Chef
Violet Oon
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Singapore, Singapore
i. Biography
Coming Up
Culinary Curator & Chef at Violet Oon Singapore is one of the clearest expressions of Violet Oon’s long work with Nyonya food: not just as cuisine, but as memory, method, and public reference point. Born in Malaysia and Singaporean by nationality, she has moved through the region’s food culture as writer, restaurateur, and interpreter, with the page and the dining room serving the same brief in different forms. Journalism gave Violet Oon a working vocabulary for appetite before restaurants gave that vocabulary a room. As features and music journalist at New Nation, then food columnist at New Nation (from 1974), she wrote food as something observed, named, and placed in context. The run continued as writer at The Singapore Monitor and then as founder and editor of The Food Paper (1987–1996), where editorial work aligned with a deeper focus on food as culture and identity. That progression from reporting to making later took physical form as founder and restaurateur at Violet Oon's Kitchen in Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City (1993–1996), followed by operator at Three cafes (1995–1996). The same pattern held in later openings: founder and restaurateur at Violet Oon's Kitchen in Toa Payoh (2009–2010), then founder and restaurateur at Violet Oon's Kitchen in Bukit Timah (2012–2015). Each site extended the same culinary line into a new setting. Today, that line continues through her current roles as food ambassador of Singapore of Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (since 1988), food consultant of Food consultancy business (since 1995), founder and restaurateur and Culinary Curator & chef of Violet Oon Singapore (since 2015), and founder and restaurateur of National Kitchen by Violet Oon (since 2015). Across those roles, the constant is continuity: keeping flavour legible, service direct, and Singapore’s culinary memory in circulation.
Where They Are Now
Violet Oon Singapore functions as the present-day vessel for Violet Oon’s approach to dining: rooted, composed, and attentive to place. Her own words on expansion show how closely setting and concept are tied in her work: "We have always wanted a standalone “estate” home at Dempsey Hill, for all 3 of us, Dempsey is a distinctive dining enclave with lots of charm and a relaxed mood that harks back to a bygone era in Singapore life." The point is not decoration. It is how a room, a site, and a menu can be aligned around atmosphere, memory, and a specific Singaporean sense of dining.
Signature
Singaporean Chilli Crab is among Violet Oon’s signature dishes. It fits the register she has worked in for years: direct, recognisable, and anchored in Singaporean taste, while still sitting within her broader focus on Nyonya food.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Violet
What is Violet Oon's current role?
As of 2026, Violet Oon is Culinary Curator & Chef.
Where did Violet Oon work before?
Violet Oon's earlier career included New Nation, New Nation, and The Singapore Monitor.
What recognition has Violet Oon received?
Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence (2018).
