with many of their plates.

Truffled Bon bons

The last dish to be served before our actual tasting menu began were truffled bon bons, to which we were playfully told to search for them in the moss! These were the last of our 'exploding' canapes, and packed full of that luxurious flavour of rich truffle.

Duck and Apple Timbale

After a truly magnificent start to our 4 hour dining extravaganza the primary course was a timbale of apple and duck liver with vanilla oil. This is when we took it upon ourselves to ask for a little more bread - which went with the pate beautifully. This dish was likened more to a dessert than a main course, but duck and fruit are a fail safe combination, and one which worked so elegantly in this dish, especially with the clever presentation which made it look just like a halved apple.

Calamari Parmentier

Next came the calamari parmentier with smoked paprika and calamari broth, another of my favourite and evocative dishes. What looked like octopus was in fact the smoothest potato puree I have ever eaten and a smoked paprika pattern gave the effective appearance. This was surrounded by the richest seafood broth and tender pieces of calamari, when eaten together it was just the most perfect fish pie!

A Whole Prawn

The dish we decided to add on as extra came next, simply called 'A whole prawn', the dish consisted of Char grilled King prawn, head juice (see I said it would be back!) with seaweed, seawater and sponge cake of plankton. My brother - a huge prawn fan, was practically dribbling when this arrived, and rightfully so, the stand out element (as it should be) was the prawn, barely cooked to retain the soft fleshy texture, with a subtle char grilled flavour. This dish really emphasised the brothers intent to use, where possible, the whole animal, and each element, from the crisp prawn legs,  to the lemon foam and the intense seaweed puree all worked perfectly to give this incredibly complex, and stand out dish.

Sole

Continuing on with the fish courses and Catalan inspired ingredients came the famous sole dish with five very unique sauces. The sauces were (from the bottom up) fennel, bergamot, orange, pine nut and green olive, and as expected with such intense flavours, my family were split regarding our preferences. My Mum loved the orange, and thought the bergamot extremely interesting, my Dad really enjoyed the pine nut but wasn't sure at all about the olive at all, and I loved the olive, as well as the pine nut. My brother actually loved the fish so much he was quite happy to just have it on its own as the star of the show, therefore this really demonstrates that not only were the dishes creative but also pushed boundaries and challenged our taste buds.

Red Mullet

The last of the fish courses was red mullet, stuffed with it's liver, fish bone broth and three types of potato gnocchi; orange, chervil and saffron. The mullet in this dish was cooked sous vide style - a technique made incredibly popular by the eldest of the Roca brothers in order to minimise the aggressive effects traditional cooking styles may produce, a technique which ensures perfect cooking every time. This dish was in stark contrast to the light elegance in the previous dish as the bone broth was rich and meaty in flavour and surprisingly went absolutely brilliantly with both the gnocchi and the sweet light flesh of the fish - a very clever way to lead you from the fish to the meat courses.

Pork

The last of the savoury courses came out and it was a choice between pork or lamb. The men both opted for the pork dish, served with a crackling skin and melon, orange and beetroot flavours. They absolutely raved about this dish, and complimented how well the fresh fruit flavours went with the salty crackling and juicy pork.

Lamb and Tomato

Being lamb lovers my Mum and I both opted for the Lamb dish. Served with tomato rubbed bread, grilled garlic puree, lamb sauce and olive oil; I had also watched a video on line about how this dish was inspired by the childhood memories of the brothers and their afternoon snack of lamb and tomato sandwiches after returning from school, how could I resist?! Being a little bit full I feel I did not enjoy this dish as much as I could have done, however the sharp soft tomato bread went brilliantly with the perfectly cooked meat. My Mums comment on finding the lamb a little fatty was in fact quite true, however I appreciate this adds to the flavour of the meat, and had we not been quite as full I think this would have been a beautiful dish, made with love, and many happy memories.

Lemon Cloud

The first of our two desserts and one of Jordi's Willy Wonka esque creations was called Lemmon Cloud. A dish consisting of bergamot cream, lemon compote, distilled lemon water granita, madeleine ice cream and lemon sugar. Lemon is the perfect flavour to cleanse your palate after a meal of this standard and each individual component went brilliantly together, with the sweet biscuity ice cream, complimenting the sharp granita and smooth light bergamot cream. This wonderful combination was made all the more intense by the fragrance, specially designed by Jordi which accompanied the dish.

Milk Desserts

 Finally our meal had come to an end, and this was marked by the arrival of the 'Milk Dessert'. A dish so well thought out, even the bowl had special meaning (meant to signify the sound of a sheep bell when rubbed with a spoon). This dish was a real showcase of a local staple, sheep's milk, and consisted of milk caramel, sheep's milk ice cream, sheep's milk curd cheese foam, sheep's milk yoghurt, guava puree and a milk cloud. This was delightful to eat, perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the guava puree used to counter balance the sharp creamy taste of the various sheep milk creations and an excellent end to our meal.

Dessert Trolley

Whilst waiting for our coffees to arrive another reference to Willy Wonka in the form of a personalised dessert trolley was pushed to our table. This was filled with so many sweet creations, from colourful marshmallows, to pretty cakes, truffles, macaroons and handmade jelly babies. We felt this was where the waiting staff got chance to use their creativity and before we knew it we were presented with a glittering plate of deliciousness!

Petit Fours

Mini Apples

We also spotted these beautiful miniature apples on spoons and as our waitress had not included these we asked if it would be at all possible to have these as well - to which she was more than happy to get us a plateful! These were incredible, another explosion, but this time with appley flavour as you bit into the soft outer shell.

Dads Birthday treat

After believing that our mammoth meal was complete, a final plate of food was bought to our table; an unexpected chocolatey sensation with a candle and the number 50 in white chocolate to celebrate my Dads 50th birthday. This was a wonderful touch, completely unexpected, and tasted divine too with sweet chocolate mousse and popping candy filling the milk chocolate sphere.

The three brothers!

 Celler de Can Roca had a lot to live up to. Being named the best restaurant in the world is maybe an impossible accolade to live up to due to the subjective nature of an individuals taste preferences, however I am certain this is by far the best restaurant I have ever had the pleasure of dining in.

Fully expecting the bill to be close to 1000 euros, we were pleasantly surprised when the total bill meant the meal including drinks and a tip was less than 200 euros a head. If you compare this to other Michelin star establishments, with nowhere near as high critical acclaim, I feel this meal was of outstanding value.

We were lucky enough to meet, and have a quick chat with Josep Roca who presented himself in an incredibly modest and humble way, seeming genuinely thankful to us for making the effort to visit, and also being friendly when my Dad decided to walk into a mirrored wall instead of the bathroom (true and hilarious story!).



View over Girona

We were also lucky enough to be able to see inside their huge kitchen, which was a spectacle in itself, buzzing with energy even after the service, and likened more to a laboratory in my University than any kitchen I've seen (if you don't ask you don't get - so we were very happy when I plucked up the courage with this request)!

If you are lucky enough to get a reservation in this restaurant you will not be disappointed. Not every dish will be to every diners taste, however that is what makes this restaurant so special, it dares to challenge our views on food and brings back memories we thought we never even had. But mostly you will leave feeling you have been dining with friends, in their family home. You can tell these brothers, and the Roca family, hold food and Catalonia very dear to their hearts, just try their food and you will understand what I mean!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

We really hope you had a wonderful holiday...



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