Undisputed winner of The Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023, the iconic Julien Royer leads the restaurant Odette in Singapore, which, in a magical year, received the Chef's Choice world award, as well as the awards for the best restaurant and the best pastry chef in the continent. His story and advice for young chefs.
The opinion
Honored by The World's 50 Best Restaurants with the Estrella Damm Chef's Choice award, based on votes from colleagues, after winning the title for the best Asian restaurant in both 2021 and 2023, Julien Royer is the chef of the Odette restaurant, located inside the National Gallery of Singapore. Born in France, specifically in Auvergne, he arrived in the city-state to lead Jaan, quickly gaining popularity for his French-inspired cuisine with an Asian twist, crafted with ingredients from the continent.
Under his command is a team of 40 members, including Louisa Lim, awarded this year as the best pastry chef in Asia. Not satisfied with this, however, in 2019 he opened Louise in Hong Kong, named after his maternal grandmother, a skilled cook, and in 2022, Claudine brasserie in Singapore. However, he dedicated the award to his wife Agnes, stating, "We've been together for 20 years. We met in hotel school. She has always supported me from behind the scenes, advising me on the choices to make for my career. She has been a crucial support."
But Royer also has a recommendation to make, this time to aspiring chefs: "Be patient. It takes years to acquire this professionalism, but the beauty is all in it. Take the time to learn every single aspect of this beautiful profession. In the end, it will be worth it."
