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“It has been a long wait for me too!” His reply after I told Chef Julien Royer that many have been waiting in anticipation for the opening of Odette at National Gallery Singapore.
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French Chef Julien Royer must be one of the brightest culinary young stars around (even on an international platform), having brought JAAN to greater heights, most recently ranked No 11 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015 and No 74 in World’s 100 Best Restaurants 2015. No easy feat for a 32-year old.
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Having moved on, Odette is a fine dining restaurant with its menu and concept inspired by Chef Royer’s grandmother. No prizes for guessing what her name is. This is also a collaboration with The Lo & Behold Group.
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Chef will expand on his produce-driven cuisine to showcase the best seasonal ingredients from around the world in their purest form and flavour.
Born into a family of farmers, he was taught to appreciate and value the beauty of seasonal produce, and that style is apparent in the taste and presentation.
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I have always considered JAAN to be one of the best restaurants in Singapore.
So the question most people would invariably ask is: “Is Odette better?”
And the answer is quite a resounding “Yes”. (My other friend who is typically critical over food, gave Odette an 8.5 over 10.)
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A 4-course menu for lunch is at $88, while the 6-course tasting menu is priced $128. Vegetarian option is available.
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Some of Chef Julian’s signature favourites from JAAN have resurfaced at Odette, such as the 55’ Smoked Organic Egg, though not without modifications.
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There was a slightly different way of smoking the eggs – pine needles were used instead, with the addition of home-made pine oil to infuse the eggs.
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The eggs are still poached at a precise 63.7 degrees for 55 minutes, presented in a similar egg tray with dry ice for dramatic effects. Simple and brilliant at the same time.
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Considering that I am not that huge a fan of beef tartare, Odette’s North Highlight Beef Tartare was wonderfully excellent.
The beef used was Scottish grass-fed beef, selected for its pure, clean flavours, then simply seasoned with smoked bone marrow.
The entire dish comprised of many ingredients that all came well together, as though they were meant for one another – paper-thin petals of pickled kohlrabi (a German turnip) for gentle crunch, grain mustard ice cream which gave a contrasting cold sensation, and a small side of burnt bread topped with mustard seeds.
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Similarly, the Miso Abour Trout was ‘life-changing’.
The trout was from a Southern France river, resting above three pieces of miso-glazed kurobuta pork. We wondered for a while how the two meats should collide, and figured it might be better to taste them separately.
One was oh-so sweetly-fresh and buttery-textured, the bottom half lovingly-melt-in-the-mouth.
My main feedback was, though my friend and I ordered the same dish, but the degree of ‘doneness’ looked apparently different.
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Chef Julian Royer’s style has become more distinctive in Odette, with an interplay of textures, balanced subtlety, with use top quality ingredients to create pieces of culinary art. Service was top-notch, nothing was overly gimmicky – thank goodness.
Till date, my favourite new restaurant in Singapore for 2015.
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Odette
1 St. Andrew’s Road #01-04 National Gallery Museum Singapore, Singapore 178957 (City Hall MRT)
Tel: +65 6385 0498
Reservation Hours: 12pm – 1:45pm Lunch, 6pm – 9:45pm Dinner
Other Related Entries
10 Best Restaurants In Singapore 2015
Jaan (Swissotel the Stamford)
Restaurant Andre
Corner House (Botanic Gardens)
Alma by Juan Amador (Goodwood Park Hotel)
* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
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