As chef-owner of Odette – one of Asia’s most lauded restaurants, and a fixture on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list – Julien Royer balances French technique with Southeast Asian terroir to create a cuisine defined by grace, clarity, and emotional resonance. Named after Royer’s beloved grandmother, Odette attracts guests from around the globe with its refreshing perspective on modern fine dining.
Odette: Terroir to Table, Heart to Plate is an intimate, elegant tribute to the people, places, and philosophies that have shaped Royer’s culinary journey. The book opens with a series of deeply personal essays exploring Royer’s upbringing in rural France, the culinary influences that shaped him, and the values that guide his restaurant – from hospitality and mentorship to design and storytelling. Together, these narratives offer insight into a creative practice grounded in memory, emotion, and the pursuit of excellence.
The second section of the book is devoted to over 80 recipes, arranged to reflect the rhythm of a meal at Odette – from playful starters to vegetables, fish and seafood, meat and poultry, and desserts. Iconic dishes such as Mushroom Tea with Sabayon, Rosemary-Smoked Organic Egg, Pigeon, Beetroot, Cherry, and Marukyo Uni appear here, accompanied by stunning images and essays sharing the inspiration behind each plate.
The book itself is an exceptional design object, with a striking cover and a palette that echoes the restaurant’s distinctive aesthetic. Photography throughout captures more than finished plates – it reveals process, intention, and the quiet choreography of the kitchen.
Visually compelling and narratively rich, Odette: Terroir to Table, Heart to Plate is an essential record of one of the defining restaurants of our time and a portrait of a chef at the height of his career.
