A Day at El Bulli

A book about a restaurant, but not about food.Rather it is an examination of the unique philosophies and processes (not to mention sheer will and effort) that goes into creating one of the most creative places on earth.For anyone who makes their living with creativity, ideas or innovation, be warned. Reading this is as humbling an experience as it is inspiring.On one level, all the elements and themes explored are familiar to any book about ideas - curiosity, diversity, insight, experimentation, craft, debate and interrogation.And yet they are taken to such extreme levels of commitment - like 4000 hours of creative development for just 160 meal services a year; or how every single ingredient is taken through a battery of heat, texture, portion, distillation and combination tests merely to discover a hidden property of a food. It is nothing short of a question-everything approach that permeates El Bulli's unique methods, processes and business.What I also love about this book is how instructive it is in terms of methods and techniques of creative ideation and refinement. In between the fly-on-the-wall pieces and interviews and stories, there are also little process pamphlets that reveal how Ferran Adria and his team actually go about discovering and developing and designing.All in all, hands down THE best 33 bucks i've spent on Amazon.Completely and utterly humbling.

Incredible, aspiring, amazing... A monument to the great Adria. Will try some of the recipes as soon as I get the right tools and ingredients.A note: there are more pictures of Adria, the team and the restaurant, than recipes, I am just warning you in case you think this is a cookbook...

Hermoso, muy completo e interesante

This book remind the old day of dreaming. It’s a heavy book with the weight 7 pound. It’s worth to have if you are a fan of cooking and creative. Many beautiful pictures insides. You can put it on the shelf for showing. Recommend!!!

In brief - This is a a near perfect coffee table book for foodies. The exhaustive detail of every nook and cranny of the restaurant and how it runs is beautifully presented. If you are really into food, or want to know how a world renowned chef operates his establishment in incredibly visual detail, then this book is a great investment.I've already given away a copy as a gift, and the cost is not that significant for such a large volume.Cons - No this is not a really useful cookbook. If that's what you're expecting I would look elsewhere.The quality of the pages themselves could be better, but I'm figuring this is why they're able to sell it so cheaply considering it's size.

I've always wanted to go to El Bulli before it closed, but their reservations were always booked up months in advance. Now that it's closed I'll never get to see it, but checking out this book is a good way to look at the inner workings of what was a tremendously interesting institution. Excellent read.

thank you

wow

Not quite sure what I was expecting with this one but I think I might have set the bar a little high by buying The French Laundry The French Laundry Cookbook , Alinea Alinea  and Gordon Ramsay Recipes from a 3 Star Chef  Recipes from a 3 Star Chef Limited Edition  first.That said it is still an interesting read/ browse in that coffee table tome genre. The the story is told in very little words just a short little snippet in the corner of the page or at the foot of a photograph, or in the little pamflet sections that appear at regular intervals.These are very interesting in themselves and mean that you are not overloaded with info that detracts from the pictures, rather it gives you a short sharp fact about the scene, 'The waitor brings food to the table' you look at the pictures and get the narrative then if you really want to know all the details you read the text. Simples. It works very well for this book because It's the pictures that really do the talking, they are informal and intimate reportage style snaps that really work well and do carry the narrative forward on their own merrit.Informative, interesting and some of the food is even doable in a domestic setting, bonus!As I said in the outset I think I might have been expecting a little too much from this book but it will still be a regular read and sit along side my other prized foody tomes.A good book but not great and a good buy at the £16 purchase price. The French Laundry CookbookAlineaRecipes from a 3 Star Chef Limited Edition

ferran forever

great coffee table book that i would aspire to if i was ever that good in the kitchen!

Brought this as a christmas present for my other half and he loves it, it is a fantastic insight in the day at elBulli restaurant. fansinating for everyone

Lovely