Singapore - Chef Julien Royer of Odette at the National Gallery Singapore has been named Chef of the Year for the second time by the annual World Gourmet Summit's Awards of Excellence, held on March 27.
This win comes one month after Odette took the ninth position in this year's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list, and won the Highest New Entry Award.
Chef Royer was recognised as Chef of the Year at the Awards of Excellence in 2014 when he was the chef de cuisine at Jaan in Swissotel The Stamford.
Fusion restaurant Morsels in Dempsey Hill was lauded as Restaurant of the Year, while its chef-owner, Petrina Loh, picked up the Chef's Choice award (Western Cuisine), which is selected by fellow chefs.
Other major accolades include the newly set-up Restaurateur of the Year award, which went to Mr Wee Teng Wen, co-founder of The Lo & Behold Group. The lifestyle group runs The Warehouse Hotel in Havelock Road, which opened in January, and restaurants such as Po in The Warehouse Hotel, The White Rabbit in Harding Road and Odette.
Chef Kenny Kong of Resorts World Sentosa was named Pastry Chef of the Year, while chef Kenneth Oh of Gattopardo Ristorante di Mare in Tras Street was recognised as Rising Chef of the Year. Modern Australian restaurant Salted & Hung in Purvis Street, whose head chef is Drew Nocente, took home New Restaurant of the Year honours.
A total of 38 awards were handed out in a ceremony in One Farrer Hotel & Spa, attended by about 300 guests, including local and regional industry professionals.
This is the 17th year of the awards, which is held as part of the World Gourmet Summit, a gastronomy festival that is in its 21st edition.
The festival, which runs until April 16, comprises an epicurean line-up of about 60 events, from specially designed dinners paired with tipples to cooking masterclasses.
It is organised by A La Carte Productions, a division of food consultancy Peter Knipp Holdings, and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board.
THE WINNERS
Chef of the Year: Julien Royer, Odette
Asian Cuisine Chef of the Year: Javed Ahamad, Punjab Grill
Rising Chef of the Year: Kenneth Oh, Gattopardo Ristorante di Mare
Pastry Chef of the Year: Kenny Kong, Resorts World Sentosa
Apprentice Chef of the Year: Samuel Quan, Element on Tras Street
Restaurant of the Year: Morsels
Asian Restaurant of the Year: Blue Lotus Chinese Eating House
New Restaurant of the Year: Salted & Hung
Bar of the Year: Manhattan, Regent Singapore
Sommelier of the Year: Daisuke Kawai, La Terre
Restaurateur of the Year: Wee Teng Wen, The Lo & Behold Group
