Ferran Adrià Acosta is a chef born on May 14, 1962 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain. He is the famed head chef of El Bulli restaurant in Roses on the Costa Brava. Today he is considered one of the best chefs in the world and tops the European Restaurant Ranking.

Ferran Adrià began his culinary career in 1980 during his stint as a dishwasher at the Hotel Playafels, in the town of Castelldefels (Catalonia). The chef de cuisine at this hotel taught him traditional Spanish cuisine. At 19 he was drafted into military service where he worked as a cook. In 1984, at the age of 22, Adrià joined the kitchen staff of El Bulli as a line cook. Eighteen months later he became the head chef.

Along with British chef Heston Blumenthal, Adrià is often associated with "molecular gastronomy," although the Catalan chef does not consider his cuisine to be of this category. Instead, he has referred to his cooking as deconstructivist. Adrià's stated goal is to "provide unexpected contrasts of flavour, temperature and texture. Nothing is what it seems. The idea is to provoke, surprise and delight the diner."[http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/chefbiographi2/p/ferranAdriàbio.htm Ferran Adrià - Bio of the World's Greatest Chef - El Bulli Restaurant Barcelona Spain] This is also combined with a large dose of irony and a sense of humour, making his dishes highly épatants (impressive). As he likes to say, "the ideal customer doesn't come to El Bulli to eat but to have an experience."

El Bu...