at Republic
Mohamed Rudi
With more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Rudi joined The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore in 2010 as an assistant manager for Greenhouse restaurant. In 2015, he was given the opportunity to helm Chihuly Lounge and worked closely with the bar team to achieve the accolade of 2019 50 Best Discovery. He counts Republic's impressive debut on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2022 as another feather in his cap.
A true hotelier at heart, Rudi prides himself in delivering warm, genuine and personalised care for his guests, and derives his service philosophy from the desire to create guests for life.
Rudi is thrilled to be welcoming guests to the Republic and looks forward to leading the team in reaching new heights.
Dharam Raj
Chef Raj started his culinary career with The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore in 2008 as a line cook. Within his first five years of service, Raj was made Demi Chef and in 2014, he earned a promotion to Chef de Partie, responsible for large-scale weddings and banquet events, as well as external catering services for citywide events such as the Singapore Airshow and the Singapore Grand Prix.
While he specialises in Malay and Peranakan cuisines, Raj is also adept in executing Western and Asian dishes. As Sous Chef, he now helms the culinary operations in Republic and plays an integral part in conceptualising and elevating the food menu.
Martin Villareal
Martin's interest in bartending was sparked in 2014 when he won a hotel organised beverage competition, which eventually led him to pursue his dreams of being a bartender. Passionate about engaging with guests over the bar counter, Martin gathers inspiration from his life experiences when conceiving new cocktails.
He once took three months to perfect his cocktail recipe for the 2017 BACARDI® Legacy SEA competition, where he was named a finalist for his cocktail "Helena" - named in memory of his late mother. He was also crowned first runner-up in Marriott International's 2018 Liquid Masters competition.
Olivia Lee
A South Korean native, Olivia was previously a Supervisor at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore's Colony restaurant for four years before joining the Republic team in April 2022.
Olivia graduated with a Degree in Hotel Management from Jeonju University in South Korea, and chose to work in the hospitality industry in Singapore as she was drawn to the city's vibrancy and cosmopolitan cultures.
Armed with an interest in bartending, and a natural flair for engaging with guests, Olivia looks forward to showcasing her creativity and Korean heritage through her cocktail creations.
A caffeine lover, coffee cocktails are Olivia's favourite alcoholic beverage, and she spends her free time exploring new cafes.
Cassandra Sim
Hailing from a biomedical engineering background, Cassandra was drawn to the hospitality industry as she enjoys engaging with people. New to bartending, Cassandra hopes to bring fresh ideas to the Republic experience by joining the team.
Cassandra believes that one's choice of drink can tell a lot about their personality. She endeavours to be able to connect with guests from behind the bar in order to create bespoke cocktails that would most suit their preferences.
Outside of work, Cassandra is passionate about online gaming and putting computers together
Paulo Naranjo
Paulo supports Republic's beverage operations as well as that of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. Passionate about bartending, you will find Paulo behind the bar, making cocktails and flairtending - a technique that he uses to both engage and surprise guests with. Paolo also enjoys studying different techniques to make his cocktail creations unique, especially through the use of garnish.
After graduating with a Degree in Food & Beverage Management, Paulo joined The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore in 2010 as a housekeeper, but his interest in bartending led to a transfer to the Food & Beverage department in 2012, and he has not looked back since. Paulo finished as second runner-up in the 2018 Campari Bartender Competition.
An avid photographer, Paulo's favourite subjects to photograph, are nature and food.
Du Songze
Songze's interest in bartending was cultivated from his part-time stints with The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore's Beverage Department, where he got to experience getting behind the stick for headline events such as the Singapore Grand Prix.
Having graduated with a Degree in Hospitality Management in 2021, Songze decided to pursue a full-time career as a bartender at Republic. He enjoys meeting guests from all over the world and sharing with them the inspiration behind our storied cocktail menu.
Lawrence Foo
Lawrence embarked on his bartending career in 1988 as a trainee in Miramar Hotel Singapore for two years, before working on various cruise liners in the early 1990s.
After returning from his offshore stints, Lawrence worked for the bar at Regent Hotel Singapore, as well as China Club and Laguna Country Club; both members-only clubs.
In 2003, he joined The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore and derives immense satisfaction from engaging with guests and sharing with them stories from his 30-year career in bartending.
Born in the 1960s, the same decade that has inspired Republic's beverage concept, Lawrence is aptly the ambassador for Republic's vintage spirits collection. He loves being able to concoct a drink that encapsulates that era in glass for our guests to savour.