El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, 11/12/16

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exterior

El Celler de Can Roca was on the top of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” in 2013 and 2015, slipping to #2 this year. It still is a total dining experience, not just a meal. Located a short train ride from Barcelona, Girona is a tourist heavy town with shopping and tours of the locations where the popular TV show “Game of Thrones” has been filmed.  The restaurant takes a cab ride from the train station, as it is not right in town.  In an ivy covered building with a lovely enclosed patio is the very modern dining area.  As expected they have tons of service people and yet they overlooked the fact that one of their service carts  (which are located throughout the dining space) was located so close to our table
that they had to bump into me every time they opened a door or bent down to get something.  It was a very odd thing for a restaurant of this caliber, but they either noticed or heard me talking and pretty soon the cart was moved enough that we could both be in the area without colliding.

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down the street
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entry sign
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entry hall
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interior
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interior
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Frankie posed with the brother’s picture

Tables are large, set with nice linens, and far enough apart to provide easy and private table conversations.  They offer 2 tasting menus to choose from and excellent and generous wine pairings for both.  Josep Roca, the sommelier brother, made the rounds of the dining room to welcome guests but the other brothers did not come out.  Either menu starts with a numerous amuse complete with lots of props to accompany them and finishes with selections from the dessert cart.  The place has invested in a huge supply of interesting and custom made serving plates to serve their food on which adds to the entertainment aspect, but not the flavor component. We chose a lunch reservation and were there long enough to have it turn dark before our trip back.  We had the Feast menu with wine pairings and they nicely listed the amuse courses and the wines served on the menu they sent me home with. They also have the wonderful offering of a toothbrush in the bathroom, which is a luxury often forgotten.  Service was friendly and most of the staff was very proficient in English.

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table set up
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Frankie played with the rock table decorations
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tasting menu
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Feast menu

 

Our meal started with a amuse bouche called “The World” which offered bites with the seasonings typical of various countries.

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presentation of The World
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Thailand: thai, chicken, coriandeer, coconut, curry and lime//Japan: miso cream with nyinyonyaki// China: pickled vegetables with plum cream// Peru: “Causa limeña”//Korea: panco fried bread, bacon with soya sauce, kimchi and sesame oil
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another view

 

Next was “memories of Girona” which featured a prop with photos of each of the brothers as children and some of the things they grew up eating.

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Frankie explored the table chargers
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beginning
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prop
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set: Memories of a bar in the suburbs of Girona: breaded squid, kidneys with Sherry, Pigeon bonbon, salt cod with spinach and pinenuts, Campari bonbon

 

Options from the sea were next and then frozen green ‘olives’ hanging on the tree.  Even the little metal hangers had the “R” trademark on them.

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next snack
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Starfish
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Coral: escabeche mussels. Seabream ceviche
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closer
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Green olive’s ice cream
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closer
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Even the hanger have the symbol
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Frankie loves plants

 

The truffle amuse was a giant flavor explosion of truffle in the form of chocolates and brioche. Both really good.

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next amuse
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Truffled bonbon
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Truffle brioche

 

The bread basket was full of wonderful choices but I particularly like the flakey, buttery rolled tomato pastries.

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bread tray
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Frankie checked out the next serving plate

 

The Feast menu started with the red mullet, which was very mildly flavored.

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Red mullet with kombu with prickly pear foam, sea anemone, salicornia and Katsuobushi vinegar

 

The flower was made of onion pieces doused with a rich broth of comte cheese.  It was delicious.

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starting point
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add cheese
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closer
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Frankie got a ride on the dessert wheel

 

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Oyster with fennel sauce, black garlic, apple, seaweed, mushrooms, distilled earth and sea anemone
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closer

 

Another marvelous sauce was on the langoustine course. The perfectly cooked shellfish was served with a sauce containing mole and coconut. It was quite nice.

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serving dish
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inside
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Langoustine with cocoa bean sauce with black mole with chocolate and mantis shrimp cream with coconut and boletus edulis
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Frankie looked to see if there was any left

 

The mackerel was served with beans piped into the shape of the skeleton. It was visually fun.

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Mackerel with tempeh of “ganxet” beans
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closer
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Frankie looked over the books

 

The prawn was another visual delight with a deeply colored, rich broth made from long cooking of the heads.  Tasty.

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Prawn marinated with rice vinegar with prawn’s head sauce, crispy prawn legs, seaweed velouté and phytoplankton
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closer
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Frankie approved

 

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Red skate confit with juice of charcoal-grilled pepper and rhubarb
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closer
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Jordi Roca introduced Frankie to a new friend
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dessert cart getting filled
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Blackspot seabream with “samfaina” with blackspot seabream-bone juice
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closer

 

The Iberian pig was amazingly good, tender and full of flavor with a perfectly crisped skin.

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Iberian suckling pig with salad of green papaya, thai grapefruit, apple, coriander, chilli pepper, lime and cashew
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closer pig
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Frankie kept an eye on the bread

 

 

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Lamb with eggplant and chickpea puree, lamb’s trotters and spicy tomato
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closer
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other side
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Our nice server and Frankie

 

 

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Squab civet and its parfait
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closer squab
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Frankie was fascinated with the birds

 

 

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palate cleanser
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Frankie inspected

 

 

The server helped us choose some items from the dessert cart and then packed a box of treats for us to take with us.  She made the meal even more fun.

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beginning
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pouring
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Rainy forest with sand distilled water, carob cookie, fir tree dust, anise’s ice cream, wormwood, fennel and fir tree and fir tree granite
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another angle
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Frankie found more books

 

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Frankie thought this set of flatware was unique
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Orange colourology
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inside
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another angle

 

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Cuban cigar box: chocolate with milk, vanilla, dried plum, tobacco leaf and cocoa
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another angle
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another side
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Frankie approved
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Frankie liked the coffee cup
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Frankie on the dessert cart

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Extra treats
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A few to go
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Frankie loves sweets

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looking in
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large patio
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sign, it’s now dark when we leave
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Pastisser Jordi Roca and Frankie

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