Hard work and dedication: these are Albert Adrià's secrets to achieving success, which is made up not only of creativity, but also of many hours of sacrifice and a staff 100% “on the job.”
The chef
“Don't tell me how much talent you possess, tell me how hard you work,” Arthur Rubistein stated. In the case of the Adriás, talent is certainly not a secondary thing; however, second son Albert - one of the chefs who have contributed to writing among the most important pages of Spanish and world gastronomy-has never hidden that he is a hard worker. Even today, with almost forty years of career behind him and countless awards and experiences, he does not loosen his grip and continues to work with the passion and tenacity that have always distinguished him. Now his realm is Enigma, a restaurant opened in 2016, which has changed concept several times over the years, although he has recently returned “to the roots” of the restaurant focused on the pure and simple raw material - let Adrià himself imply.
“Enigma is first and foremost a sign with seasonal products, which go well beyond the four seasons. Our menu is created month by month following the natural cycle of the ingredients we find in the markets, to which we apply all the technical knowledge we have, but always in the service of the product itself. We modify our tasting according to the turnover of foodstuffs, leaving fixed some creative elaborations that remain all year round; however, the rest is incorporated or eliminated, so that when you come back you can try new and different recipes," reads the restaurant's website. A culinary approach that inevitably involves continuous research, extreme commitment and numerous hours of work.
"We are a team of 55 people working to accommodate 40 customers with a tasting menu offering of about 32 preparations. The cyclical nature of the products punctuates our offerings and we like to have an identity style," the chef told ‘Con mucha gula’ in a rcent interview.
A professional who was extremely dedicated to his work and had such a deep-rooted passion that in 2023, on stage at Identità Golose, he declared, "I thought I would never cook again, because I feared the future would confront me with other tasks. Instead, I went back to the kitchen and today I'm there every day, nonstop cooking." And never resting on his laurels, we add. A year later, things have not changed and Chef Adrià continues to devote his soul, mind and body to his cooking, knowing that it is commitment that makes the difference.
"My motto, which many people already know, is: work, work and work. The rewards always come, no matter what they are; I don't know any real worker in the world who fares badly. Humility and passion are two other goals that every professional should cherish and achieve."
