Mathieu Escoffier

The Climb

Since 2019, the dual role of chef-owner and chef at Ma Cuisine has put Mathieu Escoffier in charge of both the cooking and the restaurant’s operating tempo. The work calls for restraint as much as authorship: a menu that reads clearly, a room that stays aligned, and a kitchen that holds its line without overworking the plate.

Today

At Ma Cuisine, the menu is kept concise: French classics, daily specials, and a cocotte of the day. That format leaves less room for noise and more room for judgment, with each dish expected to carry its weight through clarity rather than volume. In Mathieu Escoffier’s hands, the point is not to broaden the spread but to keep the kitchen focused enough for the cooking to stay exact. That approach is visible in 2022 through a version of beef tartare built as a surf-and-turf dish with geoduck and oysters. The starting point remains a French classic, but the pairings change the register, giving the dish more texture and a marine edge without losing its frame. For Escoffier, the value lies in holding the original form steady while tightening the details around it. The same logic extends to the components that support the meal rather than announce it. Mathieu Escoffier has described the olive oil used at Ma Cuisine as being in step with the wine selection, “of extreme quality and from sustainable farming, without chemical inputs.” In other words, the restaurant treats supporting elements as part of the craft, not as background. Taste, for Escoffier, is also about finish. “Organoleptic qualities are essential and we were looking for an overall vibrant taste with an astringency that can give certain dishes a last-minute “kick”.” That preference points to a kitchen interested in lift, tension, and the final note a dish leaves behind.

Signature

Mathieu's signature dishes include beef tartare. In his hands, it becomes less a fixed recipe than a versatile statement of style: disciplined, exacting, and open to refinement while remaining recognizably itself.

In Their Words “At Ma Cuisine it was essential to have an olive oil that is at one with our wine selection, namely of extreme quality and from sustainable farming, without chemical inputs.” “Organoleptic qualities are essential and we were looking for an overall vibrant taste with an astringency that can give certain dishes a last-minute “kick”.”

Recognition

Mathieu's honors include MICHELIN Guide Singapore: one Michelin star.