Budget Bibik: Violet Oon to open casual eatery Bibik Violet at Temasek Shophouse

Five months after opening its flagship restaurant, homegrown restaurant group Violet Oon Singapore will launch its casual spin-off, Bibik Violet on September 29 at social impact hub, Temasek Shophouse on Orchard Road.

The 54-seat all-day Peranakan cafe and bakery in the revamped community and event space by Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Singapore’s state-owned multinational investment firm, Temasek, offers no-frills, everyday fare, alongside well-known local dishes adapted from the Violet Oon Singapore restaurants. 

Breakfast dishes at Bibik Violet include kaya toast with kopi or teh, soft-boiled eggs, hae bee hiam toast, and mee siam, while lunch offerings include laksa, nasi lemak, and prawn mee. Highlights for dinner include chicken curry, ayam goreng berempah, and Peranakan favourites such as buah keluak pork ribs, chicken curry and babi pongteh. 

For sweets, nyonya kueh include ang ku kueh and bika ambon, and old-school bakes like orange sugee cake and pandan chiffon cake. 

Violet Oon Group is run by pioneering food journalist and chef, Violet Oon, with her children, Tay Yiming and Tay Su-Lyn. 

Tay Yiming, CEO of the Violet Oon Group, says: “We wanted to create a more casual and approachable space that celebrates the beloved flavours of our Peranakan kitchen and local cuisine. Bibik Violet is designed as an everyday café where people can gather for comforting meals, familiar tastes. It is also priced more accessibly than Violet Oon Singapore restaurants, making it an easy choice for daily dining or takeaways.” 

True to its more casual moniker, Bibik Violet pays homage to ‘bibik’, an honorific used to address older Peranakan women. The wallet-friendly menu is more fuss-free, comprising one-dish meals and takeaway dishes and snacks.

On the other hand, the Violet Oon Singapore restaurants, which opened its refurbished Ion Orchard outlet in June, offers “cooking that is for feasts and entertainment and embodies the Tok Panjang ethos in an elegant restaurant setting”.

The cafe will also be furnished with vintage knick-knacks, some of which are from Oon’s personal collection, Peranakan tiles and furniture with rattan accents.

Temasek Shophouse, which is housed in a cluster of century-old heritage buildings, will also be home to Martket by Abry, by homegrown fashion and lifestyle brand Abry. The retail store, which will be staffed by seniors, women from underserved communities, and persons with disabilities, will stock merchandise that feature the artwork by deaf artist Canlaken. Another F&B concept is Foreword Coffee, a stalwart partner of Temasek Shophouse that employs persons with disabilities.

The 6,400sqm Temasek Shophouse, which will include an outdoor community space, will fully reopen by the fourth quarter of this year.