El Bulli

El Bulli

El Bulli was an outrageously expensive restaurant on the Catalonia coast in Spain. It was only open for several months each year. The dinner took 4 hours and there were numerous courses served,
The other months of the year the enormous staff literally moved all the equipment from the restaurant to Barcelona. At this time they invented new ideas and concepts for the menu. Many recipes were extravagant and complicated.
I am a bit of an addict when it comes to the food channel. Never have I seen such convoluted recipes. I can honestly say that nothing tempted me but I was fascinated with the process. It was like a science lab as the chefs experimented with technique and ingredients. Each new dish went through a lengthy process to make it the best.
This is a very peculiar film. It does go on for a lengthy time. The only dialog is amongst the staff. No wonder the place finally went under. I’m sure there was more staff than guests.
The dishes were mainly not tempting. One course offered a plate covered with ice. Mint was sprinkled on the ice. The idea was to break the ice and savor the ice with the peppermint. Yucky!
Another dish offered small tangerine segments with a few olives. The plate looked so simple and sparse. I imagine the sauce on the plate was extraordinary.
Several dishes were prepared with items that turned my stomach and were not tempting. One dish used the lining from a cow’s shoulder. I didn’t need to hear any more. The inside of a rabbit’s head was used to prepare another concoction.
The head chef tasted every dish. It was so interesting. The restaurant faced out to the sea and was housed in an old stone establishment.
At the end of the film we saw the presentation of many of the dishes. Such extensive research went into each plate. Most of the dishes were photographed and sampled numerous times until it was perfect.
The juice of a sweet potato was used to make a sauce. The dishes were complex. A large team of chefs worked to prepare this unusual menu. I couldn’t believe the size of the staff.
Thank you for the experience. I have no desire to try such a restaurant even if it was open. Through this film I did enjoy a culinary experience. I do caution you that the film moves slowly and would probably benefit from some editing.