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Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Unlock Singapore's insider gems on your next getaway
1. Burnt Ends For fine dining with an approachable, meaty twist This isn't your backyard barbecue – Burnt Ends turns up the heat with a slick open kitchen concept, where you can watch the chefs char, smoke, and sear juicy meats on its custom four-tonne, dual cavity oven and elevation grills. The menu changes daily, so every visit feels like a fresh new flavour trip, earning them a spot on the World's 50 Best and Asia's 50 Best Restaurants – and a feature on top fine dining picks in Singapore. 2. National Kitchen by Violet Oon Singapore For elevated local flavours in an art gallery Helmed by the doyenne of Peranakan cuisine, Violet Oon, National Kitchen is a love letter to Singapore's rich culinary heritage. It's also the perfect pit stop after exploring the artworks at National Gallery Singapore. Treat yourself to her famed beef rendang in an elegant dining hall steeped in charm or head to the verandah for local bar bites, sunset cocktails, and sweeping views of the city skyline. 3. HighHouse For sunset cocktails with the best aerial views Take your sundown plans sky-high – 61 floors up, to be exact – at HighHouse. Enjoy panoramic skyline views, a tasty menu of bites and cocktails, plus a rotating lineup of live music and DJs. Plush booths and dining tables line the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Marina Bay and the Padang. Time Out tip: head up to Nova, pick for Singapore's highest rooftop bar, for a next-level view with your nightcap. 4. Singapore Botanic Gardens For a lush, UNESCO-worthy stroll A crown jewel in Singapore's green scene, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Singapore Botanic Gardens is a lush escape packed with gems. Feed black Australian swans at Swan Lake, journey through the Evolution Garden, or explore the world's largest orchid collection – including the iconic Vanda Miss Joaquim – at the National Orchid Garden. Weekends bring rainforest tours and concerts by Symphony Lake, while kids can run wild at the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. 5. Skyline Luge Sentosa For a thrilling ride down the tracks or above the trees It's no mystery why the Skyline Luge is a firm crowd favourite – and it's ranked on list of top attractions for families and thrill-seekers. Buckle up for a ride that's part go-kart, part toboggan. Grab the kids or your thrill-seeking mates and race down four action-packed tracks, each packed with hairpin bends, tunnels and speedy slopes through Sentosa's lush greenery. When you hit the bottom, hop on the Skyride for sweeping views of the Singapore skyline and South China Sea. 6. ArtScience Museum For interactive, otherworldly art exhibitions Blending art and science under one futuristic lotus-shaped roof, the ArtScience Museum pulls off a tricky balancing act with special, interactive displays and creative workshops for the curious. Its permanent exhibition Future World: Where Art Meets Science, created with Japan's teamLab, has just had a glow-up, featuring brand-new immersive works alongside crowd-favourite interactive installations and dreamy soundscapes. The unique building recently made it onto list of most Instagrammable museums, and it's worth a gawk on the outside, too. 7. The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore For a luxe stay in a heritage landmark The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore makes its grand home in two restored icons – the neoclassical Capitol Building and Venetian Renaissance-style Stamford House. Right in the heart of the civic district, it's the ideal crash pad for museum-hopping downtown. Expect lofty corniced ceilings, dramatic archways, and street-facing windows in its plush rooms. It's also one of top-rated heritage hotels, with five-star service to match. Don't miss 15 Stamford by celeb chef Alvin Leung, where Asian flavours get a bold, globe-trotting twist in a glam, Art Deco-inspired setting. 8. The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore For a waterfront base near iconic attractions Perched on the edge of Marina Bay, The Fullerton Bay Hotel is a knockout – and not just because of the postcard-worthy views. The grand lobby, set in the historic Clifford Pier, stuns with its soaring arches, while every room offers a front-row seat to the bay. Make the most of it with the Bay View room, which has a bathtub positioned perfectly to soak in those skyline views. You're also minutes from icons like the Merlion and Esplanade, but don't rush off – the rooftop pool and bar deserve your time too. 9. Ya Kun Kaya Toast For breakfast done the Singaporean way A true Singapore icon, Ya Kun Kaya Toast has been fuelling mornings and afternoon kopi breaks since 1944. Step into one of its retro-style coffee shops and order up the OG combo, featuring crisp bread slathered with rich kaya and a slab of butter, paired with soft-boiled eggs and a strong cup of kopi. It also tops the list of must-try local breakfasts, and once you taste it, you'll know why. 10. Jigger & Pony For award-winning, local-inspired cocktails A stalwart of Singapore's bar scene, Jigger & Pony ranks an impressive fifth on the World's 50 Best Bars 2024 list – and it's a consistent top pick for craft cocktails. It nails the art of the classic cocktail, adding just the right touch of reinvention. Favourites like the espresso martini and yuzu whisky sour still shine, while the new Embrace menu brings bold surprises like the savoury Peanut Alexander and herbaceous Basil Smash. 11. MARQUEE Singapore For a party with an indoor Ferris wheel and slides When it comes to throwing a big bash, no one does it quite like MARQUEE – Singapore's largest nightclub. Tucked inside the iconic Marina Bay Sands, this supersized club sprawls across 2,300sqm and three towering levels, with 30-metre-high ceilings and an actual indoor Ferris wheel overlooking the dancefloor. Bring your best moves: resident DJs and global heavyweights keep the beats pumping on a cutting-edge Funktion One system. 12. Explore more with There's plenty more in Singapore to discover, so let and be your go-to travel companions. From user-approved attractions to top-rated stays and curated itineraries just like this one, everything you need for an unforgettable vacation is right at your fingertips. Whether you're in the mood for city thrills, cultural deep dives or a bit of both, helps you explore Singapore – and beyond – with confidence and ease. Find out more here.
Straits Times
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
SG60 F&B icons: 12 people, happenings and places that shaped Singapore's vibrant food culture
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The likes of chef-restaurateurs Violet Oon, Hooi Kok Wai and Sin Leong share the spotlight in this week's showcase of 12 F&B icons, in the final part of ST Food's four-part SG60 weekly series. SINGAPORE – The nation's vibrant food culture would not be what it is today without several key people, happenings and places that have played significant roles. These include the likes of chef-restaurateurs Violet Oon and Damian D'Silva – the OG trailblazers who are still on a mission to preserve heritage dishes and tell the story of Singapore food in new, modern ways. Then there are the younger tastemakers – pastry chef Janice Wong, chef-owner Bjorn Shen and coffee entrepreneur Leon Foo, one of the pioneers of third wave coffee in Singapore. They share the spotlight in this week's showcase of 12 F&B icons, in the final part of ST Food's four-part SG60 weekly series. Other icons include significant happenings such as the Ramadan bazaars, as well as the integrated resorts – Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands – which have been instrumental in elevating the Republic's gourmet status on the global food map. Bjorn Shen Chef Bjorn Shen of Artichoke at his restaurant in New Bahru. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN The trucker cap, the bald pate, the beard, the tattoos – chef Bjorn Shen is instantly recognisable at his restaurant, and on television as one of the judges of MasterChef Singapore. The 43-year-old is the owner of Artichoke, a restaurant in New Bahru. It celebrates its 15th birthday on Aug 10. In Singapore, where restaurants open and shut at warp speed, that is significant. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Asia 'Every day, we think about how to upgrade': China's factories see rise in robot adoption Singapore Sheng Siong to open first store in Orchard by end-August Sport Spurs captain Son Heung-min says he is leaving the English Premier League club Life Tastemakers: Burnt-out serial entrepreneur cooks up $16m success with Lau Wang Claypot Delights Asia 'This isn't some concubine selection': Why matchmaking events for rich Chinese have drawn flak Chef Shen did not become successful serving upscale versions of the food he grew up eating or telling stories about cooking with his mother or grandmother. He did it serving his take on Middle Eastern food. He got into it while working with Middle Eastern cooks in a Greek restaurant in Brisbane, where he studied hospitality and tourism at The University of Queensland. Diners were confused at first but they soon took to his falafel, hummus and Lambgasm, a slow-roasted lamb shoulder. After 15 years, he is restless, and on Aug 15, Artichoke will go from New School Middle Eastern restaurant to New School Pizza Parlor. In the crowded pizza scene in Singapore, he has found a way to stand out. His pizza is not Neapolitan, all the rage now. Instead, he is introducing the Slab, a hybrid of the Detroit and Roman al taglio styles. He says this is closer to the pizza Singaporeans grew up with; a thicker crust, very crunchy, and with a lot of toppings that go right up to the edge. A sprinkling of pecorino and mozzarella cheeses goes under the dough before the pie is placed in the oven. Cheesy top and cheesy bottom. That is how you Artichoke a pizza. Damian D'Silva Chef Damian D'Silva showcases Singapore heritage food at his restaurants. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH If Violet Oon is the doyenne of Singapore food, then Damian D'Silva is the doyen. The 68-year-old was born to a Eurasian father and Eurasian-Peranakan mother, and his knowledge of Eurasian, Peranakan, Malay, Indian and Chinese food is deep and wide. A big part of it came from roaming around Singapore with his paternal grandfather, the late Gilmore D'Silva, to eat. The older Mr D'Silva also taught his grandson to cook. Chef D'Silva went on to open restaurants, starting with French bistro Citrine Chocolat in 2000. As his career progressed, he dug deeper into Singapore heritage food, unearthing old recipes, seeking out herbs and ingredients that modern cooks do not use or even know about. He now runs Rempapa in Paya Lebar, which showcases the rich culinary legacy of Singapore. He has also been a judge on MasterChef Singapore since the reality cooking competition started in 2018. Later in 2025 , Rempapa moves to the National Gallery Singapore , and he will also open Gilmore & Damian D'Silva there in mid-October. The restaurant's name and menu pay homage to his grandfather. And the location is special too. From 1939 to 1969, his grandfather was caretaker of the Supreme Court, which is what the building used to house. For the latest restaurant, he is resurrecting 200-year-old recipes, but serving them in ways to intrigue new generations of diners. Some 70 per cent of the menu will be Eurasian dishes and 30 per cent Chinese ones. The new part of the equation will be salads served alongside some dishes to complement them and to refresh the palate. In 2025, chef D'Silva is telling the story of Singapore food in a different way. Food events The annual Takashimaya Mid-Autumn Fair in 2024. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE The events that are worth waiting for now tend to be the food ones. Highly anticipated food fairs – usually at malls – attract flocks of hungry shoppers browsing for good bargains or sampling event-exclusive treats from local and international brands. Takashimaya Department Store offers some of the biggest fairs – whether for Chinese New Year or the Mid-Autumn Festival – said to churn out millions of dollars in sales. Its latest SG60-themed fair, running till Aug 11, has launched at Takashimaya Square. It offers a mix of retail and food offerings, such as nostalgic bakes from Sembawang Confectionery and snacks from Shermay's Singapore Fine Food. Similarly, Tangs department store also runs festive fairs . There are also plenty of smaller-scale pop-up fairs scattered across different malls, offering convenience to customers and exposure to business owners out of their shops or online platforms. And while there may be fewer outdoor food events, annual food-centric event GastroBeats still proves a hit among younger diners hunting down Instagram-worthy offerings. It ran at the Bayfront Event Space next to Marina Bay Sands from May 29 to June 22. Halal food and flea market Twilight: Flea & Feast just completed its third edition on July 27 and will return at Suntec City from Dec 19 to 21. Next up, get ready for the mooncake frenzy in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival on Oct 6. Hawker centres Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre. ST PHOTO: CHEONG POH KWAN There are more than 120 hawker centres in Singapore and pretty much everyone, except people who live in bubbles, has some sort of contact with them every day. Whether it is walking past one or dropping by for an inexpensive snack or meal, hawker centres are entrenched in the lives of Singaporeans. They are unique. While Malaysia, Thailand, India and many other countries have excellent street food, in Singapore, there is a concerted government effort to group street food vendors in clean spaces with running water, electricity and proper seating. That is why hawker centres made it to Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020. They are the nation's dining rooms, places where people in this multicultural city full of foodies gather to eat, drink and debate the merits of this or that stall. They are social places, where people gather for kopi and fellowship. They are political spaces, where politicians turn up to meet a wide cross-section of the population and to press palms with potential voters. In his 2024 book From Streets To Stalls, author Ryan Kueh traces hawking back to 14th-century Singapore, when street vendors emerged to feed and water the merchants who came to do business in what was called Temasek. During British rule, when street hawking boomed and led to hygiene and other lapses, the government introduced legislation, and hawker shelters with running water, to clean up the trade. Those shelters have evolved into the hawker centres of today, and while there is constant soul-searching about hawkers calling it a day and the threat that poses, the culture is still very much alive. The late American chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain said in a 2017 interview about Singapore's approach to hawker centres: 'They have this understanding that street vendors are multi-generational operations of people who have more or less been doing the thing they are doing very well over time. That this is something worth saving and preserving in the face of the terrible onslaught of generic fast-food chains.' Integrated resorts Celebrity chefs (from left) Daniel Boulud, Guy Savoy, the late Santi Santamaria, Tetsuya Wakuda and Justin Quek at the SkyPark of Marina Bay Sands, when it was officially opened in 2010. PHOTO: ST FILE When integrated resorts Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) made their splashy debuts in 2010, the foodie world sat up. Celebrity chefs may not have been new to Singapore then, but when you have the likes of Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck, Australian chef Tetsuya Wakuda and French chef Daniel Boulud assembling restaurants under one roof – reservations get made. Not only did they shake up the upscale restaurant scene in Singapore, but they also brought in the stars – RWS hosted the debut of Singapore's Michelin Guide in 2016. MBS, the guide's latest event venue on July 24, had its steakhouse Cut and Japanese restaurant Waku Ghin retain one-Michelin-starred status. The Michelin Guide award ceremony at Marina Bay Sands on July 24. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Travelling to RWS was not deemed too far when it was home to the now-defunct three-Michelin-starred Joel Robuchon Restaurant and two-Michelin-starred sister outlet L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon – both launched to much fanfare in 2011. Over the years, both RWS and MBS have constantly refreshed their offerings, with more in the pipeline. New developments at MBS include the debut of Cantonese fine-dining restaurant Jin Ting Wan and the reopening of rooftop restaurant-bar Ce La Vi, which has refreshed its interiors and menu. MBS' upcoming fourth tower – expected to be completed in June 2030 – includes 570 suites, luxury retail boutiques and signature rooftop and dining experiences. Over at RWS, the buzz is all about recently opened lifestyle enclave Weave – home to the world's largest Pierre Herme Paris outlet, the first permanent Coach Coffee Shop in Singapore , as well as the upcoming Peking Chamber from Beijing and two new dining concepts by French chef Paul Pairet. Janice Wong Chocolatier Janice Wong at her cafe at Gardens by the Bay's Supertree Observatory. PHOTO: ST FILE In the fickle dining scene, local dessert queen Janice Wong, 42, has always forged her own path. Her 2am: dessertbar has been a fixture in Holland Village since 2007. In 2014, her Pure Imagination brand was established, selling a wide range of confectionery products, including custom chocolate bonbons, cakes and ice cream. Her artistic approach to chocolate- and dessert-making has won her global recognition. She was named Asia's Best Pastry Chef by Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2013 and 2014, and given the Pastry Innovation Award by French restaurant guide La Liste in 2024. She was a guest chef in Season 7 of reality cooking competition MasterChef Australia in 2015, where contestants had to recreate her intricate cassis plum dessert in a pressure test. Wong gained further international acclaim in the documentary movie Ottolenghi And The Cakes Of Versailles (2020) – joining Israeli-British celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi and other pastry chefs to put on a Versailles-themed culinary gala – and the Netflix documentary series Chefs Uncut (2024). Often invited to showcase her edible art creations overseas, she will be presenting a 2.4m-tall cake installation at the Festival Of Cake in Dubai from Nov 28 to Dec 2. Going even further on her chocolate journey, she started a bean-to-bar project in 2021 with 70 cacao trees planted at Spectra Secondary School in Woodlands. Since then, she has proven that Singapore can produce chocolate, scaling up to grow cacao trees in several locations across schools, hospitals and community gardens. Her chocolates and sweet treats are available from her shops at Paragon Shopping Centre, Republic Plaza and Gardens by the Bay's Supertree Observatory. Overseas, she has a branch of 2am: dessertbar at the W Sydney hotel. And in line with SG60, the home-grown chocolatier has several collaborations, with brewery-restaurant LeVeL33, The Rose Veranda at Shangri-La Singapore and The NCO Club in Beach Road. K.F. Seetoh Food consultant and street food champion K.F. Seetoh. PHOTO: ST FILE He wears many hats – prominent food critic, consultant and photojournalist – but is probably best known for being a passionate champion of Singapore's hawker culture. Before big-name international food lists came along, there was Mr K.F. Seetoh, 63, and his hawker food guide Makansutra, first published in 1998. In February, the 13th e-edition was launched with 500 listings with chopstick ratings – three pairs of chopsticks meaning Die Die Must Try. Since 2005, he has been running the popular Makansutra Gluttons Bay at the Esplanade, and he is also the creator of the biennial World Street Food Congress. The event, which brings together street food culture from different countries, debuted in Singapore in 2013 and held events in the Philippines till 2017. With his event and business expertise, he was tapped by the late American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain as a consultant for his Bourdain Market food hall, envisioned as a sprawling space in New York City for street hawkers from around the world. While that project did not materialise, Mr Seetoh launched Singapore-inspired food hall Urban Hawker near Times Square in New York in 2022, in collaboration with Urbanspace, a food hall management company. He no longer manages Urban Hawker, but Makansutra still runs chicken rice outlet Hainan Jones, which has a stall at Urban Hawker, as well as a second outpost at DeKalb Market Hall in Brooklyn. Other projects in Singapore include an event to elevate regional street food into a hotel setting at Raffles Hotel Singapore 's Raffles Courtyard . The latest edition – The Return Of The Regional Hawker Showcase – is a five-part culinary series highlighting five unique hawkers from Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Two more are coming up – Chitty Nonya from Melaka in August and Lechon Pampanga from the Philippines in September. His first hawker showcase with the hotel started in 2022. Hotel guests can also follow a self-guided three-hour tour, curated by the Guru of Grub himself, to explore the island's renowned street food destinations. Leon Foo Mr Leon Foo, founder of PPP Coffee and the Morning coffee machine. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Mr Leon Foo was just 27 when he became one of the pioneers of third wave coffee in Singapore. The accountancy graduate from Nanyang Technological University had worked in corporate finance, but switched gears after the 2008 financial crisis made him rethink his life. Cue the start of Papa Palheta, a coffee roasting and wholesale business, in 2009. It was just the right time. Speciality coffee – with its focus on higher-quality beans, where the beans are grown and the roasting process – was just taking off in Singapore. Mr Foo, 42, built Papa Palheta, now called PPP Coffee, into a successful business. There are now three cafes – Chye Seng Huat Hardware in Tyrwhitt Road, and PPP Coffee at New Bahru and Funan mall. He also has Stellar M, which supplies coffee equipment such as espresso machines and coffee grinders for homes and businesses. In 2020, he decided to take on Nespresso by designing his own coffee capsule machine. Morning, his start-up, launched The Morning Machine in 2021. It has raised more than $17 million in funding and is on track to be profitable in 2026. The genius is in the design of the machine and the ecosystem around it. Unlike with Nespresso machines, users can adjust the brewing temperature and pressure on their Morning machine, which also comes with a built-in scale. Or they can use the app to scan the box of capsules they are using, so the pre-programmed settings are transmitted to the machine for it to brew a cuppa to the roaster's specifications. Morning also provides a marketplace with more than 150 varieties of capsules from over 60 roasters all over the world. The Morning Machine, priced at $660, has sold more than 18,000 units in 40 countries since 2021. There is also The Morning Mini ($399), which has sold more than 5,000 units since 2024, and The Morning Dream ($495) milk steamer and frother, which has sold more than 6,000 units since 2024. Not bad for a coffee pioneer who once had 'capsules are dead' printed on saucers in his cafe. Queueing for food A queue for bak kwa in Chinatown before Chinese New Year in 2024. PHOTO: ST FILE Never mind that the shops are open year round and rarely does a customer have to wait long to be served. When Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival roll around, long queues form at bak kwa and rice dumpling shops. Embedded in the Singapore DNA is the queueing gene. New bakeries, bubble tea shops, cafes and restaurants with some buzz around them attract queues. But Singaporeans do not just queue for the new thing. There are still lines out the door for bak chor mee institution Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle in Crawford Lane, the only hawker stall with a Michelin star. Queueing has even become an expression of love and affection. I love you, therefore I queue hours to buy you bak kwa/bak chang/macarons/croissants/doughnuts/bubble tea. Why else do people love the queue? It is wrapped up in Singaporean traits – kiasuism and safety in numbers. If the guy in front of me is willing to queue hours for a burger that went viral, I will do it too. I cannot lose to him. I, too, must eat that burger. If so many people are willing to queue so long for croissants, they must be good, right? Ramadan bazaars The Ramadan bazaar at Kampong Gelam in March. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG The holy month of Ramadan also heralds the return of the highly anticipated bazaars offering a mix of retail and food options. The two major ones are in Kampong Gelam and Geylang Serai, along with a growing number of smaller bazaars taking place islandwide. Tradition sits next to trendy eats – you can savour banana leaf-wrapped nasi lemak, kueh and handmade otah alongside a cheese-filled croissant drenched in a sweet chocolate-based sauce, paired with a matcha latte. And while bazaars have received their fair share of criticism for exorbitant rents and a lack of traditional Malay cuisine, they have also become a creative hive showcasing young Muslim entrepreneurs offering trendy dishes. Many of them take the opportunity to launch their F&B dreams at these physical pop-ups. Golden Bao, for example, launched by a group of friends, made its big bazaar debut earlier in 2025 selling handmade Chinese-style beef and chicken roti. Popular stall Golden Bao, which sells handmade Chinese-style beef and chicken roti, at the Kampong Gelam Ramadan bazaar in 2025. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN FILE Since then, the popular stall has popped up at other events and is at Malaysia Fest, held at Singapore Expo, till Aug 3. Red Star Restaurant Helming Red Star Restaurant are (clockwise from bottom left) chef Hooi Kok Wai and his son Chris, and Mr Paul Sin and his father, chef Sin Leong. PHOTO: ST FILE When Heavenly Kings open a restaurant, a Red Star is born. The 600-seat restaurant in a Chin Swee Road multi-storey carpark has quite a history. Four chefs opened it 51 years ago: Sin Leong, Hooi Kok Wai, Tham Yui Kai and Lau Yoke Pui. They were known as the Heavenly Kings of Singapore cuisine and were the most important Chinese chefs at the time. They were proteges of Shanghainese chef Luo Chen at Cathay Restaurant in the 1950s before going on to open their own restaurants. In 1974, they came together to open Red Star. They also made waves by 'inventing' the Chinese New Year staple of yusheng. They turned the humble plate of sliced raw fish, dressed with sesame oil and scallions and eaten with congee, into a show-stopping dish. Finely shredded vegetables, toasted seeds and nuts, pickled and preserved vegetables as well as raw fish are tossed at the table with plum dressing by diners wielding chopsticks and shouting auspicious sayings. At its peak , the restaurant was the place to hold wedding banquets and other important celebrations. It even boasts a stage for those events. Today, chefs Sin, 98, and Hooi, 86, run the restaurant with their sons Paul Sin, 64, and Chris Hooi, 60. The restaurant, one of very few left that serve dim sum from push carts, is still busy, with regulars jostling with newer diners looking for a taste of nostalgia in Singapore. Violet Oon Cooking doyenne Violet Oon (centre) with her children Tay Yiming (left) and Tay Su-lyn at their flagship restaurant in Dempsey. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN Food writer, restaurant critic, cookbook author, television personality, ambassador for Singapore food and restaurateur – Violet Oon's life in food has made her one of Singapore's most recognisable icons. The 76-year-old, who in her heyday could make or break a restaurant or hawker stall with her reviews, has become one of the go-to people for those wanting to find out more about Singapore food. She amassed that knowledge growing up with Peranakan relatives who taught her to cook, from speaking to chefs as part of her work, and from eating widely and deeply in Singapore and abroad. She now has three Violet Oon restaurants – at the National Gallery Singapore and Ion Orchard, and in Dempsey Road. More will follow. Some of her years have been rocky. Her restaurant businesses did not always succeed. In 2014, she suffered a stroke. She was, she says, a model patient during her month-long stay in hospital and recovered. In 2022, she and her children, with whom she runs the restaurants, brought a shareholder oppression suit against former business partner Manoj Murjani and his company Group MMM. They won in 2024. Ms Oon, her daughter Tay Su-lyn, 48, and her son Tay Yiming, 43, now have full control of the company. Her children stepped in to help her in 2012 and she credits them with making her restaurant business a success. Together, they ensure the Violet Oon name remains front and centre in diners' minds and her legacy continues.
Bloomberg
26-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Singapore's S$5 Billion Stock Market Revival Begins With a Whisper
Each week we'll bring you insights into one of Asia's most dynamic economies. If you haven't yet, please sign up here. Hoi Yuet Woo chats to retail investors to find out if Singapore stocks are getting exciting yet. Benicia Tan digs deeper into the recent cyberattacks on Singapore's critical information infrastructure. Katrina Nicholas dines on Violet Oon's high-end Peranakan delights.
CNA
27-05-2025
- General
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Liverpool tragedy: Aaron Kok one street over from car ploughing through crowd
CNA938 Rewind - Liverpool tragedy: Aaron Kok one street over from car ploughing through crowd A car has ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating their side's Premier League soccer title. But authorities don't think the incident was terrorism-related. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak with Aaron Kok, Founder and CEO, 1896 Travel, who was in the vicinity when the tragedy unfolded. 11 mins CNA938 Rewind - Liverpool tragedy: Singaporean tour operator in Liverpool A car ploughed into large crowds of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating the Reds Premier League title. Police say they do not believe the incident was terror related. A 53-year-old British man has been arrested. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak with Mirza Salim, Founder and Director of Matchday Affairs, a tour agency organising fan trips to EPL football matches. 13 mins CNA938 Rewind - Violet Oon – a culinary icon with a thirst for knowledge & hunger for life In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Chef Violet Oon, widely known as Singapore's doyenne of Peranakan cuisine. Chef Violet will discuss highlights of her culinary career which include how her turn as a music, arts critic and food journalist informed her approach to food; how she has worked closely with her two children – CEO Tay Yiming and creative director Tay Su-Lyn – to further build on her life's work. She'll also talk about her newly opened restaurant at Dempsey Hill and why she considers it a homecoming of sorts. 36 mins CNA938 Rewind - Mad about pagodas! ACM's 'Pagoda Odyssey 1915: From Shanghai to San Francisco' In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro finds out about Asian Civilisations Museum's ongoing exhibition 'Pagoda Odyssey 1915: From Shanghai to San Francisco', featuring 84 hand-carved models , together for the first time in over a century. Dr Kevin Lam, Senior Curator for Chinese Art at ACM will talk about how the pagodas were originally made in Shanghai, and will highlight iconic pagodas from different regions and historical periods. 16 mins
CNA
27-05-2025
- General
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Liverpool tragedy: Singaporean tour operator in Liverpool
CNA938 Rewind - Liverpool tragedy: Singaporean tour operator in Liverpool A car ploughed into large crowds of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating the Reds Premier League title. Police say they do not believe the incident was terror related. A 53-year-old British man has been arrested. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak with Mirza Salim, Founder and Director of Matchday Affairs, a tour agency organising fan trips to EPL football matches. 13 mins CNA938 Rewind - Violet Oon – a culinary icon with a thirst for knowledge & hunger for life In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Chef Violet Oon, widely known as Singapore's doyenne of Peranakan cuisine. Chef Violet will discuss highlights of her culinary career which include how her turn as a music, arts critic and food journalist informed her approach to food; how she has worked closely with her two children – CEO Tay Yiming and creative director Tay Su-Lyn – to further build on her life's work. She'll also talk about her newly opened restaurant at Dempsey Hill and why she considers it a homecoming of sorts. 36 mins CNA938 Rewind - Mad about pagodas! ACM's 'Pagoda Odyssey 1915: From Shanghai to San Francisco' In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro finds out about Asian Civilisations Museum's ongoing exhibition 'Pagoda Odyssey 1915: From Shanghai to San Francisco', featuring 84 hand-carved models , together for the first time in over a century. Dr Kevin Lam, Senior Curator for Chinese Art at ACM will talk about how the pagodas were originally made in Shanghai, and will highlight iconic pagodas from different regions and historical periods. 16 mins CNA938 Rewind - Reunion 3.0 – a one-day concert featuring a rich tapestry of heritage tunes In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with the key people involved Reunion 3.0, part of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre's Cultural Extravaganza 2025 festival. Reunion 3.0 is a one-day concert on 31 May performed by Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra Alumni. Conductor & curator Dr Lien Boon Hua will describe how it'll embrace a diverse repertoire of music – from the cross-cultural Jewel of Srivijaya to modern-day 'Ghibli's Delivery Service' and more. Benjamin Boo, percussion soloist for Reunion 3.0, will talk about the different instruments he'll play and what makes Reunion 3.0 truly unique. 32 mins
