Violet Oon Singapore has opened its newest and only standalone restaurant in Dempsey, Singapore's renowned lifestyle area, paying homage to the country's rich culinary tradition. The restaurant, which spans over 6,000 square feet and includes a main dining room and mezzanine, combines history with modern refinement to create a venue that honours and reimagines Singapore's Peranakan cuisine.
The area emanates warmth and refinement, with its trademark black, gold, and emerald green palette, which is complemented by an enormous collection of antique Nyonya tiles obtained from traditional Peranakan residences. These items, combined with smart design details, pay tribute to Singapore's mixed tapestry by fusing legacy and contemporary workmanship. The venue has a large dining room, two private rooms, and an alfresco veranda that is great for pet-friendly eating and casual gatherings beneath Dempsey Hill's lush canopy.
Violet Oon Singapore's menu is reinvented, elevating legacy cuisine with heirloom traditions and rarely seen Peranakan specialities. Diners can enjoy tried-and-true dishes like Buah Keluak Ayam, Babi Pong Tay, and Chap Chye, as well as specialities like Nasi Ulam, a colourful herb rice salad with eight native herbs, and Hati Babi Bungkus, a delicacy of seasoned pork liver wrapped in caul fat and fried till golden. These dishes embody a culinary philosophy known as "the perfect marriage of the East with the East," which combines Chinese immigrant traditions with Malay influences.
A carefully chosen beverage program compliments the menu. Signature drinks like the Rindu Roselle, made with Sarawak roselle and American bourbon, and Ong Lai, an inventive milk punch with rum, cognac, and spices, evoke the robust, complex flavours of Peranakan feasts. Swee Chilli, a vivacious blend of ginger ale, pandan, and Violet Oon's distinctive chilli, is an alcohol-free alternative that appeals to all tastes. These beverages, whether served indoors or on the veranda, are designed to highlight Singapore's cultural diversity and gastronomic depth.
Beyond the plate, the restaurant features an edible garden where customers can interact with native ingredients unique to Peranakan cuisine. Fragrant herbs like torch ginger, blue pea flower, wild betel leaf, and raja ulam grow alongside seasonal fruits like belimbing and young jackfruits. This sensory garden helps guests better comprehend Singapore's biodiversity and the historical roots of its food.
Violet Oon, Singapore's doyenne of Peranakan cuisine and recipient of the Singapore Tourism Board's Lifetime Achievement Award, finds the restaurant's position on Dempsey to be very meaningful. Dempsey's rich past, which included a nutmeg plantation, a British army camp, and a Singapore Armed Forces base, echoes Oon's link to the place. In the 1970s, while working as a journalist for the New Nation newspaper, she was invited by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee to be the choir mistress for the SAF Music and Drama Company in Dempsey.
Violet Oon Singapore at Dempsey exemplifies the brand's commitment to curate, preserve, and celebrate Singapore's culinary tradition. With each food, drink, and design aspect, the restaurant provides customers with an immersive experience that celebrates the richness of Peranakan culture in a location where history, hospitality, and tradition intersect.
a. 7 Dempsey Rd, #01-05, Singapore 249671
fb. www.facebook.com/VioletOonSingapore
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