The look is elegant Raffles-meets-the-E&O at culinary doyenne Violet Oon’s latest establishment, Violet Oon Satay Bar & Grill, at Clarke Quay.

Daging panggan sambal hijau Angus beef

Here, refined versions of traditional satay and grilled dishes, cooked on a glass-cased charcoal grill, take centre-stage. The range of satays on offer are high end, featuring pork tenderloin ($16) in the Hainanese tradition, Angus beef ($17), tiger prawns ($20) and the less common but no less traditional tripe ($15).

Tripe satay

The grilled mains are creative presentations based on Peranakan flavours. The garam assam barramundi with pineapple and ginger flower ($32) is melt-in-your-mouth with spicy, well-balanced flavours. There’s also hae bee hiam whole seabass with chinchalok ($42) and buah keluak otak ($16). For dessert, don’t miss the chendol with durian pengat sauce ($15) served with gula melaka ice.

Chendol with durian pengat sauce

A long communal table dominating the dining room invites guests to a traditional tok panjang, while the bar offers nostalgic concoctions reminiscent of colonial plantation tipples.

#01-18 Clarke Quay, 3B River Valley Road. Tel: 98349935

Cover: Interior, Violet Oon Satay Bar & Grill

This was first published in Wine & Dine’s April 2017 issue, ‘Restaurants’