Violet Oon Opens Third Outlet at ION Orchard – Where Peranakan Food Meets Modern Flair

CONTENT:: Michelle Ng

Peranakan Chef Violet Oon opens her third outlet in ION Orchard, where you can indulge in the finest local flavours and Peranakan cuisine in the heart of town. The opulent restaurant seats up to 102 people, and has three private dining spaces for more intimate gatherings or business meetings.

As Violet Oon says, may our rice bowls always be full, because it’s impossible to not to enjoy her dishes without a bowl of rice. Think spicy gravy, rich sambal sauces, and curry compotes… even the sambal belacan, served on the side, is addicting enough to eat with the rice alone. In true Perenakan style, our favourite dishes are better enjoyed when shared.

The Daging Pangang Sambal Hijau is a wagyu ribeye grilled to medium rare and topped with a piquant green sambal of chillies and crispy garlic chips. It packs a punch of heat and melts in your mouth, and makes for a great meal highlight. Other must-try dishes include the Gulai Nangka, with young jackfruit and prawns simmered in a spiced turmeric coconut gravy, Assam Nanas Barramundi with Pink Ginger Flower, a flaky fresh fish grilled with a crispy skin, and the Fuyong Hai Crab, a fluffy omelette with a generous portion of crab meat.

Classic vegetable dishes like Chap Chye with a rich prawn bisque, Sambal Eggplant, and Ladies Fingers Lemak are mainstays, but it’s the Kerabu Kacang Botol that we crave. The crunchy four-angled bean is tossed in the famous Violet Oon sambal belacan, adding a refreshing fibrous, almost citrous crunch to every bite.

An outlet exclusive dish making a comeback is the local hero Beef Kway Teoh, umami sauce with tenderized beef and hor fun garnished with a refreshing pickle. Similar to all the other two outlets, the Orchard outlet also carries a plant-based selection of dishes.

The cocktail menu is designed by Proof & Company and are fittingly inspired by Peranakan flavours just like the rest of the outlet. Select from exciting drinks like Royal Rempah Club, a rum-based cocktail with rempah honey, pomelo and yuzu caracao, Midnight Straits, a local Kopi-gao take on the espresso martini, and the Rindu Roselle, a florally bourbon and red wine concoction with roselle, lemon, anise, and gula melaka.

The signature Violet Oon Singapore High Tea Experience will also eventually be available at the Orchard outlet, but meanwhile the local selection of kuehs make for a great tea-time snack. The local kueh selection is made from chef Oon’s personal collection of recipes, and will also eventually be part of the high tea selection.

Violet Oon Singapore is located at 2 Orchard Turn, #04 – 12 ION Orchard, Singapore 238801.