Nestled in the heart of Singapore's bustling food scene, La Table d'Emma emerges as an unpolished gem, exuding the charm and warmth reminiscent of the French Alsace region. Founded by Chef Michael Muller, who has over two decades of culinary expertise, this quaint establishment bears the mark of his culinary mastery and the tender reminiscence of his childhood home adorned with delicate butterflies. Named after his beloved wife, Emma, the restaurant is a tribute to love, tradition, and gastronomic finesse.
As I stepped into the inviting ambience of La Table d'Emma, I was immediately enchanted by the subtle yet pervasive butterfly motifs adorning the walls and aesthetically shaped drop-lightings. The soft hues and elegant décor create an atmosphere of refined intimacy, setting the stage for a memorable dining experience.
Cracking Pork Skin 4/5
Sesame Sourdough 4.5/5
We started the meal with some complimentary Crackling Pork Skin and Sesame Sourdough snacks. Chef Michael explained how he painstakingly cleans the pork skin, boils it, and dehydrates it before deep-frying it. The thin and crispy Sesame Sourdough, which is made in-house, is also fragrant!
La Flemmakueche 4/5
Next, we had this pizza-like Alsace's delight with four variations. Chef Michael made all four variations in one portion for us to taste, but they are available individually on the menu for $20-$28. It is a great idea to taste all 4, and Chef Michael said he would consider putting this option on the menu. The four flavours are La Salmon Fume Maison (House-smoked salmon, capers and pickled red onion), La Champignons (Sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions, Fromage blanc), La Tradition Onion/Lardons (Caramelized onions, savoury lardons, Fromage blanc), and La Gratinee A L'Emmental (Caramelized onions, savoury lardons and Emmental cheese).
Seafood Bun with Comté Crust 4.2/5
When Chef Michael served this to us, he told us the story of the creation. It goes back to when he was a chef at Facebook when the Seafood Bun with Comte Crust ($28) was created and named "Face-Bun". The crispy layer of Comté cheese resembles a polo bun! Once you break open that crispy top, you will find creamy scallops, prawns and crabmeat within the thin bread dough. The complimenting foamy clam chowder was light, even though we wish it were creamier since the cream with the seafood is also very light.
Soupe A L’Onion Gratinee with Gruyère Cheese 3.8/5
This classic French onion soup - Soupe A L'Onion Gratinee with Gruyère Cheese ($22) was a great palette cleanser at this point. The beef broth, sweet onions and herbs are light yet heavily fragrant at the same time. It is served with house-made sourdough croutons that add a slight hint of sourness, which is hearty and delightful. I wish there was a thicker layer of melted cheese on the top.
Les Bouchees A La Reine d’Emma 4/5
Les Bouchees A La Reine d'Emma ($34) is insta-worthy with the delicate puff pastry shaped into butterfly, which Chef Michael cheekily said, "this is edible butterfly". This dish was originally made by a queen's chef and Chef Michael's first dish made for his wife Emma. Served with veal, chicken and mushroom velouté that has a strong taste of white wine which we find it was a good balance with the buttery puff pastry.
Le Mille-Feuille Vanille Hazelnut Praliné ($20) 4/5
We ended our meal with this crispy and flaky Le Mille-Feuille Vanille Hazelnut Praline ($20) filled with vanilla crème patissière. The hazelnut praliné provides an extra crunch to every mouthful. We love the slightly burnt caramel taste, too. It was a nice, sweet ending to this meal.
Despite not trying other classic French mains like Duck Confit and Coq Au, the items we had were primarily delightful and unique. If you need help deciding what to order, you can opt for the 6-Course Chef's French Omakase, which you leave to Chef Michael for $120. Their menu is rather extensive, hence it will be ideal to order more items to share.
La Table d'Emma is having a special Father's Day promo on 16 June, where you can enjoy free-flow meats from $60++ per pax. More details can be found here - https://www.latabledemma.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fathers-Day-Freeflow-Digital.pdf
Photos and words by Jaslyn. An avid cook who lives to eat and travel for food. Note: This is an invited tasting.
La Table d'Emma
8 Club Street
#01-04
Singapore 069742
Tel: +65 81018691
Website
Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Chinatown (CC, NE Line)
Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 2pm, 5pm - 10pm
Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Cross Street. Turn left onto Club Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]
2) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight down Pagoda Street to North Bridge Road. Cross the road and walk to Mohd Ali Lane. Walk down Mohd Ali Lane. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]
