Morchella Esculenta: Joan, Josep i Jordi Roca i Fontané

October 17th 2013

Another renowned place which struggles to live up to expectations? Whose fault is it? Is it the work of those very objectionable journalists who decided to compile a random worldwide list of 50 restaurants they've heard about? Is it me who had unrealistic expectations? Anyway, while I acknowledge the admirable work of the Roca brothers in setting up such a restaurant and to maintain a certain level of service despite the curious crowd of loud tourists coming from all over the world, I can’t help from being puzzled that this one restaurant is particularly celebrated.

There were many good things, like this admirable olive-tree bonsai which bore some caramelized olives. Some marvelous prawns, sea anemone and langoustines. There were also some solid mistakes like the clumsy repetition of a the cocoa-butter bonbon technique which we had at least 3 times in various flavours. This interesting technique permits the encapsulation of some once-frozen liquid (a broth for example) in a thin coating which melts in the mouth. This is clever but cocoa-butter it is and cocoa-butter it remains; if it is not perfectly executed and especially if the coating is too thick, this brings a very oily texture which is not the most pleasant or refined. And while once is fun, three times is really too much.

The other objection I would have over the whole meal is the overwhelming presence of the sweet taste in a number of the dishes. Not being a sugar-person, I was somewhat bothered with that.

The world:
Mexico: burrito with mole poblano and guacamole
Peru: ceviche broth
China: pickled vegetables with plum cream
Morocco: almond, roe, honey, safron, ras el hanout, goat yogurt
Korea: panco fried bread, bacon with soy sauce, snow peas, kimchi and sesam oil

Caramelized Olives

Carpano bombon with grapefruit and black sesame

Truffled bombon

Crispy Shrimp

Zucchini omelette

Boletus edulis brioche

Vegetable stock with sprouts, flowers, leaves and fruits

Fig leaf
Fig leaf cheese, green almonds, physalis, fresh and charcoal-grilled fig, fig-leaf terrine with fig skin and rind, vinegar anfd fig ice--cream, cumin, fennel, tarragon and chervil.

White asparagus and truffle viennetta

Mackerel with pickles and mullet roe
Mackerel sauce with white wine, lemon, capers and chillies in vinegar, fried tomato, mullet roe, mackerel marinated in sugar and salt. Mackerel infusion.