Taking Brand Singapore International

- Joyce Huang

Fresh from clinching the top spot on the San Pellegrino Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant List 2019 with his two-Michelin-starred restaurant Odette in April, chef Julien Royer unveiled his first overseas venture this past 18 June. Serving up traditional French cuisine with Royer’s signature fresh take, Louise is located within the heritage-listed gardens of PMQ in Central, Hong Kong. The restaurant is opened in partnership with the JIA Group, known for their acclaimed food and beverage (F&B) establishments in Hong Kong. This month sees yet another illustrious chef based in Singapore leaving their mark outside of our island—and incidentally on yet another island. The opening of Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi sees chef Dave Pynt, the culinary mastermind behind Burnt Ends restaurant (one-Michelin-starred and number 10 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2019 launching an exclusive barbecue grill restaurant, The Ledge by Dave Pynt, at the stunning property.

Royer and Pynt are hardly the first Singapore-based chefs or representatives of Singaporean restaurants expanding their reach with overseas ventures. But they represent a growing and recent spate of homegrown talents and companies who have made a name for themselves in Singapore, and are now going global, taking theirs and brand Singapore international.

SINGAPORE AS A CULINARY HEAVYWEIGHT