“I want to tell stories through my food,” said French chef Julien Royer. He is the co-owner of Odette, a two-Michelin-starred modern French restaurant in Singapore. At the age of 35, Chef Royer has managed to secure a place among world’s top chefs.
He served a five-course meal of his signature dishes at Delhi’s J.W. Marriott recently. His visit was part of “Masters of Marriott”, an initiative to celebrate innovation and excellence in the F&B industry. It’s a platform where international chefs share culinary tips with each other and interact with guests.
Chef Royer’s inspiration has always been his grandmother, Odette, after whom he has named his restaurant. He told us that she has been the greatest influence on his work. “Watching my grandmother cook helped me understand the kind of joy and love one can demonstrate through food. The kinds of emotions that can be passed through food were the impetus for me to start cooking,” he said. Furthermore, he wanted to spread happiness through his career as a chef—“People seek comfort and good food is always the best way to put a smile on anyone’s face. I wanted to achieve that.”
In 2017, his restaurant Odette became the highest new entry in the history of “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” list, by debuting at the ninth position. That same year, the restaurant was also inducted into the Les Grandes Tables Du Monde, a prestigious guide to best restaurants around
the world.
As a famous modern French restaurant, the dishes offered at Odette are influenced by various cuisines. But the chef stresses that everything they serve at Odette are very much anchored by tradition. And while the dishes have hints of cuisines other than French, the food is not influenced by trends in general.
Last year, the restaurant’s rank jumped to the fifth place on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, becoming Singapore’s best restaurant. Odette also soared to new heights by cracking the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 list, climbing to number 28.
Chef Royer’s first professional venture into the kitchen was under Michel Bras, the legendary French chef. Recalling his apprenticeship under Chef Michael Bras, the 35-year-old Royer said, “He instilled in me a respect for the integrity and purity of each ingredient in every dish.”
In the following years, Chef Royer gained experience working in different parts of France. He worked alongside acclaimed chefs like Bernard Andrieux, who, according to Royer, helped him in developing a new understanding of food.
Chef Royer’s career then took him from France to the West Indies to London, where he was the sous-chef to Antonin Bonnet at Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant, The Greenhouse.
In 2008, he moved to Singapore to take on the role of chef de cuisine (executive chef) at Jaan, Swissotel The Stamford. Under his direction, the restaurant won numerous awards. But Chef Royer always had his heart set on opening his own restaurant. He quit Jaan in 2015 to pursue that dream. Two years later, he got Odette a mention in the Michelin Guide among various other achievements.
Talking about the challenges he came across as the owner of a restaurant, he said, “The most challenging part is the opening itself. You are expected to be good straightaway, so there is a lot of pressure. I am never satisfied with what we do, and I think about doing it better every day.”
So he sticks to a food philosophy he has internalised. “Our philosophy is serving honest food with the best ingredients in a warm, hospitable manner. This keeps us on the right track.”
Having cooked in different parts of the world, Chef Royer has witnessed various food cultures and different cuisines. But his biggest takeaway from his travels, in his own words, has been “the experience of witnessing the amazing diversity of cuisines and the power of food”.
Now, after his recently concluded visit to India, Chef Royer wants to further popularise the unique brand of hospitality that he has established in Singapore. “With Odette, we have always intentionally gone against the stereotype of fine dining as stiff and unwelcoming. We intend to present the very best of produce in its purest form. It was a great experience sharing this in Delhi.”
While talking about Indian cuisine, Chef Royer said, “Indian cuisine’s spices, flavours and tastes are very impressive. I am particularly surprised by the plethora of vegetarian dishes found in India.”
He pointed out that he loves the diversity of the sub-cuisines found in India. While he admitted that he is not familiar with much of Indian cuisine, he knows that “it is full of tradition, with a great heritage”, and hopes to explore it.
“I was really excited about my visit to India’s capital for the first time and loved the diversity of the cuisines served. I would be more than happy to visit other parts of the country and explore the various food cultures,” he concluded.