This was my third visit back after a very long time and cos the friend really wanted to visit Odette so I decided to accompany her. I remembered my first visit to Odette was just after they opened their doors not long and my second visit was a year or two next so this marked a very long while since then. I also felt that reservations were not that difficult to make now, probably cos of where they are pricing their menu. We went for lunch, where 5 course was priced $328++ while the 7-course (if you are interested to know) was priced $498++

It seemed to be a full house that day since I spied every table being occupied and there were some birthday celebrations going on as well. The friend was running late so I entertained myself while waiting. The wait staff was apprehensive to approach me cos they thought I was on a call. Lol. No, I was just watching my video. Ha 

Soon the friend arrived and we started our meal in no time, opting to upgrade our beetroot course to langoustine since I wasn’t really a fan of beetroot. The whole table has to take the same menu while the upgrade was optional

Snacks to start – Doughnuts, Tacos and Tartlet

All were good. All were delightful. I enjoyed the well-cooked St Nectar doughnuts with a chewy texture with sweet aftertaste that lingered on. The Lentil tacos with Kurobuta Pork & Mustard were crisp and flavourful and my personal favourite was Saba tartlet w Tarragon & Escabeche. The fish was sweet and you could taste the herbs and slight spiciness that wasn’t too overpowering. So when you eat it all in one bite, you could taste the flavours all at one go

And story of Odette

Wild Mushroom Tea w Cep Sabayon, Buckwheat & Walnut

Amuse Bouche – I remembered I ate this many years ago as well. Seemed like this is a signature on their menu after many years. A warm broth to get your palate started with earthy tones that finished through. I liked the mushroom brioche that was served alongside where you could taste the fragrance of the buttery brioche and sweetness of the mushrooms. Wash it down with the mushroom tea to find bits of mushroom waiting for you at the end

Warm Bread

We were warned to keep space for the rest of the dishes cos most guests finished their bread without realising it. Well, I had to agree they were really good. Just look at how well-made they were

Normandry Brown Crab

Avocado, Nashi Pear, Coriander

This was a really pretty dish. But I was glad it tasted as well it as looked too. I thought this was a well-thought dish even though it looked very simple. I liked the overall texture with the gel layer and all the flavours that came through where you can taste the sweetness of the crab meat, pear with the creaminess of the avocado

Manjimup Black Truffle | Mozambique Langoustine +$98

Leek Fondue, Vin Jaune, Beurre Noisette

The langoustine came in style, with a box filled with truffle. The chef was shaving the truffle so enthusiastically I told him to stop but he didn’t seem to get the hint. Lol. So anyways, this was a well-cooked langoustine, marinated just right with taste of the truffle infused with the brown butter sauce that was so delightful. I thought the sauce was really tasty and you wouldn’t have imagined this was cooked using leek fondue

Zucchini Wrapped Scallop

Meadowsweet, Seaweed, Ikura

Another pretty dish. The scallop was really well executed with the finishing opaque in the centre, covered with zucchini blossoms. The friend didn’t seem to like this but I thought it was pretty decent, finished off with a little saltiness of the ikura

Our mains in their last moment before they were brought back to be slaughtered. Lol

Aveyron Lamb Saddle

Konasu, Sheep Yoghurt, Sesame

We discovered we were both not a fan of lamb, but decided to give it a try anyway. You could tell the cook of the lamb just by looking at the colour of the meat and it was really eye-catching. Served with puree of sheep’s milk yoghurt, wild garlic leaves and lamb jus, the flavours were rich and colourful but yet you could find the balance at some point

Palate Cleanser/Pre-Dessert

We took awhile to finally realise what the sorbet was. The friend thought it was basil while I struggled to understand. Lol. I liked the freshness of the Sorrel sorbet which had a refreshing taste and definitely cleansed your palate before moving on to the desserts proper

Mara Des Bois Strawberry Vacherin

Lemon Verbena, Fromage blanc, Ginger

We really liked the dessert that was tart and citrusy at the start but finished off with a candy-like texture towards the end. It was really good

And finally, petite 4 to end the meal

Ice cream pops, Canelé, Fruits & Tarts

Also, coffee. Just cos we were about to concuss from food coma

We were given some souvenirs to bring home in the form of the menu we had that day and also a bottle of jam. I told the friend – these are not free ah, we paid for it.  She laughed and agreed 

I like Odette. I really like the food at Odette. But for someone who had been to Odette since they started (before they got a star) and witnessed the increase in price from $100 to $300 plus (lol), I don’t really know if the Odette now is worth paying for it. Granted, what you will have here is a well executed meal, well-thought menu and a refined elegant French cuisine. But if you have special occasions, just visiting Singapore or better still, someone paying the meal for you –  then perhaps you could give this 3-star Michelin restaurant a try.  Not to mention, they are Asia’s best restaurant

I shall go back to discovering more food places in the meantime. lol

Odette

1 St Andrew’s Rd, #01-04

National Gallery, Singapore 178957