Odette’s Chef-owner Julien Royer interview: ‘A customer named her baby after our restaurant’

"One of my most unforgettable moments was when a guest who dined with us named her firstborn ‘Odette’. It felt incredibly special to know that the memories we created together left such a lasting impact," the chef said in an interview with DH.

India’s growing appetite and admiration for global dining experiences finds its next chapter in Odette. Julien Royer, chef-owner of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant from Singapore, is visiting two cities here. This weekend, Bengaluru gets a taste of chef's special curations, followed by Mumbai later this October. 

Ahead of his visit to the country and the much-awaited culinary showcase, Julien spoke to DH, expressing his love for Mumbai's street food culture, what dish he finds challenging to prepare, how people are turning towards veg meals, and much more. He also shared which Indian city he envisions as the ideal home for his restaurant.

Read the full interview below.

How has Michelin evolved and have there been changes in how they assess restaurants now? 

Michelin’s criteria always rest on consistency and quality, on true mastery of cooking, and on the chef’s personality expressed through their cooking. 

If you were to launch a restaurant in India, which city would it be in? Also, do you see this happening? 

I think Mumbai would be a wonderful city. It’s such a cultural melting pot, and I love how its street food culture sits alongside world-class restaurants. I also have great friends there. There’s just so much more to discover about this wonderful country! 

What is something you love the most about India’s food culture? 

I love that Indian food is guided by centuries of tradition and heritage. I have only been to Mumbai twice and to Delhi once but I was always very impressed by the vegetarian food, and I remember being brought to the place called Swati Snacks. It was truly amazing with such a diversity of flavours. 

If you were to give your touch to one popular Indian dish, which one would it be and how would you transform it? 

Biryani and anything tandoori, really. I wouldn’t want to transform a dish with so much tradition, culture, and love behind it! 

Could you tell us about your signature dish?  

The Kampot Pepper Crusted Pigeon dish is one of our signatures. Pigeon is one of my favourite game meats to work with as it is something I grew up eating, and living in Asia, I wanted to showcase it with my own take. 

Kampot Pepper Crusted Pigeon.

One of the ingredients featured in the dish is Kampot Pepper, sourced from our friends at Kampot Jewels in Cambodia. We use the peppercorn as its flavour and aroma perfectly complements the gaminess of pigeon. There’s an intense spice yet a mild sweetness, and it carries a delicate aroma. We thought it’d work very well as a crust against tender juicy game meat, while masking the gaminess of pigeon that many Asians avoid. 

It’s our most emblematic dish that conveys a sense of place as well as our belief in celebrating people through food. 

What’s one recipe that you find challenging? 

Our dishes involve many steps and techniques. It can be tedious, but never impossible. 

I love a good challenge, especially with our Heirloom Beetroot Variation, which presents beetroot in many forms, from salt-baked to candied, meringue, jelly, and sorbet. For me, the most challenging yet rewarding part is treating simple ingredients at their peak with delicacy to bring out their most comforting flavours and textures.

Heirloom Beetroot Variation

What’s your take on food fusions? 

I think food fusions are quite similar to what we do at Odette. Our cuisine reflects a sense of place. We’ve evolved to marry the principles of French cuisine with inspiration from Asia’s rich culinary heritage, unique ingredients from across the region and familiar local flavours. It opens us to exciting possibilities! 

Is the world moving towards veg and vegan meals? What’s your personal favourite?

We have definitely had more guests opting for our “Nature & Decouverte” vegetarian menu at our restaurant. I love that vegetables are taking centre stage in more restaurants and I have always believed that vegetables should not be viewed as just an accompaniment, but as equals to any protein on a plate. 

One of my favourite vegetables is beetroot, which also features in one of our signature dishes, the Heirloom Beetroot Variation. It highlights the vegetable’s earthy sweetness through a spectrum of flavours and textures. 

The unforgettable customer review/experience.

One of my most unforgettable moments was when a guest who dined with us named her firstborn ‘Odette’. It felt incredibly special to know that the memories we created together left such a lasting impact. It truly made me so happy to hear this! 

Notably, Chef Julien Royer named the restaurant in love and honour of his grandmother, Odette. He will showcase the Odette experience at The Oberoi, Bengaluru’s Wabi Sabi on October 18 and 19. He would then travel to showcase his culinary artistry at The Oberoi, Mumbai’s Vetro on October 23 and 24.