Sorry, I just had to split the post, but I won’t keep you guys up any longer. Please feast your eyes on the menu and the pics I took (fyi, a few pics are missing as I sometimes was so under the impression of the food that I forgot to take a picture 🙂 soooooorry)

Conquer the World:

• Mexico: Guacamole, tomato seeds, tomato water with cilantro (the green ball)
• Peru: Ceviche broth (the white pearl) -> this was one nasty ball, the flavors exploding when you ate it were mindblowing 🙂
• China: Pickled vegetables with plum cream (the one looking like a ice cone)
• Morocco: Almond, rose, honey, saffron, goat yoghurt. (looks like a tiny pie)
• Japan: Nucleo miso, dashi cream and a nyinyonyaki tempura (the one that looks like a tiny patato) -> My favorite, it looked like a tiny patato

Accompanied by Albet i Noya Cava Brut (one specially made for El Celler)

Olive Tree: Caramelized olives filled with anchovy. Accompanied by Albet i Noya Cava Brut (one specially made for El Celler)

Black truffle bombon, The rock: Carpano bonbon with grapefruit and black sesame and Black truffle brioche.  Accompanied by Albet i Noya Cava Brut (one specially made for El Celler)

Olivada: Spicy gordal olive mousse, black olive donut, manzanilla olive ice-cream, toasted vinegar bread, savory jelly and picual olive.  Accompanied by: 2011 Marques d’alella Pansa Blanca

Contessa of white asparagus and truffle.  Accompanied by Marfil Generoso Seco

Toda la Gamba: Palamós Shrimp in its bisque, crispy shrimp, seaweeds, plankton velouté and shrimp water. Accompanied by a 2007 Joh.Jos.Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr

Oyster with Hollandaise sauce. Accompanied by a 1998 Viña Tondonia Reserva Blanc (Rioja) (sorry no pic :-()

Grilled sea bream with blood orange sauce, grapefruit, tangerine and endive with gentian flower. Accompanied by Guitierrez Colosía Palo Cotado (Jerez)

Iberian piglet in the Riesling Blanquette, terrine of mango, melon and beets, beet puree, black garlic, onion and orange concentrate. Accompanied by a 2010 Pedra de Guix (Priorat)

Mullet cooked at low temperature with 3 types of gnocchi. Accompanied by a 2007 Dr Burklin Wolf Pechstein (Pflaz)

Truffle Soufflé. Accompanied by a 2011 Sarnin Berrux (Beaune)

Ventresca and lamb sweetbreads with white eggplant, licorice, coffee and oak grilled smoke. Accompanied by a 1995 Gran Reserva 890 (Rioja)

Liver with onions caramelized torcaz nuts, curry juniper, orange peel and herbs, sourdough ice cream with cocoa pulp and balsamic vinegar. Accompanied by a 2010 Anima Negra (Mallorca)

Fair apple (like you would eat at Coney island).  Accompanied by a 2009 Pétillant Natural Sydre tendre of Eric Bordelet

Cream of maple syrup, pear, walnuts and cardamom. Accompanied by a 1997 Lustau Oloroso Abocado (Jerez)

AMAZING, that is the only thing I can say! Everything nicely balanced out and always seasoned how it should!  There might have been a few dishes that were not really my cup of tea (but that is personal). I did love the contessa of asparagus and the truffle soufflé and the Iberian piglet if I have to name a few of my favorites. Don’t get me wrong all the dishes were wonderful and the portions were more than sufficient. After 15 dishes and 15 accompanying wines we were really happy we could walk back to our hotel and get some fresh air, I can tell you that 🙂

When I thought they couldn’t top it anymore they came with this 3 or 4 deck cookies cart (like the old manual ice cream carts) from which they gave us an assortment… I’m ashamed to say that we didn’t finish them all as we had already eaten quit enough. But the ones we tried were great 🙂

The cherry on the cake of my evening was when they invited me in the kitchen and wine cellar and meeting 2 of 3 Roca brothers (Brother n°3 Jordi was in India) was simply the cherry on the cake for me! I have already met and been on stage/backstage with lots of Rock ‘n roll legends, musicians and heroes (Pink, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, ZZ Top, John Fogerty, Steve Gadd, etc… ) but for me guys like the Roca brother’s fit perfectly in that list of legends as for me they really Rock 🙂 (you see what I did there Roca – Rock 😉 ) One nice looking kitchen. It was funny to see that in their huge cupboard filled with cookbooks there were also some of Belgian chefs. FYI, I can also say for a fact that the Roca brothers are some really nice guys and I hope I didn’t talk too much (I tend to do that)

I can only say to every foodie they just have to try El Celler De Can Roca at least once in their life (I know I’ll be back).  In case you’re wondering how much I’ve spend for my amazing dinner at El Celler, it was around 250EUR pp which looking back to all I got and knowing they have over 60 people working at this restaurant is a reasonable price.

If you remember  the first thing I said in my post yesterday, the reason for me coming here was to see and find out why this is the second best restaurant in the world. Did I ? Well I think I’d have to try all in the top to compare why El Celler is only second and Noma 1st 🙂 (are my intentions too obvious? 🙂 ). I already know which one I’ll be trying next year, but I’m not yet telling you guys… What I think that makes the difference with the other Michelin star restaurants is besides the beautiful location and interior (which actually reminded me of the one at Pure C)  the wine – food pairing and renewed/inventive cooking with traditional ingredients in modern ways (and the pampering by the army of waiters)are what makes this an even better experience (but that’s what my opinion). I do wonder what the jury from San Pellegrino’s reason is to make this the 2nd best and not THE best?

Thanks to the very friendly staff of El Celler, the Roca brothers for this amazing night and last but not least my buddy Carlos for doing this with me!