ElBulli, the beachside Spanish restaurant repeatedly crowned the world’s best, closed on Saturday after pushing the boundaries of cuisine for more than two decades under chef Ferran Adria.
The remote eatery in Cala Montjoi, about two hours north of Barcelona, will reopen in 2014 as a non-profit culinary think tank that will investigate new cooking techniques and develop new flavors.
The elBulli Foundation plans to grant between 20 and 25 scholarships annually for chefs to spend a year working with elBulli’s core staff. It will share its ideas and findings on the Internet.
Photo: EPA
照片:歐新社
Adria, whose radical innovations since he became the head chef at elBulli in 1987 include foie grass noodles and potato foam, says he is dispensing with the Michelin three-star restaurant to spend more time being creative.
“ElBulli is not closing, it is transforming itself, because its soul is going to remain,” he told a group of students in Valencia earlier last month.
Under Adria, the eatery, known as El Bulli with a capital “E” until 2008, has never been a commercial restaurant in the strictest sense.
Photo: EPA
照片:歐新社
Shortly after becoming head chef, Adria decided to open the restaurant for just half the year to give staff time to develop his trailblazing approach to cooking, which uses hi-tech methods to “deconstruct” and rebuild ingredients in surprising ways.
In 2001, just as El Bulli was becoming well known, he decided to close the eatery for lunch to give staff even more time to be creative in the kitchen.
The 50-seat restaurant fields more than two million requests a year for its roughly 8,000 sittings, with tables mostly allotted by form of lottery.
Dinner is a degustation menu of some 40 small dishes and it costs around 250 euros (NT$10,300) per head.
The final dinner on Saturday night was served to longtime staff members of the restaurant and their families.
(AFP)
多次摘下世界最佳餐廳桂冠的西班牙「鬥牛犬」濱海餐廳,在主廚費蘭‧亞德里亞領軍超過二十年間,創作出無數佳餚後,該餐廳於上週六歇業。
這間位於偏遠的卡拉蒙特霍伊小鎮,距離巴塞隆納往北約兩小時車程的餐廳,將在二零一四年以非營利烹飪智庫之名,重新開幕。該智庫將著眼於研究烹調新技巧與開發新口味。
鬥牛犬基金會計畫每年提供二十至二十五個獎學金名額給各國主廚,讓這些主廚有一年時間與「鬥牛犬」核心員工一起工作。基金會將在網路上分享各種想法和發現。
亞德里亞說,他不拘泥要成為米其林三星餐廳,反而花共多時間讓料理推陳出新。自從一九八七年成為「鬥牛犬」主廚以來,亞德里亞就一直帶來奇特的創新料理,包含鵝肝醬麵與馬鈴薯泡沫。
他上個月初於瓦倫西亞告訴一群學生說:「『鬥牛犬』並非真的要關門大吉,它只是正在改變它自身的型態,但其靈魂將維持不變。」
細究這間亞德里亞所經營、且直到二零零八年都被稱作「牛頭犬」的「鬥牛犬」餐廳,其實從未是一間商業性質的餐廳。
在亞德里亞當上主廚後不久,他決定讓「牛頭犬」餐廳一年中只營業半年,好讓員工有時間將他充滿新意的烹調方法,用高科技技術發展創新,以令人驚豔之姿,「解構」與重建烹飪食材。
二零零一年,正當「牛頭犬」餐廳開始廣為人知時,亞德里亞卻決定餐廳中午不營業,以期讓員工在廚房裡,有更多的時間激盪創意。
這家有五十個座位的餐廳,每年預約要求超過兩百萬筆,但每年以抽籤方式只提供八千人用餐的機會,能否在此餐廳還得碰碰運氣。
品嚐料理約有四十道,每人平均消費約兩百五十歐元(新台幣一萬零三百元)。
這家餐廳上週六的最後一夜,僅開放給該餐廳資深員工與他們的家人用餐。
(法新社/翻譯:林亞蒂)
A: Apart from Taiwanese-language pop diva Jody Chiang’s comeback, South Korean girl group (G)I-dle is also performing in Taiwan this weekend. B: I know. They have concerts at the Taipei Arena on Saturday and Sunday. A: Actually, to meet their fans’ high demand, they’ve added one more show on Friday. B: They’re even adding a show? That shows how popular they are. A: My favorite group member is Taiwan’s Susan Yeh, known by her stage name “Shuhua.” Let’s go cheer her on. A: 本週末除了江蕙復出,南韓熱門女團(G)I-dle也將開唱唷。 B: 我知道,他們本週六、日將在小巨蛋開唱。 A: 應粉絲的要求,他們本週五還會加場。 B: 還加場?不愧是韓流人氣女團。 A: 我最喜歡台灣團員葉舒華!我們快去幫她加油吧。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Grenada’s Underwater Sculpture Park is a great example of how art can be combined with environmental conservation. __1__ on the ocean floor of the Caribbean Sea, this aquatic gallery was the brainchild of British sculptor and ecologist Jason deCaires Taylor in 2006. The park features sculptures that function as man-made coral reefs, with holes and shelters to attract marine life, thus forming a strikingly beautiful __2__. The sculptures are placed in a way that diverts visitors from nearby natural reefs. This creative approach to ecological preservation demonstrates how art can inspire, educate, and contribute to the sustainability of our environment. The
Online retailer eBay has scrapped fees for private sellers across almost all of its categories as it attempts to keep fast-growing rivals such as Depop and Vinted at arm’s length. The move means eBay’s UK sellers no longer have to pay transaction fees, except for cars, motorcycles and other vehicles. In April this year, eBay removed fees for private sellers of pre-owned clothes, and the company said it was “now evolving the experience even further.” The site said ditching seller fees for fashion had already led to a double-digit increase in listings for popular items such as jeans, shirts and dresses, while at
City life moves fast, and escalators are a lifesaver for busy commuters. __1__ It is widely believed that this practice keeps traffic flowing smoothly and avoids congestion. While on the road, drivers of slower vehicles are required to remain within the outside lane so that those traveling at faster speeds may pass in the inside lane. Similar to traffic lanes that separate vehicles driving at different speeds, this convention on escalators allows for both efficiency and courtesy. __2__ This system reflects an unspoken understanding that facilitates shared use of the space. However, the city of Nagoya, Japan, has