It's 1:06 and we just got an announcement. "Ferran is on his way. He's just on the other side of the building, so hold tight for another...45 seconds"
It seems that Ferran has a translator. His translator's mic wasn't working so he said something in Spanish which I imagine to be "what do I need a mic for?" We all laughed even though we had no idea what he said.
A lot of people in the press are going to ask me what I thought of Google. I'm going to tell them the best part was the food. (loud clapping). I am very impressed. Sometimes because you get it everyday you don't appreciate it as much.
My publishers asked if I wanted to go to Google for a chat. I always say yes to really strange things. So we said yes, but then I thougth to myself, 'what the hell am I going to say? I don't think I can teach them to cook in an hour.'
As a company you are an example of what global communication means. In the western world, it is the most common thing - to connect to google. There is only one thing more pupular - to eat. It is the oldest form of communciation - food.
We [Google and elBulli] have the greatest capacity for communnication in different aspects. It's very frustrating [for elBulli]. Imagine all the work you could put into Google only 50 people could conect each day, that's what I go through. I would've loved to come cook for you today. ("awwww" loud clapping) Avant guard cuisine like at el Bulli cannot be done for many people.
Showing a video of dining at El Bulli: "A meal in the life"
After a few moments pause while the video did not start, Adria says "we're at Google, right?"
Eating at elBulli takes 4 hours. We try to sustain a high level of happiness for 4 hours. It's different to be on a couch for 4 hours. I prefer happiness in which I'm involved in something.
Cooking is part of a universal language. elBulli created a new language. In the past 120 years, there were only 2 changes in cuisine - novelle cuisine and that which we created in Spain. It's new - imagine you were able to create a new alphabet; this is the most important part of language. With an alphabet you can create words, then sentences, then poems, articles... In cuisine, it's new products, techniques, elaborations, concepts, philosophy. I have a pragmatic approach to creativity - it's either creative or it isn't.
Video of Naturua - desserts inspired by nature.
With food, one can communicate more than how good it tastes. Before, it was unthinkable that people in a haute cuisine rrestaunt would be laughing. Sense of humor is a part of life, it should be in food as well.
At the elBulli, we are responsible for creativity, production, marketing, sales, everything. Imagine what it would be like at Google if you went from programming to selling all in the same day.
There's a lot of pressure. A 5 person creative team is responsible for showing the world new and creative ideas. After closing for 6 months a year, when they open, everything has to be new.
Video of liquid nitrogen technique from Natura.
(Narrating over the video)
Allows us ot make things that are not otherwise possible - like pure alcohol sorbet. -196 C. Freeze cooking - like putting it in water. It cooks in a low temperature.
Googlers were oooh-ing and ahh-ing. Ferran says "when i connect to google, I also say 'oooh'"
Other techniques in the liquid nitrogen video:
- Liquid nitrogen + citrus segments + rolling pin = separated citrus pulp vesicles to make a dessert risotto.
- Foam mixture in liquid nitroen = sponge
Working hard at creating a language of food. I realized I needed not to copy. Artists don't like to look back at the work because 99% of them know they're copying themselves. It's hard to be creative all the time. At elBulli we created a concept - creative audit. We are able to analyze what has been created in the off season. Perhaps one day we'll realize we haven't created much. I continue to be a chef because there's so much to create - not for business and my ego is covered.
Question from Chef Brian Mattingly: Creative dishes are executed during hte off season. how do the ingredient differ when the restaurant opens?
FA: Those 6 months are devoted to research, so the product isn't as important.
Googler question: Are you bringing the FastGood concept to America?
FA: FastGood is a Google-like concept. It's sociological study. Are people prepared to pay for quality? For a hamburger? Is that among priorities? in the western world - no. We can overcome this through education. Children get taught everything, except nutrition. It's something we do 3 times a day, 20% of productivity of a country. Lots of kids don't know vanilla pods are black. Something has gone seriously wrong. The food at google is a bit like FastGood.
Googler question: Favorite dish?
FA: Question get asked repeatedly.
Chef Brian Mattingly: The wine list at el Bulli is electronic. I'm sure the audience would love to hear more about that.
FA: Long wine lists are found at restauarnts. With some you, must get there 3 hours before or you won't have time to read it.
(At this point, Adria launches into a question about websites in general and asks to pull the elBulli website onto the screen)
This website cost a hell of a lot of money. Book selling helps cover the cost of the website.
He said he has asked many website experts about this and he has never gotten a satisfactory explanation. He wanted to know why maps (navigation throughout a website) are at the end. For example, the elBulli website forces the user to click a language, then see book promotions, and finally reaches the "map." He wanted to know why websites don't just start with the map.
There were a few audience explanations - the obligatory "why use a map when you could search?" as well as "you don't have to do that." It still seems that Ferran did not get the answer he wanted. My theory is that people who create websites in this manner, are trying to communicate via a story, just like he does with food. In this case, they are telling a story about the restaurant and giving users necessary information prior to letting them find the information they want. This isn't the most efficient thing from a user's perspective, but the person who designed the website (hopefully) found it necessary.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to ask the question I wanted to ask: When elBulli creates such beautiful food, it's inevitable that people will want to photograph it in order to capture their memories of the restaurant. However, this conflicts with the elBulli philosophy, that people should remember the experience and not the restaurant. So, how does Ferran Adria feel about guests photographing during their meal?
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