Do you know the famous twins? Not them. Them. Javier and Sergio. Both of them are chefs. After college, they go their separate
ways, to learn as much as they could. Believing their combined
knowledge would be amplified. One stays in Spain, and the other to the UK. Eventually they would reunite
in Barcelona, join forces, and take the Spanish culinary landscape by storm. In 2018, they open a restaurant, and by
2022, they have all three Michelin stars. Nice story, isn't it? But does their restaurant live
up to their incredible story? Today we will visit, Cocina Hermanos Torres. We are in Barcelona. In the laid back neighborhood of Les Corts. In this area, we can find
the home of FC Barcelona. Where the greats like Ronaldinho,
Neymar and Lionel Messi all played. This neighborhood is also home
to our restaurant for today. Cocina Hermanos Torres. From the outside, you would never guess
that it’s a 3 Michelin star restaurant. It actually used to be a warehouse
and a former tire center. What kind of tires did they sell? I shouldn’t have to tell you. You guessed it. Michelin. The Michelin guide was first written in 1900, to give car owners a reason
to travel off the beaten path. Together with other tire makers, brothers Édouard and André Michelin
published a guide for French motorists. Nearly 35,000 copies of this first, free
edition of the guide were distributed. It gave motorists maps, tire repair
and replacement instructions, listings for car mechanics, hotels, and petrol
stations, and restaurants throughout France. It has since grown to be what many
call the Bible of fine dining, with a series of guides covering 45 countries. After selling tires and getting three stars,
this place seems blessed by all things Michelin. Inside, the kitchen dominates
the huge 800 square meter space. It feels like the movie set
of a culinary colosseum. In the center is where all the action happens.
home of the culinary warriors, armed with razor-sharp knives,
and their only armour is an apron. Around it, the lucky
spectators can enjoy the show. At the table, we find a
beautiful contrast in the design. With comfortable chairs, elegant table settings and white tablecloths really
that warm up the atmosphere. We see more duality in the servers. Their formal blue suits are paired
with bright red high top sneakers. Hopefully it’s a metaphor for the experience with
classical service and a touch of playfulness. I love the concept. The shoes were made by Barcelona
sportswear company Munich, who created the exclusive shoes to celebrate
the Hermanos Torres third Michelin star. The color is picked up in
the flowers and the menu. I like the concept. I start noticing things in twos. On the base plate, the menu and with the flowers. Cocina Hermanos Torres means
Torres Brothers Kitchen in Spanish. And no surprise, there are two of them. And they are twins. Our server shows the wine pairings. There are two options. One for 190 and the other is 350 euro. We also check out the wine list. It’s extensive with some heavy hitters. Including a 1996 Krug clos
du Mesnil for 6500 euro. It’s tempting, but I choose the
2nd tier wine pairing instead. Our welcome drink is prepared fresh at the table. It’s a refreshing blend of celery juice
and cherry wine that has a kick to it. Not far behind is our amuse bouche. I love the little serving table
and the bite has gorgeous textures. Pepper and smoked anchovy bonbon. Crispy steak tartar. And a sandwich with tomato and Iberian ham. Our first wine is a Chardonnay from Argentina. It’s a 2022 Zuccardi Botanico. Our first course makes me feel a
sense of harmony just looking at it. It’s a fine dining version of surf and turf. Warm squid tartar with imperial
beluga caviar in a cold chicken broth. Each ingredient has its own place in
this dish and It’s wonderful together. The cold chicken broth is the most surprising, because creating something so special from
such a simple ingredient is very difficult. I like this elegant and modern vertical plating, which allowed me to taste all
the flavors in one spoonful. Homemade bread from white wheat and
rye and olive oil from Catalonia. This is traditional Catalonian rustic bread,
with thick crust and a dense spongy crumb. The sommelier called Azahara, is full of energy. It’s refreshing to see servers without
pretense just being their authentic selves. She’s friendly, charming and seems to
be having just as much fun as we are. This is my kind of service. For our next wine, she takes
us to the northwest of Spain. It’s a 2022 Godello from producer Rafael Palacios. This wine is young and really crisp. Our second course is Galician crab, a seaweed cracker and a broth made with
the essence of king prawn and herbs. The whole thing is beautiful,
like a modern painting. Nice textures with a complex mix of flavors. Sweet and briny, umami and herbal. Not as concentrated as I
hoped, but still very good. A new sommelier arrives. She is Maria from Russia. Our relationship started off reserved,
but it quickly opened up like a fine wine. Soon, we have her laughing
and joking around as well. She pours our third wine. It’s a Savagnin from the Jura region of France. It’s smokey and buttery. We see more beautiful
presentation in our third course. It’s white asparagus from Navarra,
with mussels, saffron and tarragon. Asparagus is in season and it is perfect, and the saffron gives us a touch of exotic flavor. It’s an outstanding dish, and
I really enjoy the geometry. I like the visual presentation of the dishes. It’s a seasonal dish and a lot of
thought and work went into this. The pace is strong, and overall,
this meal has been fantastic so far. Azahara is back and admits she just found out from another table that I had
a fine dining YouTube channel. It doesn’t change her behaviour one bit. You can’t upgrade the maximum! Look at her behavior before
and after she found out. No change at all. That's what a true professional is like. They always give their best. That's what perfectionism is. She gives us a smile and tells us it
should get us to 10 million subscribers. I love it. Speaking of subscribing, If you
haven’t done so yet, go for it. Hit that button if you haven’t already, and we will do our best to give
you more smiles like this one. Next to the table is one of
Spain’s most famous ingredients. Maresme green peas. They are a highly prized variety of green
peas from the Maresme region in Catalonia. It is also known as the green pearl. They have a short growing season,
from March to May, so we are in luck. They share the plate with tapioca pearls,
fried bread and Iberian ham sauce. Here, the rich, salty ham sauce enhances
the fresh, sweet flavor of the peas. The tapioca prolongs the flavors. I love the simplicity here. Bread, ham and peas. We told the server that we
really enjoyed this dish, and they asked if we'd like another one! It reminds me of 2010 when I took
my mother to Verona to see Turandot, and the tenor sang Nessun Dorma twice. Our next wine is from the Campania
wine region in southern Italy. It’s a 2021 Fiorduva from producer Marisa Cuomo. It’s their top wine with an average
critic score of 95 out of a hundred. It has a gentle creaminess
but with a lively acidity. We are halfway through the savory dishes. Next is roasted and grilled eel with
pickled kohlrabi, and citrus essence. I wasn’t crazy about the presentation
or the taste of this one. Our next wine is another Italian selection. This time from Sicily, from ‘Triple
A’ producer Arianna Occhipinti. It’s their highly-rated 2021 Frappato. It’s paired with traditional cod stew,
spicy chorizo gnocchi and cured lemon. I expected chunks of cod but I was
surprised to see them use codfish tripe. Using Codfish tripe in a 3
Michelin star restaurant? I really enjoy this interesting choice. It’s a jelly-like ingredient
with a distinctive texture. It came with a fine emulsion, and
the chip on top was excellent. The next wine is a 2017 Valbuena
from producer Vega Sicilia. Widely regarded as the greatest
wine producer in Spain. This one is a Tempranillo. The taste of wood suits it well. It was chosen specially for our first main course. Suckling pig, with tamarind and plum. This dish was not on our menu,
but they wanted us to try it. At this moment, I didn't know
how grateful I would soon be. This is one of the most
delicious pork dishes of my life, there's no question about it. The crispy skin, the gorgeous texture of the
pork, and the powerful flavor of the jus. In the fine dining world, pork is
not often used for main courses. You often see pigeon or lamb
dishes, but rarely pork. Another Catalonian wine is next. It’s the 2004 Gratallops. This one comes from Priorat, a small wine region that shot
to fame in the past few decades thanks to its intense, full-bodied red wines. It’s paired with our final savory course. Cured lamb with zucchini and a sauce
of mint and black garlic emulsions. The lamb is cured for one month
and it is absolutely perfect. The last pork dish set the bar so high
that, unfortunately, the lamb fell short. Even if it was also a wonderful dish. Savory courses done, now it’s time for dessert. The patisserie has its own
space in the restaurant, which looks out onto the main room and covers 100% of the sweet, bread,
chocolate and dessert service. Our first is a foam made with
yogurt, green tea matcha and citrus. With a shiso leaf on top. Very fresh, clean and delicious. Azahara pours us a sweet wine from Spain. A 2014 Castell d'Encus Majjan
made with Semillon grapes. It’s fresh, complex and
beautiful to continue with. Next we meet one half of the dynamic duo. It’s Javier Torres. He and his twin brother Sergio were
inspired by their grandmother Catalina who was a chef at the homes
of Barcelona’s wealthy. They joined forces in 2002 and invented a
piece of cooking technology in partnership with the Polytechnic university of Valencia. It’s called the Gastrovac. Sergio worked with Alain Ducasse
in Paris before joining his brother to open the Dos Cielos restaurant
at the Meliá Barcelona Sky hotel. Here they made a name for themselves
as a duo, and earned a Michelin star. The twins went on to release several books, their own TV show, cook for a cruise
line, and create a menu for an airline. To this day, they are one of only 4
restaurants in Barcelona with three stars. And the only one to receive the Michelin
green star for operating a zero waste kitchen. Something both chefs are passionate about. Our next dessert is strawberries,
white vinegar and elderflower. It’s the beginning of strawberry season
here and these are as fresh as they come. The elderflowers are wild and are
picked by staff around Barcelona. This is a simple dish designed
to bring back childhood memories. A quick tour of the wine cellar, and
then it’s time for our last wine. At 21.5 percent, it’s more of a liquor,
but it’s balanced by high levels of sugar. It’s a dessert by itself. Our next dessert is called the cocoa age. It’s made with the pulp of the cocoa
and inside is white chocolate ice cream. Next, we go behind the scenes with a tour. The brothers also have a YouTube
channel with a dedicated place to film. Finally, we are shown to a secret place next door. It’s a place to enjoy a fine
cigar and relax with a drink. It’s back to the main building
with our last dessert. Orange Blossom made with the peel of the orange. The petit fours bid us farewell. Here we have: Yuzu marshmallow. Lemon and poppy mini cake. Dark chocolate dragee. Passion fruit profiterole. And black sesame ice pearl. And that concludes a wonderful
meal at Cocina Hermanos Torres. Our total for today is 940 euros for two. What can I say about Cocina Hermanos Torres? This is one restaurant
experience with a happy ending. It was a huge surprise from the
moment I walked in the door. The layout and atmosphere are unique. The kitchen is beautiful. you don't
see something like this every day. The staff are industry experts who delivered
a master class on truly great service. And last but not least, the menu was brilliant. The Torres twins are a dynamic duo who creatively tackle traditional Spanish cuisine and shape it in their own character. Proving that two heads
actually are better than one. I already have my next
reservation, and I cannot wait. and that does it for this episode Thank you for joining me! If you like this video, hit subscribe! See you next time.
