Sunday afternoon with Ferran Adrià

We may never get to eat at his restaurant, but 1500 of us gathered at Melbourne?s Hamer Hall yesterday afternoon to hear the man billed as the best chef in the world chef talk about the best restaurant in the world.

Chefs, restaurateurs, gourmets, gourmands, foodies, food bloggers, journalists, we sat entranced as Ferran Adrià spoke quietly, almost humbly about the food that has two million people chasing the 8000 places at elBulli every year.

He is visiting Australia to promote his new book A Day at elBulli: An insight into the ideas, methods and creativity of Ferran Adrià published by Phaidon Press. ?

His talk was illustrated with videos showing some of the techniques he employs. He showed how the lightest, fluffiest little sponges could be made with minimum flour, soda siphon assistance and a quick bake in the microwave oven. There were meringues made malleable under a heat lamp and moulded into different shapes, edible leaves pressed in a mould then dusted with basil powder which was then fused on under heat. Delicate petals were made, painted, assembled into flowers ? art imitating nature.

Adrià says his dishes are simple, and yet we saw a lot of painstaking work goes into their preparation. After all, he does have to strive to make diners happy for four hours at the table. And there is the work developing the techniques employed. We see liquid made from coconut transformed into ?egg shell?, strawberries pulped and processed then set in moulds to later be turned out looking like? strawberries! True legerdemain.

While the world rabbits on about molecular gastronomy, Adrià brandishes a stick of bread and says its creation is no less ?molecular?.

He reminds us that 20 years ago chef Jacques Maximim commented, ?Creativity is not copying.?

There?s also a saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Most of us would be happy if we could imitate one percent of what Ferran Adrià achieves in setting 30 exquisite dishes in front of his diners each night.

And, yes, I did get a chance to meet him after his presentation and have a few words.

Right: Adria at a function following his show and tell.