Ferran Adrià vs. René Redzepi: Who Is the Best Chef of this Century?

The world’s culinary landscape the last 20 years has been shaped largely by two chefs: elBulli’s Ferran Adrià and Noma’s René Redzepi. When you put the two side by side, who reigns supreme as the chef of the 21st century?

Ferran Adrià Alamy	René Redzepi Alamy
STYLE Molecular gastronomy	STYLE New Nordic
MICHELIN STARS 3	MICHELIN STARS 2
LOOKS LIKE Foams and food that explodes in your mouth Getty	LOOKS LIKE Fermentation and foods that you might see in the woods Laura L.P.
WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT WINS 5	WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT WINS 4
NUMBER OF BIG MACS YOU COULD GET FOR THE PRICE OF DINNER 78 Shutterstock	NUMBER OF BIG MACS YOU COULD GET FOR THE PRICE OF DINNER 95 Shutterstock
WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME? The original owner named it after her beloved French bulldogs, known locally as bulli.	WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME? Mad is the Danish word for “food,” and Noma is an abbreviation of Nordic Mad.
SIGNATURE DISHES Spheroid Olive; Bean Espuma with Sea Urchins; Smoke Foam Alamy	SIGNATURE DISHES Hen and Egg; Moss and Mushroom; Ants on a Shrimp Laura L.P.
AGE WHEN THEY TOOK OVER THE RESTAURANT 24	AGE WHEN THEY TOOK OVER THE RESTAURANT 25
DISCIPLES René Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, José Andrés	DISCIPLES Rosio Sanchez, Matt Orlando, Christian Puglisi
HE SAID WHAT? “When a monkey peels a banana, is he cooking?” —Speaking to students at the University of Connecticut	HE SAID WHAT? “The seal fucker is on top.” —Accepting the award for World’s Best Restaurant
FAMOUS FAMILY MEMBER His brother Albert owns Tickets and Enigma in Barcelona and was the technical wizard behind elBulli. Getty	FAMOUS FAMILY MEMBER René’s wife, Nadine, has become a hero to home chefs with her instructional Instagram and cookbook Downtime. Getty