Singlish-speaking French chef names new eatery after wife, serves French Alsatian dishes from their love story

Everyone’s love language differs.

For chef Michael Muller, his love language was naming his first restaurant after his wife, Emma.

The pair, who met on a plane – they were sitting next to each other and exchanged name cards after he expressed interest in her – have lived in Singapore for years and have two daughters, aged six and two, together.

Having been here for so long, he’s also picked up on Singlish – his conversations with us are peppered with phrases like “okay la” and “alamak!” – and the language is just one of the things he loves about being here.

Other things he loves are the hawker culture, how safe it is, and how he’s been able to build a community of loved ones here despite having no ties here when he first arrived.

Muller, who hails from Alsace, France, has honed his craft in multiple restaurants all over the world, including Michelin-starred restaurants in France (Le Jules Verne) and Singapore (Jaan).

He’s also spent time as the Asia Pacific Executive Chef for Meta, as well as served as a coach in chef championship Bocuse d’Or, where he trained aspiring fine dining chefs.

“As a chef, it’s always a dream to open your own restaurant, and the idea [became] even stronger when I met Emma. [She’s had] two lovely daughters [with me] and I feel the need to say thank you.

The name La Table d’Emma also sounds very similar to ‘the friends’ table’ in French.

La Table d’Emma is really something from me to her.”

Muller first came to Singapore in 2003, where he worked for 10 years before he was given the opportunity to head to Jakarta, where he was on the opening team as an Executive Chef at the Raffles Hotel there.

About two years after he moved to Indonesia, he decided to come back to Singapore.

Emma, who hails from Jakarta, laughed that his decision to name the restaurant after her came as a surprise. “He’s actually a very practical guy [but] I can feel his appreciation, and I’m very excited to see how [the restaurant will grow].”

It’s not just the name of the restaurant that pays homage to the pair’s love story. Many items on the menu have their place in their history together, including the La Flemmakueche.

Known in local tongue as Flammekueche – yes, he incorporated Emma’s name into the dish too – is also known as Tarte Flambée, which is an Alsace special.

On first glance, it looks like pizza – and it’s similar in the sense that dough is rolled out, topped with ingredients, and fired in the oven.

What differs is that the base of Flammekueche is made with fromage blanc, also known as fresh white cheese.

Its toppings are also kept simple, yet the result is often divine.

At La Table d’Emma, there are just four options:

• La Tradition Onion/Lardons – caramelised onions and savoury lardons
• La Champignons – sauteed mushrooms and caramelised onions
• La Gratinée à L’emmental – caramelised onions savoury lardons and Emmental cheese
• La Salmon fumé Maison – house-smoked salmon, capers and pickled red onion

This was the first thing Emma had when she visited Muller and his family back home.

Another dish on the menu is the Les Bouchées à la Reine d’Emma, a puff pastry with veal, chicken and mushroom velouté.

As you may have noticed, the puff pastries at La Table d’Emma are served in the shape of butterflies, in line with the decorations in the restaurant.

Fun fact: the dish, Bouchée à la Reine, which can be translated to “the queen’s morsel”, is named after one of the Queens of France.

Muller cooked this for Emma on their third date. We asked her if his cooking was up to par back then. She responded with a laugh: “Well, I married him!”

With various other Alsatian dishes on the menu, Muller hopes that La Table d’Emma will not only be the gateway for Singaporeans to get to know the cuisine, but also a place where loved ones can gather for a homely meal.

You can reserve a table at La Table d’Emma here, and check out their Instagram page for the latest promotions.

La Table d’Emma

Address: Mercure Icon Singapore City Centre, 8 Club Street #01-04, Singapore 069472

Opening hours: 11:30am - 2:30pm & 5:30pm - 10:30pm, daily

This sponsored article by La Table d’Emma made the writer very hungry while feeling warm fuzzy feelings.