The acclaimed Spanish chef Ferran Adrià had bolon and ceviche for breakfast at the Mercado Sauces 9

The Mercado Sauces 9 seemed not to stop for anything or anyone. The children of the stall owners played among the aisles packed with products while their parents washed fruit, macheted heads of lettuce, or sharpened knives to fillet fish.

Although the market never stopped, it had a brief pause thanks to a visit from Ferran Adria, Spanish chef, last Friday, January 27. The stall owners put down their knives and vegetables for a moment to admire the commotion caused by this man dressed from head to toe in black, who was accompanied by a contingent of family members, journalists, chefs and security.

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It was not be for lowerly: The Bulli, Adrià’s restaurant in Cala Montjoi, in the Spanish province of Girona, was the recipient of 3 Michelin stars, the highest distinction for a restaurant, until its closure in 2011. Since the restaurant’s closure, Adrià has turned El Bulli into a foundation dedicated to the innovation of gastronomic sciences and the preservation of the restaurant’s legacy.

In addition, the Catalan chef was chosen by the magazine TIME as one of the most influential people in the world in 2004, all thanks to the culinary revolution that he led from the kitchen of El Bulli.

“Creativity is not copying”: that was the phrase of the French chef Jacques Maximin that marked Adrià’s way of working. With that motto he experimented with erasing the barriers between sweet and salty, deconstructed dishes, hot jelly, among other innovations. Thus, El Bulli closed 6 months of the year, as the staff spent 6 months experimenting and designing a completely new menu for the next 6 months.

Adrià’s first stop at the market was at the bolones stand owned by Mercedes Bolaños, who has run the family food stand for 18 years, and was excited to serve one of the greatest chefs in history.

Ferran Adrià hopes to be able to reopen elBulli as a creative center

Bolaños, with a smile, put together a big mixed ball in front of the curious gaze of the Spaniard. Adrià sat down at one of the red plastic tables typical of the market to taste the typical dish; soon there was little left of the bolón armed by Bolaños. “Did you like it? Oops, hopefully,” Bolaños replied upon learning of the chef’s positive review.

santiago grandadirector of the School of Chefs, Ramon Saltocorporate chef of the Oro Verde group, and Andre Obiol, awards representative chef World’s 50 best restaurantsThey took advantage of breakfast with Adrià to talk to him about the different native ingredients, such as those found in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Adrià continued his tour of the market in the fish and shellfish section. He admired the wide selection of seafood offered by the Gust Concha food stall: churo, oyster, oyster, octopus, crab and squid, displayed in a glass case, before sitting down to enjoy a crab ceviche.

“Very delicious… just right”, exclaimed the chef over the ceviche. “Here we are with the master of ceviche,” he continued, while taking a photo with George Moncayoin charge of the post.

Ferran Adriá serves his last dinner before closing El Bulli

“For us it is a privilege to serve people like him, who know a lot about gastronomy… knowing that he liked what we do means that the sacrifice we make every day is useful”, Moncayo indicated.

Adrià finished his tour of the market admiring the fruits and vegetables displayed in the market windows. It is the second time that the acclaimed Spanish chef visits Ecuador; he had already visited Quito in June 2013, where he starred in a series of events, including a masterful talk at the Ágora of the Casa de la Cultura. As in 2013, Adrià is in the country courtesy of his alliance with the Movistar telephone company. (YO)