Dining on emotions
Ruscalleda’s internationally renowned restaurant with its three Michelin stars, will close its doors tonight
It will be a dinner filled with emotions. This is the feeling of the prestigious chef Carme Ruscalleda only a few hours before the last group of diners will be seated for the final dinner in her restaurant. The closing of Sant Pau, at the peak of haute cuisine with three Michelin stars, surprised everyone this summer. The “anonymous” witnesses who say farewell to the 30 years of service of this professional who has been considered the best chef in the world, will be those who booked months ago, not knowing they would be part of this special occasion. For Ruscalleda, it will be almost “business as usual”, apt, for someone who has never sought fame.
For this meal, the press will be welcomed to record the event, but only after Carme had asked the diners if they appprove.
Ruscullera’s cuisine can be termed Catalan, but in its truest sense, it is cuisine which grew from the Mareseme town of Sant Pol de Mar and that will be evident in this final meal. In fact, the menu is named: “30 years of Santpolenca cuisine”. The first course harks back to the early days with croquettes, pulses and cheese terrene. And there will be seasonal local products, Mareseme beans accompanying botifarra de perol (the importance of pork in Sant Pau’s history cannot be ignored), with the unforgettable strawberries following for dessert.
Ruscalleda actually believes that in this day and age of cuisine, being traditional is what makes the difference. That does not mean that over the 30 years she has not been influenced by other culinary styles, and especially so, Japanese. The affair with Japan began in 2004 and has lasted until today with her Tokyo Retaurant. It was a success from the day it opened, perhaps because, as the head chef, Yosuke Okazaki recalled, diners had reacted to her fare commenting “You’re Japanese, you just did not know it!”
The doors in Sant Pol may close, but there are ongoing projects, in Japan and together with Carme’s son Raul in Barcelona. An artist never says goodbye. Carme Ruscalleda always wanted to be an artist: perhaps, that is her secret.