Violet Oon Singapore opens its flagship restaurant in Dempsey

Singapore cooking doyenne Violet Oon has launched her largest and most ambitious restaurant to date, with Violet Oon Singapore opening its doors at Dempsey today (April 14). 

Occupying over 6,000 square feet in a restored heritage building, the standalone restaurant offers many new elements by the homegrown restaurant brand, which has two other outlets in National Gallery Singapore and Ion Orchard. 

Highlights of the refreshed menu at the Dempsey branch include lesser-known Peranakan dishes like Hati Babi Bungkus, fried spiced pork liver wrapped in caul fat, Nasi Ulam, a finely julienned rice salad made with eight herbs that is notoriously time-consuming to prepare, and Kerabu Pucuk Paku, tender fiddlehead ferns and lemongrass dressed in a piquant blend of chilli, dried shrimp, and calamansi. 

These dishes are served alongside the restaurant’s staple dishes like Ayam Buah Keluak and Babi Pong Tay.

Complementing the heritage dishes is a new beverage programme that distills Peranakan culture into cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. Expect new concoctions like the roselle-infused Rindu Roselle, a riff on the New York Sour made with roselle from Sarawak, and Ong Lai, a clarified milk punch made with rum, cognac and Ondeh Ondeh-flavoured soju..

An edible garden has also been added to the restaurant’s compounds, where native herbs and plants like torch ginger, blue pea flower and ulam raja, are grown and feature in the restaurant’s dishes and drinks. 

Tay Yiming, CEO of Violet Oon Singapore, who is also Oon’s son, says, “Our opening at Dempsey marks a meaningful milestone as we continue to grow and elevate the Violet Oon Singapore experience. This beautiful location allows us to bring our culinary heritage to life in a timeless setting surrounded by lush greenery — creating an immersive space for our guests to savour the flavours and discover the richness of Singapore’s cuisine.”

The sprawling restaurant, which is decked out in grand chandeliers and Peranakan tiles, comprises a 134-seater main dining room, two private dining rooms, and a private dining room on the mezzanine level that comes with a lounge. Like the restaurant’s two other outlets, the space sports a palette of black, gold and emerald green, and the walls are embellished with photos and keepsake that showcases Oon’s illustrious culinary career that spans over three decades. 

Oon’s daughter, Tay Su-Lyn, who is the restaurant’s creative director, adds, “We wanted to honour the unique charm of Dempsey through our design. Every detail has been thoughtfully crafted to preserve the site’s distinctive character

Oon was a former food critic for The New Nation newspaper in the 1970s and set up food magazine, The Food Paper in 1987. She has also flown the Singapore flag by leading teams of chefs in food festivals overseas, and authored numerous cookbooks. For her efforts, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Tourism by the Singapore Tourism Board in 2019. 

Dempsey also holds a soft spot for Oon, who served as choir mistress of Singapore Armed Forces’ Music and Drama Company in 1976. It was then located in the former British army camp compound.

She recalls: “I used to be fetched by an army car to Dempsey from the newspaper building, Times House in Kim Seng Road, and after the choir training session I was sent back to my reporter’s life!”

Looking back on her culinary journey that has involved the opening of eateries and filming of cooking shows on television, Oon says: “My life’s work in Singapore food has been to curate, collate and celebrate Singapore cuisine. My family and I look forward to welcoming you to our table to share in the stories and flavours that have defined our cuisine, and our heritage.”