The Michelin Guide has dedicated an interview to our chef, Àlex Carrera, exploring his career, his culinary influences, the essential ingredients in his cooking and the philosophy that defines our restaurant.
The conversation is part of the “Face to Face with…” series, created to introduce the public to the chefs behind restaurants awarded new Michelin Stars in the 2021 selection.
Through ten questions, our chef talks about his beginnings in gastronomy, the meaning of the Michelin Star, the importance of local and seasonal produce, and the measures we implement at L’Aliança to move towards a more sustainable approach to dining.
A vocation sparked in childhood
Àlex Carrera’s passion for gastronomy began long before he decided to pursue it professionally.
On the one hand, he grew up in a family where food and cooking played an important role. His mother, whom he describes as an extraordinary cook, was one of the first people to awaken his interest in cooking and flavour.
On the other hand, as a child he was fascinated by Karlos Arguiñano’s television programme. Watching the chef prepare recipes and explain them in a direct and approachable way helped nurture a curiosity that, over the years, would eventually become his profession.
Although he initially studied Economics, Àlex ultimately chose to pursue a career in the culinary world, where he could develop a more creative and dynamic profession closely connected to his true vocation.
A Michelin Star as recognition of effort
In the interview, Àlex Carrera describes Michelin Stars as recognition of the effort and sacrifice involved in trying to do our work in the best possible way.
We do not see the award as an end in itself, but rather as the result of the entire team’s daily work. Behind every service are hours of preparation, product selection, testing, organisation, coordination between the kitchen and dining room, and a constant desire to keep improving.
For us, this recognition also carries a special meaning because of the history of the house. L’Aliança had already been distinguished during Lluís Feliu’s time and regained its Michelin Star with the project led by Cristina Feliu and Àlex Carrera.
This continuity connects two generations and reinforces our commitment to keeping alive a gastronomic house deeply rooted in Anglès.
Balancing the kitchen with personal life
The restaurant industry is a demanding profession, with intense schedules and a level of dedication that often extends well beyond service hours.
Àlex acknowledges this sacrifice, but also highlights the importance of making time for family life, rest and personal interests. At the time of the interview, he explained that he spent his free time with his partner, his two large dogs and practising CrossFit.
His answer reveals a more personal side of our chef and reminds us that, behind a demanding gastronomic concept, there is also a need to maintain a certain balance.
A dish defined by flavour and balance
When the Michelin Guide asks him which dish he feels particularly proud of, Àlex Carrera chooses hake kokotxas with cava sauce, pil-pil and codium seaweed.
It is a preparation made with only a few elements, but built around very distinct flavours and textures. The gelatinous texture of the kokotxas is balanced by the acidity of the cava sauce, the richness of the pil-pil and the salty, vegetal character of the seaweed.
This dish reflects some of the core principles of our cuisine: careful product selection, precise technique and the search for a balance that allows each ingredient to fulfil a clear role.
Apparent simplicity does not mean a lack of complexity. On the contrary, working with only a few elements requires each one to be cooked perfectly and the final combination to be completely harmonious.
Figueres onion, an essential ingredient
Among his favourite ingredients, our chef highlights the Figueres onion in particular.
Although it is a humble product, it is one of the essential foundations of our cuisine. At L’Aliança, we work with large quantities every week, as it is used in stocks, sauces, broths and many other preparations.
The onion has also become the main ingredient in one of the most representative dishes of our restaurant. Through different cooking methods and textures, Àlex transforms this everyday ingredient into an intense and surprising gastronomic creation.
This way of working reflects one of the central ideas behind our cuisine: luxury does not necessarily depend on price or exclusivity. A local and seemingly simple ingredient can become an extraordinary experience when treated with knowledge, sensitivity and precision.
Alongside the Figueres onion, Àlex also mentions Maresme tear peas as one of his favourite products. The arrival of spring and their short season is one of the culinary moments he looks forward to every year.
Contemporary cuisine with the flavours of tradition
Àlex defines the philosophy of L’Aliança through three elements: the history of our building, our desire to make diners feel welcome and a contemporary cuisine that never turns its back on traditional flavours.
Our restaurant is located in a building dating from 1919 that once served as a casino and social meeting place for the town. That memory remains present in the dining room, the old bar, the billiard table and the different spaces we have transformed over the years.
When guests enter L’Aliança, we want them to feel comfortable, warmly welcomed and connected to the history of our home.
Our cuisine completes this experience through contemporary preparations based, whenever possible, on local and seasonal ingredients. We do not use modern techniques to conceal flavour, but rather to enhance it and present it in a new way.
The future of fine dining
When asked about the future of fine dining, Àlex Carrera highlights the resilience of professionals in the sector.
Gastronomy has had to face numerous challenges, from economic difficulties and changing consumer habits to the consequences of the pandemic. Despite this, our chef remains confident that there will always be people willing to make time to enjoy good food.
This confidence is based on restaurants’ ability to adapt, evolve and continue offering meaningful experiences. At L’Aliança, adaptation has been a constant throughout more than a century of history.
Practical measures towards greater sustainability
Sustainability is another major topic in the interview. Àlex explains that, as a small restaurant, we try to implement realistic measures that are consistent with the resources available to us.
One of our practices is to separate and recycle the waste generated during our daily activity. We have also asked our suppliers to avoid using expanded polystyrene and, whenever possible, to deliver products in reusable containers that we can return.
We aim to use water, gas and energy responsibly, while also reducing the need for chemical products in our cleaning processes.
Another of our priorities is to work directly with producers, avoiding intermediaries whenever possible. This relationship allows us to better understand the origin of our ingredients, support the local economy and shorten the distance between producer and restaurant.
Buying ingredients almost daily also helps us adjust quantities to the real needs of each service and reduce food waste.
An experience designed to be lived at L’Aliança
Àlex also reflects on takeaway food and home delivery, two formats that experienced significant growth during the pandemic.
Although he acknowledges that these initiatives can work well in urban environments, he believes that our location in a small town makes it more difficult to develop them on an ongoing basis.
Our gastronomic concept is also designed as a complete experience. The dishes are part of a journey that also includes the dining room, the service, the tableware, the wines, the rhythm of the menu and the history of the building.
Transferring all these elements outside the restaurant is particularly complex. That is why the L’Aliança experience is best understood when it is lived inside the house that inspired it.
An anecdote that is hard to forget
The interview ends with an unusual situation that took place in our restaurant.
A couple had made a reservation well in advance to come for Sunday lunch. On the day, two guests arrived, gave the name of the reservation and took their seats as normal.
A few minutes later, another couple arrived and gave exactly the same name. At first, our team could not understand what had happened, until the people involved began to argue.
The reservation had been made by a couple who, in the meantime, had ended their relationship. Neither of them had cancelled the booking or informed the other, and both turned up at L’Aliança with their new partners.
An unexpected scene that shows how, beyond the kitchen, every service can bring stories that are impossible to predict.
You can read the full interview with our chef, Àlex Carrera, on the Michelin Guide website.
You can also discover the history and spaces of our restaurant, L’Aliança d’Anglès, and learn more about our approach to gastronomy, based on seasonal produce, our local surroundings and the flavours of tradition.
