A toast with roast chicken: How chef Seth Lai of Ce Soir celebrates Christmas

His rise to the top has been nothing short of meteoric. At 27, Seth Lai was tasked with helming the now-defunct modern Italian restaurant 28 Wilkie and achieving its Michelin star in 2021

Lai went on to prove his salt by retaining its one-star status for the next two more years. Barely a year after he took over the reins at Ce Soir, Lai received the Michelin Guide Singapore Young Chef Award in June and was voted as one of Forbes 2024 30 Under 30 list for Asia, which cements his status as one of the brightest young chefs in the local culinary scene. 

Despite the star-studded resume, Lai is remarkably down-to-earth and unassuming when we sat down for a chat with him at contemporary restaurant Ce Soir. On his Young Chef win, he says, “It was an honour and I am, of course, very thankful. It is a wonderful stepping stone but it was, at the end of the day, an individual award.”

Lai proved his salt by retaining its one-star status for the next two years. 

Barely a year after he took over the reins at Ce Soir, Lai received the Michelin Guide Singapore Young Chef Award in June and was lauded in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2024 list, which cements his status as one of the brightest young chefs in the local culinary scene. 

Despite the star-studded resume, Lai is remarkably down-to-earth and unassuming when we chatted with him at contemporary restaurant Ce Soir. 

On his Young Chef win, he says, “It was an honour, and I am, of course, very thankful. It is a wonderful stepping stone, but it was, at the end of the day, an individual award.”

Were you hoping for something else, we ask. He hesitantly admits: “I would have loved for the team to be recognised for their hard work as well, not just me.” As he says this, he gestures to the restaurant, where his chefs are busy in the open kitchen and a staff sits two tables away folding napkins. “After all, the business can’t survive with one person alone. It is the collective effort of many people.”

This camaraderie will be part of the Christmas spirit, as Lai shares that he will spend Christmas Day with his team at Ce Soir this year. 

Not only will Lai cook for guests, but his team will also be in for a treat. “I’ll be roasting seven chickens for our team’s Christmas lunch,” he shares. “Roast chicken is my thing; I must make it every year.” 

Of course, Lai doesn’t just roast up regular chicken. His rendition takes three days to prepare — at least a day to brine, another day to air-dry in the chiller, and finally, slow-roasted for two hours in the oven. “And it is gone within seconds!” he exclaims. 

For diners, Lai has a Christmas exclusive, available only on Christmas Eve and Day — a surf and turf-style wagyu donabe with sakura ebi, locally sourced ginger flower and beef. It will also be presented as a special course on its revamped menu, which was launched in October.

The menu is inspired by Lai’s core food memories and ingredients that are familiar to him. “I am moving away from European cuisine to focus on flavours and ingredients closer to home,” he explains. “I hope the diners can understand me and resonate with my food better.” 

Among his core food memories are an assam laksa from a well-loved joint that Lai frequents whenever he returns to his hometown in Perak, Malaysia, and his family’s stash of sour plum candies — a tried-and-true remedy for Lai’s motion sickness during long road trips. 

This year was, in many ways, a year of metamorphosis for both Lai and Ce Soir, and he hopes that 2025 will be the year that due recognition will be received.