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Violet Oon - Delicious and Award Winning Peranakan cuisine

This post is dedicated to Mr Raj.

"After three years holding the Peranakan fort in Bukit Timah, Violet Oon and her two children, Tay Yiming and Tay Su-Lyn, partner with TWG Tea founder Manoj Murjani to give the restaurant an update." - Timeout 2015

Smiling is a sacrificial act. Sacrificial because one makes another feel happier and hopefully, in turn, one will feel happier too. As I stepped into Violet Oon Singapore at Bukit Timah, I was greeted by a warm and familiar smile. OMG! It is him - the same Warm and Smiley Staff who has served us at National Kitchen. We cracked some jokes about the beef cheek which I have missed out at National Kitchen.

Auntie Nanny's Daging Chabek Beef Cheek S$36
When you stepped into VO, you must psych yourself that it is an upperclass restaurant that charges upperclass prices for good quality food. At S$36, one might be hoping that the beef cheek can feed five pax but this cheek, come on, how big can a cow be, can feed at most three pax. The flavour is definitely worth the price. It is slow braised in rich tamarind and gula melaka gravy and coconut. I am lost for words because the combination of different rich flavours kept bursting in my mouth. The sauce was sedap. The meat could be torn apart easily, which is the most important factor of any braised beef. A small outer part of it was a little dry but no complaints. Did it melt in the mouth? No but this level of softness would do.

Auntie Nanny's Daging Chabek Beef Cheek



Chap Chye S$15
The Chap Chye gravy was well balanced - it was not too salty. The vegetables were cooked till soft and had absorbed the flavours of the gravy. The beancurd sheets were well cooked too - not too hard.

Coming up next would be the dish of the day for me!

Buah Keluat Ayam S$23

As mentioned in my previous post, I love to eat Buah Keluat in Peranakan cuisine. It is a must order dish in every Peranakan restaurant. Violet Onn version is THE BEST. This dish transported me to Buah Keluat paradise - just me and the food and all distractions tuned out. The tangy sauce made from spices and turmeric was a perfect combination with the nut and the three juicy chicken drumsticks

Buah Keluat
Look at the generous creamy nut. I could not wait to get you out of your shell.

Buah Keluat Filling
I tried to dig out the insides with the small spoon provided but it was still too big. So, I had to rely on my usual method which is to use the back of the spoon.

Buah Keluat filling mixed with sauce and chicken
After much digging, I mixed the creamy blackish nut with the tangy sauce and savoured it with the chicken... hmmm...nice.

I have introduced Buah Keluat to friends who were curious about my love and I have watched them spit it out. This is definitely what some called, an acquired taste. If you are a fan of the nut, come and try Violet Onn's Buah Keluat Ayam.

Hearty Peranakan meal

Kopi VO S$5
I love to drink Kopi with my meal. I am so glad that the Kopi VO at National Kitchen, is available here as well - just as rich, fragrant and smooth.

Prepared for dessert
After our hearty Peranakan lunch, the warm and smiley staff came over and asked us how our experience was. I told him that the food was great and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We requested for the dessert menu. I was pleasantly surprised when the warm and smiley staff instructed the other staff to clear our table and prepare the set up for dessert. The Warm and Smiley Staff is definitely the in-charge of the restaurant.  It is so nice to eat dessert on a clean table.

Desserts served!
We ordered the two most interesting sounding desserts on the menu. The Sugee Cake is a traditional rich and moist Eurasian cake of semolina with ground almonds infused with BRANDY. My eyes twinkled when I saw Brandy. Liquor cakes can go either way - terribly bitter or incredulously delicious. I also ordered Bubur Cha Cha pannacotta - sounds like an invention test product from Masterchef.

Sugee Cake S$12
The Sugee Cake tasted like a delicious pound cake from a traditional bakery. I was disappointed because there was no trace of brandy. I was still thinking at the back of my mind if they had forgotten to serve the small jar of brandy sauce for me to pour over the cake. Oh well, it is still a nice cake that would go well with my Kopi. Oh no, my Kopi has gone cold. Therefore, I requested for the waiter to pour some hot water into it to make it warmer. You would never guess what happened next.

Specially "warmed" Kopi VO
The waiter took the Kopi away and returned with a freshly made one. I felt so bad and touched at the same time; bad because the Kopi was very nice and had to be thrown away, touched because they went an extra mile to ensure that I did not drink diluted Kopi. The new Kopi tasted better than the previous one because it was stronger and more fragrant. Just then, The Warm and Smiley Staff walked over and told me that he made this Kopi himself, specially for me. He only makes Kopi once a month. He asked me how it was and I told his staff that it was EXCELLENT. Hr crinkled and said, "They would be so jealous of me." Much as I enjoyed the friendly banter, in future, I will order my Kopi with my dessert or order an additional hot water on the side, hehe. Thank you for the excellent service!

Bubur Cha Cha Pannacotta S$10
The Bubur Cha Cha pannacotta tasted like an extremely rich coconut flavoured Lao Ban Beancurd with Gula Melaka syrup, agar agar, sweet potatoes bits and yam bits. It was too rich for me.

Bubur Cha Cha Pannacotta

Bubur Cha Cha Pannacotta
Remember to mix it thoroughly because there was more gula melaka syrup at the bottom of the glass. If not, it would be too sweet at the end.

Weekend Brunch Menu
Overall, I had an over the top experience at Violet Oon Singapore at Bukit Timah. I would definitely be back to try their Weekend Brunch. This is definitely the place you would want to give a treat to impress - opulent decor, reasonably costly menu (this meal cost around S$120 for 2 pax), good quality mains and attentive staff. 

Traditional tiles adorn the walls

The indoor dining area is quite small.

This place is where the staff prepares the drinks.

Outdoor dining area

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As we left Violet Oon Singapore, I thanked The Warm and Smiley Staff for the wonderful experience and asked him how I should address him. He replied, "Sir Raj." It could be "Ser" as well.

Violet Onn Singapore
Address: 881 Bukit Timah Rd, 279893
Hours: Open today · 12–9:30PM
Phone: 9781 3144






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