‘World’s best restaurant’ chef here for book launch

　　By Wang Yu

　　ElBulli, named World’s Best Restaurant the last four years by the prestigiousS.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant magazine, shot to fame through its “creative cuisines.” The restaurant, overlooking Cala Montjoi Bay in Catalonia, Spain, is only able to accommodate 0.4 percent of the people who make a reservation each yearThis week, its pastry chef and “ideologit,” Albert Adria flew to Beijing to promote his latest bookNatura. He hosted four food events on this trip and is planning more the next time around with his older brother Ferran, elBulli’s head chef, whose ission is to make Spanish tapas better known worldwide.

　　Albert, 40, was born in the neighborhood of Santa Eulalia in L’Hospitalet, Catalonia. His parents instilled in him an interest in cooking, but it was Ferran who itroduced him to the trade and passion.

　　At age 16, Albert decided he wanted to become a chef; he dropped out of school and joined elBulli’s staff. After two years’ training in different kitchen sections, he reized his greatest interest lay in pastry-making.

　　In 1997, Albert left elBulli in the middle of the season to start writing what would be his first book. Los postres de elBulli, which came out in October 1998, has been awarded Best Confectionery Book at France’s Perigueux gourmet fair.At the end of that year, Albert started a “food laboratory” – elBullitalle on elBulli’s premises. It consisted of only a able, four books and two chairs. It soon grew and he looked for a new location in downtown Barcelona, where he could continue experimenting on new dishes.