Avant-Garde Chef Ferran Adrià Sets His Sights on Breakfast

When Ferran Adrià hung up his chef’s whites in 2011, he seemed to be at the height of his powers. His renowned El Bulli, hailed as the most influential restaurant in the world, had become a gastronomic mecca in the Catalan seaside town of Roses, serving a rarefied 40-course meal to a mere 50 diners a night out of the millions who sought a reservation.

Diners flocked to El Bulli not merely to eat well but for a four-hour adventure in performance art. Mr. Adrià’s “chicken curry” was a plate of curry ice cream with a drizzle of chicken demiglacé. His take on a classic Spanish stew featured a deconstructed mosaic of cauliflower mousse, beetroot foam, tomato purée and peach water ice. Mr. Adrià’s innovations earned El Bulli two Michelin stars in 1990, three by 1997, and Restaurant Magazine’s title of world’s best restaurant five times between 2002 and 2009.