10 years of Odette: Chef Julien Royer charts out the next chapter of Singapore’s fine-dining institution

Odette, Singapore’s perennial flagbearer in the world of fine-dining accolades, has swept almost every major award a chef can dream of — three Michelin stars and the highest-ranked restaurant from Singapore on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, amongst others. Tourists from the United States, South America, Australia and Japan, which make up one-third of its customers, make plans around reserving coveted spots at the much-revered dining destination.

How does one follow up with a stellar performance? A major $2 million restaurant renovation to fuel the next chapter of Odette, which re-opened last December after a three-month facelift. 

The 40-seater restaurant in National Gallery Singapore now looks brighter and airier. While an elegant pastel colour palette still dominates, accents of pale beurre and tawny umber are injected into the furnishings that include a sweeping French art deco-style timber marquetry that is inspired by the 1930s architecture of the former Supreme Court. Greeting diners at the entrance is a new artwork, Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall (2025) by homegrown artist Dawn Ng, inspired by seasonal sauces that Royer uses in his cuisine, followed by a marble-clad wine station. 

Describing the revamped dining room as more “cocooned”, Royer says: “We’ve written a beautiful first chapter. It was time to move on to the second chapter, like a natural continuity built on a strong foundation.”

A cuisine shaped by place

In 2015, Odette opened as a classic French restaurant, before morphing into a more contemporary one that is infused with Asian sensibilities. Cooking with ingredients and flavours from the region has become second nature for Royer, who has lived in Singapore for the past 15 years.

The 43-year-old says: “I want to embrace more of Singapore’s culture after being surrounded by the people here. I think it’s very important to have cuisine that has a sense of place through understanding culture and history and to season your food with such reflections.”

Over the years, the Frenchman who grew up in his family’s farm in Cantal, France, has softened his stance that the best produce hails from France.

Duck, the hero ingredient of the Voyage and Tradition course, comes from Perak. In pursuit of a duck that could deliver crispy skin and tender meat, Royer and his team tested ducks from France, Australia, Ireland and Japan, and experimented with over 100 aging, brining and cooking techniques.

In the end, it was the Malaysian duck that passed Royer’s rigorous standards. “I would not have done this 10 years ago,” he admits. The dish features the aged duck with root vegetables, quince and rouennaise sauce, and something quintessentially Asian, a cup of Koshihikari rice with duck leg confit and gizzard.

Another addition, Crab Contrast is served in three ways: slow-cooked Norwegian king crab, brown crab, and a fried stuffed bun inspired by Singapore’s iconic chilli crab dish. “Cooking delicious food is a given in fine-dining restaurants, but when you evoke memories and touch people’s hearts — that’s the beauty of food. My cuisine is about using the Asian side to finesse French cuisine,” he says. A new temperance beverage programme has also been added.

In Odette 2.0, Royer is keen to explore more ingredients from the region. An example is showcasing citrus flavours from Southeast Asian cuisine — an amalgamation of Kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, ginger and galangal. He gamely shares an idea for a shrimp-based sauce seasoned with these aromatics for an upcoming dish. “I want people to feel the warmth of Southeast Asia when the sauce is poured,” he says with a grin. Ingredient sourcing is so vital at Odette that there is a chef who is dedicated to sourcing for the best products.

Genuine hospitality

Surviving a decade in Singapore’s competitive dining landscape is no small feat, especially in recent years when operating costs are up and more diners are more cautious about splurging on meals.

He says: “Running a fine-dining restaurant is not for the faint-hearted. We spend a lot of energy building the restaurant. Some diners see only the price tag of a fine-dining meal. Actually, if you look at profit margins, you’d probably make more money selling pizza.”

Asked about his biggest achievement, Royer says in a heartbeat: “It is reaching the 10-year mark and still having the same, or bigger energy and motivation to make things better.”

Royer credits Odette’s longevity to its team. “The number one reason for this restaurant’s success is the team,” he emphasises. A good number of chefs, sommeliers and restaurant managers have been with Odette since its early days.

Regular guests return to familiar faces and some even want to take photos with them during their meals. “Whether I’m here or not,” Royer says, “they will see familiar faces.” This sense of familiarity fosters loyalty—roughly 30 percent of Odette’s diners are regulars, who return month after month.

Looking ahead, Royer will focus on fostering “genuine hospitality” at Odette. Flexibility and customisation of a dining experience is the name of the game. Guests may want three courses only; some come with various dietary needs and time constraints. Odette listens and adjusts accordingly to deliver a great experience. Menus are adapted based on guests’ history of visiting the restaurant and dining preferences. All these point to having a strong front-of-house team that starts the dining experience on the right note.

He sums up: “When diners spend money in your restaurant, you need to make them feel very welcome and that they are being taken care of. That’s very important.”

Besides the usual slate of four-hands collaborations, Odette will launch its first cookbook, Odette: Terroir to Table in April. The book, published by Phaidon, will comprise recipes and stories on Royer’s culinary journey. Royer, who also runs neo-brasserie Claudine and one-starred Louise in Hong Kong, is exploring opening casual concepts here.

Above all, Royer hopes Odette can continue to be Singapore’s flagship fine-dining institution. He says: “We have a strong responsibility to do great, so that the spotlight can be trickled to the entire F&B ecosystem, from the high-end restaurants to hawker centres, and we can support each other in the community.”