As we advanced a few days ago and intoxicated by the controversy over statements by Santi Santamaria, last Saturday we had the opportunity to dine in the most emblematic of its restaurants, El Raco de Can Fabes, located in the town of Sant Celoni Barcelona.

The experience was exhilarating and exciting venture for me, they always are when it comes to this kind of restaurant-and sometimes that can make it big disappointment. Also in this case there was a strong dose of anxiety and expectation due to the presence of Santi Santamaria and the possible contact. Too bad it was not in the restaurant and ultimately not having any chance.

But that did less intense experience, it is funny how around a table and tasting the creations of a person can come to understand and to understand their concept and thinking on issues in this case, cooking.

Not if the background and Santamaria's statements that preceded our visit, or the spirit that we had or because it just happened, but during dinner I felt as if each dish, the ear, Santamaria was telling us his understanding of the kitchen. A little later will delight you with full details on the menu, with details, photos and comments on the dishes, but now I want to balance sheet.

The balance is not negative, it is devastating, it can be, should not be if we have a prestigious chef Santi Santamaria and reputation, but it is not perfect, is not round, and sincerely hoped. Expected to bring some clarity to a dark and devastating statements expected from a genius to understand if expressed in a different style, a pure concept, totally mistaking someone-forms-could make the statements made Santi Santamaria.

Your kitchen is a long level, it would be ridiculous to say otherwise, but in my humble opinion does not end, it is on the verge of perfection and what you require as a restaurant Can Fabes, and say to the doors because the I think exactly the problem has to do with his statements. Santamaria I think is "enroquado" this deep in the search for perfection that fails to achieve because it has to evolve, and I think we can do in two ways. You can do as others have done, without complexes and without fear, and pass a barrier to innovation continues, but apparently not in favor, or otherwise move towards absolute perfection in the kitchen that prepares, which to-day today has failed and that was what I expected.

I say this because what I feel after eating at the restaurant, I tasted dishes outstanding, sublime, some improved and some other simply not permissible for a cook and a place as Can Fabes.

The tasting menu we took was the Spring Menu happened to detail and the dinner we went to about 200 euros per person:

• Snails pudding and other snacks
• Beans in Gelée Sea algae and Sepia
• Cous cous with Sheep killed and smoked cod roe
• White asparagus server on natural almond cream
• Crutaceos in timbale carrots with cumin and honey with fried onion and tomato
• Infusion of fish scented with mint and ginger snapper
• Blood cooked duck skin and candied shallots accompanied
• Piglet in two firings served with spring vegetables
• Fabes Cheese
• "Blac Menjar" of almonds with peach
• Strawberries with Lemon Ice Cream Maria Luisa with Jamaica pepper
• Petits Fours

In the drinks start with a glass of cava, followed with a Clos Maria White and then a Clos de Agon Tinto, both wines were great choices.

Regarding Pudding Snacks Snails and I can not highlight anything because nothing stood out, colorful, very good presentation, but nothing to flavors and textures.

Unlike the first snack dish was spectacular and one of the most valued of the meal, the beans in fresh and fine Gelée and touch marine algae and sepia, conjugated in an original and outstanding. Cous Cous The texture was good but I finally convinced by the combination of grits with cream cheese, but the subtle but definite touch of smoked cod eggs gave the dish an interesting flavor combination, but not sublime.

White asparagus was one of the outstanding dishes, but this time desmerecidos by knives placed to cut that gave the initial feeling of being hard to be difficult for the poor quality cutting edge. The texture was amazing, cooked and tempered, literally cracked in the mouth and it tasted fine, like leeks, and excellent in combination with almond cream that accompanied them. The timpani also rich in seafood and the point of the tiny and processed carrots that accompanied it, but nothing fancy or original plate.

The infusion of fish mint "original" by the touch herbal, snapper at its most special and how to deal with the ginger flavor and texture which resembled that of a mushroom raw.

Regarding the main dishes to choose to start giving food to enter the Duck or Piglet, and although I ended up testing both, my choice was the pork and it was the disappointment of the night. A dish that included two firings theoretically piglet without any appeal, unexplained and in the most classic, "baked" skin last thing that truly achieved a disappointing dish.

The service pretty good but with some "small" error and the table and comfortable room with modern decor based on a long black and some red, which is somewhat bold, which gave the room a somewhat cold and "dark" .

With all this I have learned and understood, that although the debate engendered by Santamaria's statements could be interesting, never will be if it goes this way and if there is corrupted by the interests that may wish to raise about his new book published this week or if there is no interest, but from the uncomfortable position of a repentant person that gradually moves away looks like a train of modernity, excellence and modernity that never wanted to go and may have you left behind.

From my point of view an important gap separating it from restaurants like El Bulli or Berasategui and I can not understand that they share the same classification cuisine. Keep saying that the missing star Michelin ranking or have too many restaurants.

If you want to see the photos of the evening you can click on this link .

Raco de Can Fabes
c / Sant Joan, 6
Sant Celoni
48070 Barcelona
Tel: +34 93 867 28 51
Fax.: +34 93 867 38 61
Email: canfabes@canfabes.com
Web: http://www.canfabes.com/canfabes/?idioma=ct