Welcome to the labyrinth of the Catalan chef

From the first sip of the proffered aperitif at El Bulli---a frozen gin with hot lemon fizz-you know you're in for something different. Ferran Adria has won the adulation of food critics and cooks by whipping up startling combinations of texture, temperature and taste: bite-size cuttlefish ravioli that explode in a burst of coconut and ginger, soft-- boiled quail egg with a crispy caramel crust, a polenta of frozen powdered Parmesan cheese, almond ice cream on a swirl of garlic oil and balsamic vinegar.