Part 1: Appetizers | Part 2: Main Courses
Here’s Part 2 of my El Celler de Can Roca review. You can find Part 1 here if you want to see pictures of the interior or pictures of the exterior or pictures of the appetizers. And also if you want to read words. There won’t be very many words here because I already used them all up in Part 1. If I don’t get distracted I’ll try to add a conclusion or something at the end to sum up the whole experience. If you scroll to the bottom and there’s a conclusion then I did it. If not, I was probab– hey look, comic books!
Oysters (with Agusti Torello cava, apple compote, ginger, pineapple, lemon confit and spices)
Pouring champagne! Into a sliced champagne bottle! Look at that! I’m a lightweight, so after eating this champagne oyster thing I probably threw up and took a nap under the table.
Cherries, elderberry and smoked eel
I don’t remember much about my meal but I do remember this dish because it was so unusual and delicious. Cherries, elderberry, and smoked eel. You don’t eat that everyday. Or maybe you do. Maybe you’re Mister Fancypants-Cherry-Eel-Eater.
“Escalivada” with anchovies and smoke of ember (charcoal-grilled eggplant, pepper, onion and tomato)
Charcoal-grilled king prawn with acidulated mushrooms juice
They’re really into pouring sauces at the table. There were at least three dishes where the server would stand over you and pour something into your bowl.
Onion soup, Crespia walnuts and Comte cheese
Sole, olive oi and Mediterranean flavours
Baby squids with onion rocks
Red mullets with suquet (Catalan seafood stew)
Steak tartare with mustard ice cream
Spiced tomato, caper compote, pickles and lemon, hazelnut praline, meat bearnaise sauce, Oloroso-sherry raisin, chives, Sichuan pepper, Pimenton de La Vera (D.O.) smoked paprika and curry, small scoops of mustard ice cream and mustard leaves
Lamb with peach terrine
Green Colourology
Lemon distillated sorbet
Vanilla, caramel, liquorice, dried and caramelised black olives
Petits fours
Conclusion
Was it an experience? Definitely. Was it the best meal I’ve ever had? No, I don’t think so. Everything was good, but there weren’t any dishes that made me scratch my head or brought a smile to my face the way some others have (Alinea’s black truffle explosion comes to mind). My impression of the experience is pretty great, but I’m not sure if it was because of the food or because I’m recalling fond memories of my time in Spain. All the bullfighting I did. All the beautiful Spanish women I bedded. And the time I defeated Rafael Nadal in a match of tennis. It’s possible I’m getting my memories confused with things I watched on TV.
El Celler de Can Roca
Can Sunyer 48
Girona 17007, Spain
+34 97 222 21 57
