The three brothers from El Celler de Can Roca are embarking on a world tour this summer, and Hong Kong will be their first – and only – Asian stop

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(Photo: BBVA)

Updated June 1—scroll down for the latest

If you were thinking of getting away this summer, you may want to rethink your plans – at least for August, when the three brothers from acclaimed Catalan restaurant El Celler de Can Roca will be making a six-day stop in Hong Kong for a series of private dinners, masterclasses and culinary conferences. Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca have partnered with Spanish bank BBVA for this epic world tour, which will bring them first to London, followed by Hong Kong, Phoenix, San Francisco and Santiago de Chile. 

Between August 8 and 13, the trio – along with around 40 of the restaurant's brigade – will be in Hong Kong to discover our culinary heritage, local produce, and rising stars in the industry. As part of their plan, they will be creating menus using the ingredients that they find in each location – during an intimate press conference held at the BBVA offices on May 13, Joan Roca acknowledged the challenges of using only local produce in each of the cities the team will visit, but spoke animatedly about the fresh fish, fruits and vegetables he came across in Wan Chai's wet market with El Celler's head chef Hernan Luchetti.

The three have more than just gastronomy on their minds – recently, they were bestowed the honor of being named United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme and so the Roca brothers will be using their experience and connections to foster opportunities for the next generation by offering training programmes for young chefs and working to improve market conditions for farmers as well as smaller agricultural enterprises. During their tour, they will select two students from each city's local culinary schools who will be given the opportunity to undertake an internship at El Celler de Can Roca for four months, as part of the BBVA scholarship programme.

So, in short – the Roca brothers are coming, and while the coveted dinners are unfortunately exclusive and invite-only, we're told that there may be opportunities for the public to become involved in other activities held during their time in Hong Kong. Watch this space for more information as we get it.

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(Photo: David Loftus /American Express)

Update June 1, 2016: El Celler de Can Roca will be presenting a 14-course dining experience on June 3 and 4 at Felix at The Peninsula, exclusively available to American Express Centurion Members. Signature dishes included in the tasting extravaganza include three that have been updated with Asian touches specifically for the Roca brothers' tour:

  • Vegetable consomme cooked at a low temperature with miso
  • Vinegar-marinated prawn and katsuobushi
  • Suckling pig with green papaya salad, Thai grapefruit, apple, coriander, chilli pepper, lime and cashew