PUBLISHED October 24th, 2012 12:58 am | UPDATED June 6th, 2016 11:21 am
Violet Oon has been a bit of an enigma in the Singapore culinary scene for some years now. And whether you’ve heard of her or not (as was the case for me – blushing), stop and take note, her new restaurant is somewhere that should be right at the top of of your list. Locals out there, this is what can happen when a Singaporean Chef, making Singaporean favourites decides to use top quality ingredients and make something truly unique.
On arriving I really didn’t know what to expect, so was pleased to find simple, homely and cute decor (but mercifully not tacky). Check. Friendly staff? Check! Ok…let’s get down to the makan shall we?
Beef Rendang
Looking at the menu I have to admit that terror began to rise in me as I saw dishes like Rendang stand alongside Shephard’s Pie and pasta! It’s a very, very…..very rare case that a restaurant can pull off both western and eastern culinary styles successfully…and Chef Violet…hats off to you for doing so so expertly!
Getting settled, the dishes started to arrive at the table…my nostrils being seduced by the rising aromas from the first…..
Violet Oon’s Dry Laksa
Meatless meatballs ($18). No, I’m not going crazy! And if you were to try them and didn’t know they were vegetarian you might just be convinced that these ‘meatballs’ were actually very fine veal. Made with a combination of walnuts, parmesan and tomatoes, these fried balls are so juicy…It’s the kind of treat you could just knock back in mass quantity with a few beers…But don’t! You’ll miss out on all the other good stuff, like the Dry Laksa ($17), which is a a delicious ‘dry’ version – basically you get all the awesome laksa ingredients but the coconut base soup is reduced…and reduced some more. Leaving an incredibly tasty dish of slurp-able noodles rammed with spice, sour, sweet and savoury balance…
Beef Rendang ($22) – Oh my, yes! And more yes! Hands down one of the best (if not the best) Rendang I’ve had. Just beautiful. There’s nothing worse than a dry, firm Rendang…well this is anything but! When it arrived, I couldn’t help but test the tenderness and push my fork into one of the morsels…which promptly split in two. This meat is so tender there should be a picture of it next to the word in the dictionary! And as for taste..well you’d better go and try for yourself…I think I’ve said enough already. Oh, and be sure to mix it in well with the achar and nasi kuning – fragrant turmeric infused half jasmine – half sticky yellow rice with some crispy fried onions on top. Absolute gold!
Pulled Beef Ragu Rigatoni
Keeping in the beef theme but moving over to Italy, I was amazed to see Pulled Beef Ragu Rigatoni ($24)! Genius! Rather than the usual minced beef bolognese, Chef Violet marinades and braises the beef over 48 hours, before hand pulling it and mixing with the pasta. I’m trying this one at home sometime (if I can find the time).. It’s definitely on the rich side, and slightly sweet but if you’re a bolognese lover, this one is a must.
Of the desserts tried, there were two that really stood out for me…The Bread and butter pudding with whisky and creamy sauce ($12) – Just think gooey, whisky, creamy cake… People, if you’re on a diet, throw it out window for a meal ok, this one’s worth it! The other was the Bubor Cha Cha Panna Cotta ($9)! What a gorgeous arrangement of flavours for this local classic….The coconut flavoured pana cotta was particularly scrumptious.
And as for Chef Violet herself…what an amazing character. For a start you can tell she loves what she does – always has a smile on her face. She loves to chat to people and it really makes the whole experience quite homely. Something that is really lacking in a lot of places these days.
When it comes down to it, Violet Oon’s Kitchen has something for everyone. It’s a kid – adult -Singaporean – Ang Mo – meat-lover – vegetarian friendly menu that should leave you with a similar feeling to myself right now; full and with a massive smile on my face!
Written by The City Nomad
Written over 2 visits. One by invitation and the other paid by City Nomads (It was so good we had to go back for more!)