The Place Most Singaporeans would be familiar with Violet Oon, one of the most prominent culinary figures in Peranakan cuisine locally. Violet Oon Singapore at Jewel is the brand’s largest outlet so far, and definitely one of the worthy additions to Jewel Changi Airport. The restaurant space is huge and faces directly with Terminal One Arrival Hall. There is a retail section at the front, whereas the back of the restaurant is a little private corner with views of the Vortex waterfall.

Read our reviews of the other Violet Oon’s restaurants in Singapore, including the branch in Ion Orchard and the National Kitchen by Violet Oon at National Gallery.

The Food Being the largest Violet Oon outlet, there are quite a number of Jewel exclusive dishes which I managed to try. One exclusive dish to Jewel which is ideal for sharing is the Nyonya Poh Piah Party (S$58). Poh Piah parties, as I understood from Violet Oon herself whom we had the privilege of meeting during our meal, is an important aspect of Peranakan culture. The Fold-It-Yourself style here is neatly presented in a platter, with six slices of fresh poh piah skins, along with condiments like Chinese sausage, steamed prawns, egg, and deep fried garlic, amongst others. I must say the fresh ingredients play a huge part in the taste of the poh piah, which I really enjoyed and had two rolls. There is also a vegetarian option (S$56) available.

The Otak Toast (S$16) is another dish I enjoyed. It is quite spicy, but you get a thick slab of mackerel fish Otah served on toast along with house salad.

Another side dish I had was the Roti Violet Tuna Wala-Wala (S$15). The highlight for me here is the roti prata itself, topped with crispy tuna flakes seasoned with spices. I am not a big fan of the tuna here, and I would recommend having the best dish instead.

Go for the Little India Vegetable Curry with Roti Prata (Vegetarian, S$17), only available at Jewel. The curry flavour is robust, a mix of various vegetables like eggplant, okra, tomatoes, and cabbage. It is not too spicy, hence it was perfect for me to dip the crispy roti prata into it. It is comforting and familiar at the same time.

I also enjoyed the char-grilled Ayam Panggang Katong (BBQ 1/2, S$16 or 1/4 Chicken S$25), which is only available at Jewel. The chicken meat is tender and moist in texture, served with sour and piquant atchara and VO chilli sauce.

Other dishes I tried include the Crispy Kurobuta Pork Fingerlings with Garlic and Curry leaves (S$18), BBQ Eggplant with Sambal (S$13, Vegetarian) and the Sayur Paku Gulai (S$16, Vegetarian).

Be warned that the halved eggplants are very spicy, grilled and topped with green sambal hijau and spicy Goreng Chilli sambal.

For desserts, my favourite of the lot is surprisingly the Horlicks Cake (S$13). It doesn’t sound promising at first, but the smooth Horlicks buttercream and crunchy malt crumble make it delicious. It is not too sweet either.

Comparatively, hopes were perhaps too high for the Pandan Gula Melaka Cake (S$13) and it would have been better if the gula melaka element could be more intense. That said, the pandan flavour is fragrant and strong, though I would have preferred if there is less buttercream in between the layers.

The Jewel exclusive dessert I had is the Sugee Cake with Calamansi Drizzle and Ice Cream (S$15), a traditional Eurasian cake. Served with vanilla ice cream, I was slightly letdown by it as the versions I had previously from Folklore and Lynnette’s Kitchen are too memorable in terms of flavour.

Rants Prices are on the steep end at Violet Oon.

Will I Return Again? The Jewel outlet for Violet Oon is definitely one of the most beautiful of its outlets at the moment. If you manage to snag a table at the back, you can even catch a glimpse of the light show from the Vortex waterfall at night. Expect hearty dishes and a luxe Peranakan ambience, which makes the restaurant more suited for group dining than couple dates.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

Violet Oon Singapore at Jewel
78 Airport Boulevard, #01-205/206
Singapore 819666
Tel: +65 9834 9935

Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday: 11am to 10pm

Ranted by The Ranter