|Places| Odette chef
|Places| Odette chef Julien Royer‘s iconic pigeon with a pepperencrusted breast, confit leg and sweet sauce for dipping The Great Melting Pot Known for decades as one of the world’s great foodie destinations, Singapore’s star is only growing brighter, thanks to a cadre of culinary alchemists who mix styles, flavours and cultures. By Patricia Bröhm PHOTO © ODETTE 34 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
Set in a lavishly restored colonial chapel, Claudine’s imposing brass bar rests below an original stainedglass window PHOTO © CLAUDINE Perched among the glittering skyscrapers of Singapore, Raffles hotel is a relic of a bygone era, its snow-white edifice, which opened in 1887, one of the last colonial monuments in a city that seems to live for the future. And yet it remains utterly compelling. Frangipani trees bloom in the park, the doormen still wear turbans and, when you stand in the imposing lobby – which used to be a ballroom for extravagant parties – you’d almost expect a young Liz Taylor in an evening gown to come rushing down the stairs at any moment. “Raffles has always been the centre of social life in the city,” says Christian Westbeld, the hotel’s German general manager. Today, after an extensive two-year renovation, Raffles ( raffles. com) continues this role in a very contemporary way, especially when it comes to gastronomy. There are nine restaurants and bars and three celebrity chefs, including blockbuster French chefs CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 35
