The saying goes if you can't get into El Bulli try El Celler de Can Roca. The three-Michelin star restaurant is the brainchild of the three Roca brothers Joan, Josep and Jordi. It was voted the 5th Best in the world in last year's Top 50 Best Restaurants by Restaurant magazine, an increase of 21 places from 2008.

For some lucky Hong Kong foodies (including us three) a trip to Spain was not necessary to sample the emotive cuisine of the brothers Roca. Jordi Roca was in town last month for five days as guest chef at the Mandarin Grill.

Sensory Stimulation

Roca served a six course tasting menu while in Hong Kong that began with my favourite in terms of taste, with superb presentation, Cava Interpretation, oyster, apple, solid cava. Resting in a green glass bottle that had been cut in half lengthways was apple puree, resting on this was two magnificent creamy oysters, with the balls of 'solid' cava scattered over, small pieces of pineapple, tiny pieces of confit ginger, and a fairy sprinkle of cumin, to which was added some vintage cava.

The oysters had a rich, intense flavour, while the other flavour elements were so measured that you could perceive them, but more as an essence of, allowing the oysters to shine. The sensation in the mind was of eating an oyster while sipping on bubbly; the cava balls filled with liquid bursting in the mouth intensifying this feeling. To finish, I was asked to eat an Oyster Leaf, a green leaf that tastes like a salty oyster. WOM founders, Samanta Pong and Fergus Fung were told to eat the leaf first.

All three of us agreed that this was an excellent start to the meal, but oysters and bubbly are always a good start to a meal. Kudos for the cava balls and presentation.

Next was the most dramatic in terms of presentation, Squid Parmentier, squid, mash, potato, paprika. Visualise a large, clear glass plate on top of which sits a clear glass ring almost the size of the plate. Over the top of the ring is plastic wrap so taut you could play it like a drum; the wrap had one small hole, which was situated under the diner's face. Trapped inside the ring was the smoke of smoked paprika pepper. Placed on top of the wrap (opposite the hole) was a small ball of pureed potato (with cream and olive oil), which was draped with thin slices of carpaccio squid, topped with baby squid and squid espuma. In front were dots of squid ink. Every time you placed food on your fork a waft of smoke was released, at times so much I had to back away from the plate.

I understood that Roca was trying to encompass as many senses into the experience of the dish as possible and this is something I applaud and enjoyed about the dish. While Samanta enjoyed what she called one of the more Spanish dishes of the evening, she agreed with Fergus and I that the squid itself was not that fresh tasting, and for me the taste took away from the enjoyment. I must add though that I did eat it all. 

Mixed Reviews

A hit with all of us was the Mediterraneo, grilled sole, green olive, orange. A wonderful piece of fish with great texture sat beside five different purees, all of complementary colours, like a paint chart. Roca says his inspiration for the dish was the changing colours as the sun rises and the different colour densities. The purees were placed in order of intensity and were meant to be eaten in that order; they were made from dill, bergamot, orange, pine nut, and olive oil. Like the oyster dish the flavours were more an essence than a substantial impact, the fish the star of the dish. There was a relational response between the fish and the flavours that was charming. My favourite was the olive oil, which was exceptional. Fergus enjoyed all five and thought they worked separately as well as mixed together! A dish that all three of us thought of as a highlight.

The final main choice was Iberico, crispy piglet, spring onion, clove. The piglet belly/rib had been slow-cooked for 12 hours before being given a crispy skin from pan-frying at low temperature for 30 minutes, served with shallots cooked in white wine vinegar and cloves. I thought this choice was an odd one to serve to a predominately Chinese audience, few non-Chinese chefs can do a crispy pork dish to rival that of the Chinese suckling pig. A bit like serving a pasta dish to Italians. Several hongkongers that tried Roca's menu that I spoke to thought that while it was a good attempt it left them all a little disappointed. I too was disappointed. The skin was rich and crispy, but there was little meat, which itself did not have much flavour, not surprising given the young age of the pig. Overall, I found the dish one dimensional, the onions not enough of a flavour contrast to lift the dish, in my mind it needed something fresh tasting to balance the richness.

Emotional Desserts

The first dessert was Roca's signature perfume dessert, something that the chef was first inspired to make when reading the book, Perfume. When reading the book a case of bergamots arrived at the restaurant, the aroma of the fruit reminded Jordi of his brother's Calvin Klein scent he wore and the idea for a dessert based on a perfume was born. He has created 25 such desserts in the past six years. The idea is to take the key elements (as discerned by Roca) in a perfume's scent and make a dessert using those elements. For us he made Terre de Hermes. A predominately chocolate dessert with elements of patchouli, jasmine, orange, pomelo, shiso, beetroot leaf, and distilled earth (a clear liquid drizzled over the chocolate). While the dessert had a certain randomness about it, it was also clear that the amount of each was measured so it came together as one. After the dessert had been cleared a small paper cone infused with the actual perfume was then given to each diner and you literally put the cone over your nose and inhaled the perfume. This played an important role in making sense of the whole thing...and I understood the dessert more after smelling the perfume. 

The final course was a favourite for all three of us, White, lactic, sheep, ripoll. A dessert inspired by the milky, baby smell of Jordi's nephew's head, made from the milk of a particular sheep in Ripoll that is known for its high fat content and full flavour. The milk was presented in four forms, as caramel, yoghurt, ice cream, and cotton candy, and was interspersed with slices of guava. All three of us enjoyed the fun presentation and thought that the fruit balanced the creaminess of the dish, with the cotton candy adding just the right amount of sugar. 

Final Thoughts

Overall Samanta found the dinner to be very enjoyable, but not as mind-blowing as she expected. She also thought the creative presentation of dishes was superb. For Fergus it was a pleasurable meal, although for him some of the dishes were under-seasoned, particularly the pork, but a pinch of salt did bring out the flavours. He also thought the wine pairings worked well. 

I enjoyed the cleverness of the cuisine with its measured use of flavours when using many ingredients or plays on one ingredient. His food is emotional and intellectual, and he creates food for the mind and emotions more than the stomach. It is food that attempts to engage all the senses, food you consume with your eyes, nose and then the mouth. 

While not all dishes were a success for me in terms of taste, they all successfully engaged multiple senses and stimulated my mind. For that experience I am honoured. 

For more information: http://www.cellercanroca.com/PORTADA/intro_2.htm

Images: Homepage, 1, 3, 6 courtesy of Mandarin Oriental; 2, 4, 5, 7 courtesy of Fergus Fung.

Note: The review is based on two meals, a lunch by me, and a dinner by Samanta and Fergus.