Said like that, it sounds great! (Laughs). By the year 1876, on a trip to Paris he found a utensil capable of alleviating heavy digestion, and he brought it here for pharmaceutical purposes. With the mere use of it, he found that it mixed perfectly with vermouth, and he ended up setting up the factory, Sifones Garriga.

Maybe that's why I feel this connection with gastronomy. And, of course, La Cuina d'en Garriga is full of siphons, some of them pertain to a personal collection, some are for sale. The siphon has become a symbol for us and a culinary reference in Spain. We are now investigating new ways to introduce it in new recipes.

The only clue that I can give you is that it will be possible for you to taste a very original cocktail in La Cuina very soon.

During my 10 years in Manhattan I met many people, friends who later would come to see me in Barcelona and to whom I loved to show our gastronomy. I thought I would love to show it at my own place, with my own selection of products. Barcelona is a gastronomic reference worldwide, so what a better place than this in which to do it?

Fundamentally, our trips. Olivier is very aware of our favorite dishes, of those that have surprised us on a getaway and also those that customers demand the most. Many recipes are from his hometown in Megève, French Alps, like our Steak Tartar or the Coulant; recipes that he prefers to keep unrevealed. Thus, we combine French and Catalan reminiscences and focus on the product, not on signature cuisine.

Without good-quality raw material, it is difficult to get good results. We try to offer products of which we know where they come from and how they are treated because, for us, friendship and trust with suppliers is essential. For example, Cal Rovira sausage or eggs from Can Magí are fresh farm products and of excellent quality. The 'carquiñolis' have been created in Sant Quintí de Mediona along with several family generations. We receive fresh burrata directly from the Puglia twice a week...

A perfect example for that is our 'esmorzars de forquilla'. You might know the typical English brunch, about which we have heard so much lately... But here, in Catalonia, we already had this kind of meal, although it was under another name. The peasants have always followed this tradition, so why not raise the value of what is ours?

Many people wonder why they have set aside this dish as a 'dish for children' (laughs). Our effort lies in that: surprising with simple things but with superb products. The same happens with the lentils with foie from Olivier's hometown, or with the truffled bikini, a cheese that we hand-produce ourselves.

Of course. In fact, all the products in our menu, excluding the French cheese, are KM0.

A good bread baked in a wood fired oven, ugly tomatoes from Tudela, raw milk cheese, olive oil and lots of wine.

La Cuina d'en Garriga began as a grocery store, and it still is. However, we started doing some small tastings, then cooking cakes and selling them, and suddenly realized that customers were asking for more. Today our breakfasts, lunches and dinners are all working well.

Who would not want that! (laughs).

I should point out Ferrán Adrià and his entourage, shouldn’t I?

In New York you can travel the world through food... You find the best Italian, Indian or Japanese restaurants, it's fascinating. For them, food culture has no boundaries. And they have also been pioneers in culinary trends such as bio-food, veganism and raw food among others.

I have decorated it as if it were my kitchen. Well, actually it is pretty similar... Recalling both an industrial look from New York and romanticism from French Provence.

It is true that, in city centers, there is a trend of inflating prices and giving little importance to the product, dressing this mistake up with an attractive establishment or terrace. But if we had acted like that, we would have never gotten a loyal clientele that keeps coming back.

My favorite diners are the ones who are already coming to La Cuina every day, wanting to have some fun... I love to share a table with people who love what they do.