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Odette

Singapore

• The Best Restaurant in Asia 2021

Julien Royer and team combine elegance on the plate with world-class hospitality in the dining room

On the Pass

Julien Royer

Pastry Chef

Louisa Lim

What’s the score? Since opening Odette in 2015, Julien Royer has firmly established Odette as a modern classic, one of the very finest restaurants in Asia, and now in the top 10 in the global ranking for the first time. This is primarily down to the French-born chef’s exquisite, refined dishes, using personally sourced produce from specialists in France, Japan and south-east Asia, which has also bagged Odette three Michelin stars.

On the menu: Marukyo uni with prawn tartare, mussel cloud and Kristal caviar sets the unashamedly luxurious tone. While French gastronomy remains at the core of Royer’s cooking, his decade or more in Asia has rubbed off in both ingredients and influences: kampot pepper pigeon with confit leg, liver parfait and black garlic providing a delicious example. Meanwhile the long-time signature rosemary-smoked egg with smoked potato syphon and chorizo continues to wow first-time diners and regulars alike.

Team game: Royer and British operations director Steven Mason have assembled a stellar young team of all the talents, including Malaysian head chef Adam Wan, chef de cuisine Yeo Sheng Xiong and Singaporean pastry chef Louisa Lim, head sommelier Vincent Tan and his Taiwanese rising-star assistant sommelier Lesley Liu, along with French GM Jacque Alvernhe and more. It results in best-in-class hospitality, where every detail is covered but without the stilting formality of more traditional fine dining. The right blend of engagement and professionalism shines through – and the Champagne trolley is not to be passed up.

A word on the room: Located in Singapore’s National Gallery complex, Odette is a work of art in itself. Curated by artist Dawn Ng, contemporary installations punctuate the light-hued dining room, matching Royer’s always elegant plates.

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