About Francois Mermilliod

With a love for food since his childhood days, François embarked on his career as a chef at the tender age of 14 and has since worked in various countries. Francois trained at Lenotre school in Paris and the Valhrona School. Over the years, he has developed a penchant for simple, uncomplicated cuisine and incorporating both French and Asian techniques in his cooking and preparation methods.

Having honed his craft as Executive Chef at Sanders, a modern Australian restaurant in Sydney, as well as previous stints at Duo restaurant in Club street, Au Petit Salut, Salut and most recently Flutes at the Fort in Singapore, François hopes to entice the local palate with his unique brand of modern French cuisine at his new restaurant Absinthe.

Despite his training in classical French cuisine, François has always been keen to evolve with the times. He said: “French cuisine has changed considerably lately, from typical, earthy dishes using local products to a more cosmopolitan cuisine with new flavours”. Apart from the seasonal produce, François also draws inspiration from his own dining experiences. With the myriad of ingredients available these days, he is been able to conjure a novel menu of inventive creations for Absinthe.

“There is no greater achievement than to be able to satisfy my customers,“ François added. “I want them to leave the restaurant with the feeling that they just had something special.” And at Absinthe, he aims to do just that.