National Kitchen by Violet Oon

During my trip to Singapore, I finally visited Violet Oon, a restaurant I had been looking forward to. I enjoyed traditional Peranakan cuisine. The dishes were visually stunning, and each had a distinctly Singaporean flavor. The Kuay Pie Tee was a delightful dish, served in a crispy bowl filled with various ingredients. The Beef Rendang featured tenderly cooked beef with a rich spice flavor. It wasn't as spicy as I expected, and had a deep, flavorful taste. The mushroom stew was rich and mellow, a perfect palate cleanser between the spicier dishes. The Nasi Goreng was fragrant, with a great balance of ingredients, and delicious. Because I had mentioned it was our wedding anniversary beforehand, they gave us a complimentary cake. I am truly grateful.

Great setup for a pleasant, posh meal with friends and family. We had beef rendang, lemak fish, udang sambal, brinjal sambal, ayam pongteh. Overall I liked the meal- it wasn't fabulous, Malay food can be made fabulously, but it was quite OK for an intro tho udang & brinjal sambal was much too mild to be called sambal. The lemak fish was real gd but they shd indicate in the menu that they only serve 1 fish & gravy was much too little. Beef rendang was tender & flavorful, & ayam pongteh was ok-gd to me but my 2 frens didn't like it ( but I don't hv a reference to how ayam pongteh shd taste like). For reference we(5 pax) ordered 5 dishes & 4 bowls of steamed rice & tat was gd sizing. Added to that, we had 2 kueh bingka, 1 pulut hitam w coconut ice cream & some coconut delight. All the desserts we agreed, were a dulce delight! Chef's kiss & we finished every bit of it. The restaurant also printed 2 grp photos for 2 birthday ladies in our grp to take home which was a real sweet gesture. Nice restaurant, reservations required, lunch is 12-3pm. I was abit surprised that once we were done w desserts & payment, they politely informed us to leave the restaurant to make way for other guests (we'd been there frm 12-1.30pm therabouts). Overall a great experience, made sweeter by the fact that my frens celebrated & treated us for our birthdays together. Hurrah!

A lovely lunch in a special setting inside the National Gallery. Elegant but still relaxed, with fast, calm and genuinely friendly service. I was made to feel very welcome — including plenty of patience with my poor pronunciation! I started with the Ngoh Hiang, followed by the Nasi Goreng Nyonya with hae bee and prawns. They offered me three different spice levels; I went for a little bit of heat — you have to, right? I finished with the Gula Melaka Tea Cake with gula melaka ice cream, which was rich, coconutty and a very good way to end lunch. I also had the Kopi VO cocktail — vodka, freshly brewed kopi and orange curaçao — and there was absolutely no judgement about ordering a cocktail in the early afternoon! Lots of smiles throughout, excellent food and a really enjoyable experience.

Located on the second floor of the National Gallery, this is one of Singapore's leading Peranakan restaurants. The elegant space, which takes advantage of the grandeur of the historic building, is highly valuable not only for family meals but also as a strategic resting place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and clear one's mind. The attentive service and efficient flow of the staff contribute to a comfortable and enjoyable stay. The dishes, which elevate traditional culinary culture with a modern touch, are prepared with honest care, highlighting the individual flavors of the ingredients. The "Kuay Pie Tee," with its fragrant and light dough and harmonious blend of flavors, is a simple yet delicious dish that even young children will love, while the signature "Hainanese Chicken Rice" boasts perfectly cooked, moist meat and a rich, concentrated broth. The rare value of the space within a cultural heritage site, impeccable hospitality, and refined regional flavors are beautifully harmonized, resulting in an extremely satisfying experience. This restaurant is highly recommended for meals with loved ones or for lunch when you want to experience authentic local gastronomy with your children.

Firstly to be fair, this is not my first time and I had Lunch here before and it’s good. So we decided to try the high tea this time. It was a total disappointment. The food wasn’t delicious. It was juz plain ordinary and everything tasted like prep in advance, it was all cold, even the noodles. The additional disappointment was the selection of tea. From the menu we could see a variety of tea selections, all priced the same at $12. However we were only allowed to choose either the English Breakfast or the Mint tea. I asked if we could top up for a different tea and yes there’s an additional charge of $8, excluding tax!!!!

This long-established restaurant inside the National Gallery has been around for many years. While some facilities look a bit dated, the overall ambiance is quiet and elegant, with attentive service throughout. The window seats offer a fantastic view, directly overlooking the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, perfect for taking photos. The location is excellent, situated in the city center. You can stroll through the gallery before or after your meal, and walk to nearby shopping malls afterward. It's suitable for entertaining friends or taking tourists. However, the food wasn't to my taste; the flavors were average, with nothing particularly outstanding. If you're looking for delicious food, you might be a little disappointed. But if you value the ambiance, view, and location, it's still a safe choice for entertaining guests.

Very nice interiors evoking Peranakan ambiance. Came for lunch on a Friday and there was already a lineup of guests with reservations 10 minutes before opening. Reservations essential. Restaurant is smaller than I had expected. Food is very good; well spiced but not overpowering. Interesting cocktails. Downside is that while the location is superb, this also means this is probably the chain's most touristy location, which takes away from the atmosphere somewhat (not the restaurant's fault, of course)

Came for lunch with a friend visiting from out of town, and it’s a great way to introduce people to local Singaporean food in a fancy way. The interior gives that colonial black and white feeling, very nice waitstaff. The satay was some of the tastiest I’ve had, the beef rendang is very very rich, and the chicken rice was very refined but juicy and tender. Definitely a place to go on a special occasion.