Working side by side in some of Asia’s most acclaimed restaurants, these culinary power couples open up about partnership and the rituals that sustain love beyond service hours. Text: Amy Van
In the restaurant world, pressure is a given. Service is intense, expectations are high, and the work rarely ends when the last guest leaves. For couples who run Michelin-starred establishments together, the line between professional and personal life can blur quickly. There is no tidy “off switch” when your business partner is also your spouse.
This Valentine’s Day, we speak to three chef couples who have built top dining concepts side by side. From creative tension to operational discipline, from pasta Mondays to sushi cravings, they share how working together has reshaped the way they see each other — not just as partners in business, but as partners in life.
Ultimately, sustaining a restaurant may require vision and grit. Sustaining a marriage calls for something even more refined.
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Chef-owner Rishi Naleendra and General Manager Manuela Toniolo, Cloudstreet, Kotuwa and Station by Kotuwa
How do you ensure creative discussions stay productive and fruitful for your business?
Rishi: Most of the creative direction usually comes from me. I enjoy coming up with ideas and concepts. Her strength is in execution. She takes those ideas and makes sure they are carried out properly, structured well, and actually delivered. That balance keeps things productive and works well for us.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt about partnership, both in marriage and in business?
Rishi: Not to take business home and not to bring personal issues into business. We try to keep those two worlds separate, and that has helped us a lot both as partners and as a couple.
Do you still cook for each other at home? Who’s more likely to take charge in the kitchen.
Rishi: I still cook quite a lot. Every Monday, I cook pasta. We usually eat Sri Lankan food most of the week, so Monday is our change-up.
What dish best captures “comfort” or romance for you both?
Rishi: Pasta night has become a small routine for us, and it feels comforting and familiar.
How do you draw boundaries between work and home, if at all?
Rishi: We actually manage this quite well. At work, we have very different roles. She works closely with the operational side, and there is a team handling most of that. When we go home, we are quite good at not talking about work. I hardly talk about work things once we leave the workplace.
Has working together changed the way you see each other professionally? What’s one quality you’ve grown to admire more?
Rishi: I admire her punctuality and commitment a lot more. She is always on the ball. When she comes to work, she is fully switched on. Deliveries are checked, tasks are done, and things are properly sorted. That level of consistency and dedication is something I really respect.
Manuela: He has an eye for detail, always creative with the food. But when it comes to the ambiance, the lighting, and all the little details we have with the crockery, that’s what always impresses me. The attention to those extra details has grown even stronger since we first started.
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Chef-owner Louis Han and Monica Wijaya director & co-founder, NAE:UM Group (NAE:UM Restaurant, HIDEAWAY by NAE:UM Private Dining and GU:UM)
How do you ensure creative discussions stay productive and fruitful for your business?
Louis: I naturally take on a more visionary role, while Monica, my wife, is very strong on execution and operations. By focusing on our individual strengths and trusting each other’s roles, we’re able to turn ideas into something meaningful and grow together.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt about partnership, both in marriage and in business?
Louis: Mutual respect. Even when our opinions differ, how we respond to each other matters. I’ve learned that listening openly, and hearing the other person out, is important, both in marriage and in business.
Do you still cook for each other at home? Who’s more likely to take charge in the kitchen.
Louis: We try to avoid cooking at home. When we cook, it’s usually something very simple, and I tend to take charge in the kitchen.
What dish best captures “comfort” or romance for you both?
Louis: Sushi. We had sushi during one of our first dates, and it’s still what we gravitate towards when we’re on holiday or simply relaxing together.
How do you draw boundaries between work and home?
Louis: We make a conscious effort to set boundaries by agreeing on periods where we don’t talk about work at all. It helps us be more present with each other and maintain a healthier balance.
What’s one quality you’ve grown to admire more since becoming business partners?
Louis: Working together has made us appreciate and admire each other’s strengths even more. I focus on the kitchen and the creative direction, while Monica brings clarity and structure to the business — from organisation to finance. We each carry different experiences from our previous work, and recognising how those strengths complement one another has strengthened both our partnership and the business.
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Chef-owner Pam Pichaya Soontornyanakij and Tor Boonpiti, managing director, Potong, Bangkok
How do you ensure creative discussions stay productive and fruitful for your business?
Pam: We always respect each other’s ideas and stay open to creativity. Every time we sit down and exchange thoughts, the end result always turns out stronger. He often brings a perspective I hadn’t considered, and I bring things he might not see. Our backgrounds are very different—his is in business and consulting overseas, and I come from the kitchen—so we challenge each other in a good way. Even when we don’t initially agree, we’re very aligned when it comes to design and the way we think about food. At the end of the day, every decision is made together
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt about partnership, both in marriage and in business?
Pam: Respect and compromise. Those are the two things that hold everything together. In a business, just like in a marriage, you won’t always agree—and that’s okay. What matters is being willing to listen, stay patient, and meet in the middle when needed. Sometimes one of us needs to lead, sometimes it’s the other. We’ve learned how to support each other without letting ego get in the way, and that makes all the difference.
Do you still cook for each other at home? Who’s more likely to take charge in the kitchen.
Pam: Mostly my husband cooks at home —he keeps it simple, which I love. When I’m home, I like to relax and enjoy the food like a guest. It’s one of the few places where I don’t have to lead or overthink anything, and it’s actually a really nice balance.
And what dish best captures “comfort” or romance for you both?
Pam: A bowl of noodles. We love going out to eat humble, simple food — something warm, flavourful, and nostalgic. There’s something really comforting about it. No fuss, just joy. Sometimes we’ll even drive out to the suburbs or outside the city just to find a hidden noodle spot, often run by families who’ve been doing it for generations. When you stumble upon one that’s truly special, it just feels so good — like you’ve discovered something that feeds both your body and your soul.