In Spain earlier this year, living a Travelife, we had a five-hour meal at El Celler de Can Roca, a chic restaurant in the sleepy town of Girona, that was chosen as the best restaurant in the world for 2013.
It has also enjoyed a Michelin three star status for several years running now.
HARDER THAN WINNING THE LOTTERY
A table at this restaurant is reportedly harder to book compared to winning a lottery, especially after it was chosen as the best restaurant in the world.
There is a waiting list of 12 to 15 months on average, just for a table at El Celler de Can Roca.
I thought they were joking, when I first heard this.
THEY WEREN’T JOKING
But while I was at the restaurant’s reception area looking at some El Celler de Can Roca cookbooks for sale, I overheard the receptionist on the phone talking to some foodie who was calling from overseas regarding a reservation.
She said they had no tables available until October next year.
Yes, she meant October 2014.
A FOREVER LUCKY TRAVELIFE
Anyway, with the kind of good luck that always happens in a Travelife, I got a table for four for the only day we had available, on a two-week trip to Spain.
I had been waiting awhile for this reservation to be confirmed for some weeks.
Then, talk about good timing. I actually got the message from the restaurant by text on my phone just as I was taking off from Manila to head for Europe. As in literally, sitting in the airplane and about to shut my phone off before the plane began heading for the runway.
Talk about a very nice start to a Travelife to beautiful Spain.
GIRONA, SUDDENLY IN A TRAVELIFE
Of course we had to rearrange all our plans to suddenly fit a trip to Girona into our plans.
On the day of our reservation, we were in Valencia, which is a good three hours away from Barcelona.
And then Girona is another hour from Barcelona by car.
But with a combination of taxis, trains and a van with a Spanish driver under pressure, we made it in time.
A CONVINCING HUNGRY TRAVELER
I actually decided to go to El Celler de Can Roca, after reading the article that Jerome Velasco, foodie contributing editor of Travelife Magazine, had written for us.
This is perhaps the best and most detailed article on the El Celler de Can Roca experience that you will read in Asia.
Jerome wrote so convincingly about El Celler de Can Roca that I just had to see it for myself.
Luckily, I had a copy of our current issue of Travelife in my luggage, when I reached Girona.
So I was very happy to personally hand Chef Roca a copy of our magazine, with the excellent article on their restaurant.
A PRIVATE TOUR WITH THE WORLD’S BEST CHEF
He was very happy to get this, and he offered me a private tour of his kitchens, as a result.
Of course I took photos of the Roca brothers reading the article of Jerome, under his Hungry Traveler column.
And as soon as I sat down at the table, I lost no time in sending this to him via BBM.
I think he was pleased as punch.
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| Those are the Roca brothers, reading Travelife Magazine. |
Anyway, until it became too late in Manila, Jerome and I kept up a running conversation via BBM on the El Celler de Can Roca experience while I went through each course.
IS IT WORTH THE HYPE?
The verdict?
You should go if you can get a table because this truly is an outstanding experience overall.
We had the full tasting course which took five hours, and about 80% of the dishes were so creative and delicious.
100% IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE
There were about three or four dishes I did not like, but an 80% ratio of truly impressive dishes is nevertheless an amazing feat.
At the Michelin three star level, almost every dining experience is unique and delicious.
But few have truly been as memorable as our meal at El Celler de Can Roca, in Spain living a neverendingly eventful Travelife.
