Just before Odette Singapore was named as the Number 1 Restaurant in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list I dined there with a couple of friends from Australia.

Odette serves Modern French Cuisine that, if you have the cash, is worth a try. Recommend booking well in advance to get a table, especially now that they are rated the best restaurant in Asia.

“We hope to make Odette an honest and welcoming experience for everyone. This is where every ingredient has its place and purpose, and is treated with the utmost care to highlight its purest flavours. Beyond creating signature dishes, it is our passion to source for the very best produce to underscore our cuisine.”
Julien Royer

http://www.odetterestaurant.com/cuisine/

One of the options is to pair wine with the Odette degustation menu. I recommend doing this as it adds to the experience as it is would be difficult to select the appropriate wines to go with each course.

The Menu

• GRIGNOTAGES (Snacks)
• HOKKAIDO UNI & TOAST
  • Spot prawn tartare | Mussel cloud | Royal Schrenckill caviar
  • DUPSAQUIER | Marestel, Roussette de Savoie 2012
• JAPANESE SCALLOP
  • Horseradish Cream | Dill mayonnaise | Rice & seaweed crackers
  • FRANCOIS CAZIN | Cour-Cheverny, le Romorantin 2014
• HEIRLOOM BEETROOT VARIATION
  • Salt-baked beetroot | Stracciatella ‘Artigiana’ | Honey
  • BASS PHILLIP | Gippsland, Gamay 2016
• ROSEMARY SMOKE ORGANIC EGG
  • Smoked potato syphon | Chorizo Iberico | Meunière
  • BERTHET-BONDET | Cotes du Jura, Tradition 2015
• SHIMANE ABALONE
  • Pickled shitaké | Foie gras | Smoked eel
  • JOSKO GRAVNER | Friuli, Ribolla 2007
• WILD ATLANTIC TURBOT
  • Sautéed yari ika | Iranian Saffron | Rutabaga
  • KTIMA GEROVASSILIOU | Epanomi, Malagousia 2018
• KAMPOT PEPPER CRUSTED PIGEON
  • Petit pois | Black garlic | Mint
  • HERVE BIZEUL | Côte du Roussillon, Clos de Fees 2007
• YUZU T’ART
  • Sablé Breton | Shiso | Basil
  • HETSZOLO | Tokaji, 5 Puttonyos 2008

Grignotages

Grignotages, or snacks in English, is a collection of very yummy small bites. A great way to start the meal, enjoyed all of them, the Taco was my favourite.

A very likable Pastora Manzanilla Pasada En Rama from Bodegas Barbadillo was paired with the Grignotages. I enjoy Manzanilla, love the savoury and salty flavours, paired very well with the Grignotages.

Hokkaido Uni & Toast

Spot prawn tartare | Mussel cloud | Royal Schrenckill caviar

Next up was Uni, sea urchin, great stuff, love the flavour and texture, liked the presentation of this course.

Paired with the Uni was a pleasant 2012 Marestel Roussette de Savoie by Domaine Dupsaquier. Paired very well with the uni, just the right balance of minerality and fruit.

Japanese Scallop

Horseradish Cream | Dill mayonnaise | Rice & seaweed crackers

One word – YUM

2014 Cour-Cheverny le Romorantin by François Cazin, as far as I am aware this was my first Romorantin, I liked it.

Another reason why wine pairings with degustation menus is a great idea, is to try wines and varietals that you don’t know and therefore probably wouldn’t select.

Heirloom Beetroot Variation

Salt-baked beetroot | Stracciatella ‘Artigiana’ | Honey

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Was not sure what to expect from this dish, very enjoyable. It tastes as good as it looked.

A 2016 Bass Phillip Gamay was paired with the beetroot, not something that I would have chosen, as I expected it would have been heavier, it worked well. A great drop, not sure I have ever had an average wine from Bass Phillip.

Rosemary Smoked Organic Egg

Smoked potato syphon | Chorizo Iberico | Meunière

The serving of this dish was more of a show than the usual plating, it was performed expertly by Senior Sous chef Adam Wan. Almost looked too good to eat, almost…. Great combination of flavours and textures. Everyone should have their own box of truffles.

Paired with the Smoked Egg was a 2015 Cotes du Jura Tradition by Berthet-Bondet, probably the wine I found the most disappointing of the night.

Shimane Abalone

Pickled shitaké | Foie gras | Smoked eel

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2007 Friuli Ribolla 2007 by Josko Gravner, another new varietal for me,
Ribolla Gialla, an amber wine from white grape varietal. A good food wine, with its combo of umami, fruit and herb flavours. I liked it!

Wild Atlantic Turbot

Sautéed yari ika | Iranian Saffron | Rutabaga

Definitely one of my favourites, great flavours and texture and who doesn’t like Iranian Saffron…..

Another first for me, Atlantic Turbot, don’t think I have ever tasted this fish before, will be something I will be looking for in the future.

The Atlantic Turbot was paired with a Greek wine a 2018 Epanomi Malagousia crafted by Ktima Gerovassiliou.

The firsts keep on coming, this is definitely my first Malagousia, a grape that was apparently saved from extinction by Vangelis Gerovassiliou who founded the Ktima Gerovassiliou winery.

The pear and citrus flavours paired very well with the Turbot and Saffron. Enjoyed this wine, looking forward to trying it again.

Kampot Pepper Crusted Pigeon

Petit pois | Black garlic | Mint

For me the food highlight of the night was the pigeon, loved how they bought our, IMHO very large, pigeon to the table in wooden box to present our bird before it was carved up. Extremely tasty.

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A 2007 Côte du Roussillon Herve Bizeul by Clos de Fees was paired with the Pigeon, a great combination. An enjoyable blend of Mourvèdre, Shiraz, Carignan and Grenache, agree with Robert Parker’s rating of 94 out of 100.

CHEESE

If anyone is looking for a gift for my 50th a cheese table like this would work well. Great selection of cheese, the fresh bread was excellent, as you would expect.

The 2005 Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese was my contribution to the wines. It was my pick of the wines of the night, paired extremely well with the cheeses, glad I have a couple more bottles of this, will write a full review of this next tasting. Oz’s Rating 4.5 out 5.

Yuzu T’Art

Sablé Breton | Shiso | Basil

A 2008 Tokaji 5 Puttonyos from Hetszolo was paired with the Yuzu T’Art and the Douceurs. I am a fan of Tokaji and this wine reinforced why, a sweet wine but not overly so with apricot and honey flavours.

Douceurs

What a way to finish off the night, loved the presentation, the multi-layered “dish” and the reveal just added to it. All of these were very moreish, another great dish.

Odette Singapore

Dinning at Odette is a must for foodies, amazing food, from all angles, quality, taste and presentation.

The service was great and the wine pairing added to the night making this more of an event than a meal, especially when you add that I was able to dine with a great mate, Lucas, and his daughter Patrice.

Cheers!