One of the biggest names in Peranakan cuisine, Violet Oon Singapore has just opened a new outlet, and it’s a big one. The brand’s largest eatery so far is located in Jewel Changi Airport, taking up 3,800 sq ft of space with a little dining spot at the back where you can gaze up at the now-famous HSBC Rain Vortex and its surrounding Shiseido Forest Valley.
In line with its signature style, the restaurant is just as sophisticated as its sister branches, decked out in brass finishings and pendant lights to complement its contemporary Peranakan aesthetics. There’s an array of merch by the front counter as well, for those who want to bring home cakes or a jar of jam inspired by local flavors.
Oh, and before you ask, it’s a given that Violet Oon Singapore favorites such as dry laksa ($24), beef rendang ($23), and ngoh hiang ($14) remain on the menu here.
But besides the classics, new Jewel-exclusive items are also available, such as ayam panggang katong ($16/quarter, $25/half), a dish of grilled gula melaka glazed chicken served with house-made pickles and chili sauce, that you can pair with the zesty mango kerabu ($10), a mix of green mangoes, onions, tomatoes, and ginger flowers tossed in a plum and chilli sauce.
Did we mention you can have a DIY popiah party too? The $58 platter is spruced up with plates of six handmade popiah skins and over 12 fillings and condiments including braised bamboo shoots, beancurd, steamed prawns, Chinese sausage, and fried garlic. The idea behind it is inspired by family get-togethers over communal meals where you can pack each popiah with your preferred ratio of ingredients.
There’s also a $56 vegetarian version, and both are admittedly pricier than what you’d get at a hawker, but hey, you pay for the elegance of it all here.
Other Jewel-only items include crispy kurobuta pork fingerlings tossed in garlic and curry leaves ($18), served with a side of the restaurant’s punchy chili sauce; sayur paku gulai ($16), a dish of poached fiddlehead ferns lying on a bed of creamy coconut-spiced gulai sauce that you’ll wanna douse everything in; and a dangerously fiery sambal packed atop BBQ eggplant ($13).
For dessert, the sugee cake made of semolina and ground almonds, served with calamansi drizzle and vanilla ice cream ($15), is a smooth, sweet end to the meal.
But then again, our heart still lies with the restaurant’s iconic kueh beng kah ($13), which you can find at all its outlets. The chewy tapioca cake infused in coconut cream is best eaten warm, with a splash of gula melaka and coconut milk, for that comforting touch only dessert can give.
FIND IT:
Violet Oon Singapore is at #01-205/206 Jewel Changi Airport, 78 Airport Blvd.
9834-9935. Daily 9am-11pm.
MRT: Changi Airport
