Ibérico Pork ‘Grenobloise’, Cévennes Onions, Fuji Apple at Odette. All photography by Edmond Ho and Jovian Lim, unless otherwise stated

Julien Royer distils a decade of Odette into debut book. Plus: an exclusive recipe

23 Feb 2026

William Crerar

Journalist

Copy link

In Odette: Terroir to Table, Heart to Plate, the chef looks back on 10 years of cooking in Singapore, sharing recipes, ideas and obsessions

After a decade at the top of Asia’s fine-dining scene, Julien Royer has done something that feels both timely and personal: he’s put Odette between two covers. Published by Phaidon Press, Odette: Terroir to Table, Heart to Plate captures the evolution of the Singapore restaurant that has defined Royer’s career so far and helped shape modern fine dining in the region.

Rather than a snapshot of where Odette is today, the book is more a journey through time. The recipes chart the gradual refinement of Royer’s style since the restaurant first opened in Singapore's National Gallery: precise, ingredient-led, rooted in French technique but shaped by Asian tradition. “The recipes in the book come from dishes we’ve created over the past 10 years,” Royer explains. “From signatures like Pigeon, Beetroot, Cherry and Beetroot Variation, to desserts such as Blanc. They’re all dishes we care deeply about.”

That sense of care is perhaps the book’s defining thread. These are not dishes pulled together for publication. “Each dish took months of testing, tweaking and refining to get it just right,” Royer says. “We’re really proud to be able to share them.”

As you might expect from a three-Michelin-star restaurant, many of the recipes are ambitious. Intricate assemblies call for exacting techniques and high-quality ingredients – think Pigeon with Kampot Pepper Crust or Hokkaido Corn Bon Bon with Comté Cream. It's a book that doesn’t shy away from the reality of fine-dining cooking, and that’s very much the point. Odette is as much about understanding a mindset as it is about recreating a dish.

That said, Royer hasn’t forgotten the confident home cook. Alongside the more complex creations, he points to a handful of comparatively approachable recipes, if still demanding. Among them is Smoked Organic Eggs – a dish that captures Odette’s philosophy in miniature, and which we are sharing, exclusively, below. It looks deceptively simple, but rewards patience, attention to detail and good produce – all values Royer holds dear. Other entry points he suggests include Langoustine Dumpling, Vin Jaune and the luxurious Jeju Abalone & Foie Gras Duo.

What elevates Odette beyond a conventional chef’s cookbook is the context surrounding the recipes. Royer uses the book to reflect on the importance of mentorship, collaboration, camaraderie and the long-term relationships that sustain a restaurant at this level. Producers are given prominence, particularly those supplying vegetables, seafood and speciality products from both France and the Asia-Pacific region. Sustainability and seasonality are woven throughout, not as buzzwords but as everyday considerations that quietly shape the menu.

The book also offers glimpses into Royer’s personal story. Raised in rural Cantal in central France, his earliest culinary influence was his grandmother, Odette, whose name graces the restaurant and the book. Her cooking – simple, generous and grounded in the seasons – remains a touchstone, even as Royer’s own cuisine has become more technical and refined.

Visually, Odette mirrors the understated elegance of the restaurant itself. Photography is clean and restrained, allowing the food to speak without unnecessary drama. There’s a sense of calm running through the pages, reflecting a kitchen that values consistency over spectacle and progress over reinvention for its own sake.

Ultimately, Odette isn’t a book that promises to turn readers into Michelin-level chefs overnight. Instead, it invites them into a way of thinking about food – one built on discipline, repetition and respect for time. For those who have followed Royer’s career, it offers a deeper understanding of how Odette became what it is today. For everyone else, it’s a compelling reminder that the most enduring cooking often comes from patience, humility and an obsession with getting the details just right.

Odette: Terroir to Table, Heart to Plate by Julien Royer, with forewords by Daniel Boulud and Dominique Crenn is published by Phaidon (Phaidon.com) and available worldwide from 21 May.