Odette: What it's like to eat at Singapore's best restaurant
A few weeks ago, Malaysian fine-dining restaurant Potager, helmed by Masashi Horiuchi, announced that it would be organising a collaborative four-hands dinner with Julien Royer, the chef-patron of acclaimed Singaporean restaurant Odette. The event marked Royer’s debut in Kuala Lumpur.

The price tag for this dinner? A staggering RM1,680 per person. And yet, reservations for the two-night dinner were sold out within 10 minutes!

Such is the allure of Royer, who has elevated Odette (which opened in 2015) into a three Michelin-starred eatery that is now rated one of the best restaurants in the world (it ranked No. 14 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list).

On a recent trip to Singapore, I finally made it to Odette and suffice to say, I now know just why it’s such a big deal.

The restaurant itself is housed in Singapore’s National Gallery and is awash in soothing shades of pink, grey and white. It exudes quiet, confident charm with a warm heart and soul, buoyed and cheered on by an outstanding front-of-house team that embody the spirit of true hospitality. At the centre of the eatery is the open kitchen where – depending on where you are seated – you will get a sneak peek of what it takes to work in one of the best restaurants in the world.

Royer is the highly-acclaimed chef behind the three Michelin-starred Odette, ranked one of the world’s best restaurants.

Odette is named after Royer’s grandmother who was instrumental in moulding his culinary mind and rooting him to nature’s bounty, something he had a natural kinship with given that he comes from a long line of farmers.

At the restaurant, he now underpins the qualities and fundamentals of French cuisine with the richness of South-East Asian ingredients – something he learnt to appreciate over the years.

“I’ve always dreamt of opening a restaurant, where I can demonstrate joy and love through food the way my grandmother, Odette, did for us at home.

“While our cuisine at Odette remains French in its DNA, over the years we’ve consistently infused a sense of place, which is at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, through product, technique and flavours. We’re meticulous in our sourcing from boutique producers around the world – from farms right here in Singapore, to exploring a variety of native spices and citrus across the region. It opens us to exciting possibilities and creations for the global diner,” he says.

The Normandy brown crab is a subtle, understated journey through freshness and underwater channels.

Meals at Odette don’t come cheap but then again, you are dining at a three Michelin-starred restaurant, so this bears remembering. Meals start at S$348 (RM1,224), with the most expensive option coming up to S$498 (RM1,752).

I was at Odette for lunch and opted for the shorter five-act Ter & Mer menu, priced at S$348. The meal kicks off with a complimentary selection of champagne. The in-house champagne, a specially curated Henri Giraud Ay Grand Cru Brut, delivers a fruity, punchy fizz that has so much pep in its step. Definitely a memorable way to start off your meal!

If you’re interested in tipples, Odette boasts over 800 labels in its wine repository so there is plenty to whet your appetite for intoxicants.

The Ter & Mer meal begins in earnest in the form of a trio of snacks – first a doughnut stuffed with cheese sourced from Aveyron, Royer’s home region in France. This is rounded out by a taco with spotted prawns, shisho and salsa and finally, a sweet onion tartlet with coffee and licorice on top.

Often with degustation meals, the snacks are afterthoughts, designed to fill the stomach without really providing anything extra in terms of memorability and experience. But here, each tiny treat is a one-bite wonder that delivers on every count.

The mushroom tea offers woody, rustic notes and the richness of a journey through fungi wonderland.

The doughnut serves up doughy goodness that segues into creamy cheese while the taco offers aquatic undercurrents and hits of fire. The sweet onion tartlet meanwhile is a natural beauty with caramelised onion notes underscored by java nuances.

Next up is the sabayon with toasted buckwheat, walnuts and mushrooms with a mushroom tea that you can opt to pour in or simply drink from the cup. Served alongside this is a brioche with mushroom butter and black truffle.

The sabayon is oh-so good – feather-light and undulating with earthy notes. The mushroom tea offers rustic, woody notes and is a comforting tonic that soothes and sates. Then there is the brioche with mushroom butter and black truffle – it’s a bit of a mess to eat, but provides a powerfully sensorial odyssey through fungi territory.

The meal then progresses with the Normandy Brown Crab, an Odette signature dish that features gently steamed crab alongside a sorbet made with Granny Smith apples, Nashi pear and wasabi oil and a green jelly blanket made with green apples, dill and ginger juxtaposed against an avocado puree.

This is a light, refreshing offering that gives you an inkling into how a restaurant can successfully employ both restraint and finesse at the same time. The entire concoction serves up cold, invigorating flavours that energise your palate and provide a journey through uncharted waters, one that provides such a pleasurable experience that you’ll be up for a dip in these same pools as soon your wallet allows it.

The fish is a light, tranquil dish that shows how simplicity can still eke out great flavours. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star

Other highlights from the menu include the Shimane Amadai which features amadai fish steamed with kombu alongside prawns and squid, a green foam fashioned out of watercress and a velouté crafted out of mussels and French pink garlic.

This is a masterclass in delicate touches and charm. The fish is gentle and fresh while the velouté is light but has hints of garlicky undertones that complement the fish perfectly alongside the watercress foam which adds a slight vegetal quality to the meal. It’s all so seemingly disparate yet everything comes together in fluid synchrony, like a song that starts off slow and soft and ends with an addictive, anthemic bang.

The main course takes the form of the Aveyron Lamb Saddle, which as its name implies, features lamb from the French region of Aveyron. The lamb saddle and lamb loin are paired with pureed, roasted and pickled sand carrots as well as lamb jus and cous cous cooked with lamb belly, raisins and nuts.

This is the quintessential meal to remember – the lamb is meltingly tender, so tender that it feels like spun silk on the palate. The jus meanwhile is robust and pairs well with the meat while the carrots and cous cous add textural contrast. The meal offers a fleeting peek into what a nirvanic moment feels like and that moment represents such a life-changing, euphoric high, you’ll think about it even when you’re old and grey.

Like most French eateries, Odette of course has a selection of cheese for you to indulge in – should you feel the inclination. There is plenty on offer and you might enjoy the Comte’ d Exception, which has rich, smoky notes and the Bleu d’Auvergne, which is furiously funky and potent. For something delectably unctuous and creamy, try the Camembert au Calvados.

Expect to tuck into incredibly tender lamb in the form of the Aveyron lamb saddle. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star

Desserts are also a highlight here and the Wakayama Citrus with Earl Grey, vanilla and yoghurt does not disappoint, ending the meal with fresh, citrus-laced notes and a remarkable feeling of being re-energised even after indulging in a full meal.

So, what’s so special about Odette overall? The food is a stand-out – offering light, flavourful meals packed with flavour. Nothing is too much or too overwhelming, equilibrium is truly the name of the game here. And then there is the service – which is truly outstanding, friendly without being pushy or obsequious and made up of a team that is truly passionate about what they do.

Then there are the finishing touches to a meal here – the fact that Royer (if he is there) comes out to greet each table personally and talk to guests, sometimes even engaging in lengthy conversations. Even when you leave, they give you something to remember them by – homemade blueberry jam and a personalised menu with the date of your meal and exactly what you ate on the day!

There is a reason why Odette remains so vaunted and it all comes together from the first sip to the last bite. Few restaurants can claim the same.

Odette

National Gallery Singapore

1 St Andrew’s Road

Singapore 178957

Tel: +65 6385 0498

Open Tuesday to Saturday: 12pm to 1.15pm; 6.30pm to 8.15pm
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An upscale modern French restaurant in Singapore helmed by charismatic chef Julien Royer has wowed diners around the globe since its inception.