Overall rating ★★★│Singaporean - Malay│50-60 Euros pp│National Gallery, Singapore
Service: ★★★│Food: ★★★★│Location: ★★★★│Price: ★★★│Portions: ★★★★
I visited few years back the National Kitchen by Violet Oon at the historic National Gallery building. The National Gallery restaurant has an old Peranakan opulent interior, with low ceiling where it can get noisy as the restaurant gets packed. There is also an outdoor dining area with views of Marina Bay Sands.
The menu at National Kitchen is curated to reflect Singaporeans’ life experiences.
I had the chance to try the unique Singapore High Tea Set ($56++ for 2 pax) which is served from 3pm to 5pm,
Diners are given a choice of beverage between Tea or National Kitchen’s very own local-style kopi: Kopi Vo. Similar to our high tea sets, the food was served to us on tiered trays. Forget about English scones and dainty tuna sandwiches though; all what was served here had a unique Singaporean style, just dressed up with the same elegance that traditional English high tea is served with.
There were quite a number of savoury dishes on the afternoon tea set. We were advised to start with the lowest layer and work our way up.
For the ‘main course’, we had Hae Bee Hiam Sandwich and Pulled Beef Sambal Pao. The spicy dried shrimp floss filling of the sandwich had great texture and was mildly sweet and spicy.
In the world of desserts, this is where I honestly wasn’t sure which was which. They all had unique flavours but what I did enjoy the most was what I think is the Kueh Dah Dah; Grated coconut cooked with gula melaka (palm sugar syrup) wrapped in pandan infused crepe.
The restaurant had a separate section adorned with various food items for takeaway. If you enjoyed certain dishes of the high tea, you can even buy something to take home, especially the sweet dishes such as the cakes. There is also a wide array of teas for selection.
You should try this experience and taste all the Singapore rich food culture surrounded by a great environment and atmosphere.
National Kitchen by Violet Oon Website: https://violetoon.com/national-kitchen-by-violet-oon-national-gallery-singapore/
National Kitchen by Violet Oon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violetoonsingapore/?hl=en
National Kitchen by Violet Oon Address: 1 St Andrew's Rd, #02–01 National Gallery, Singapore 178957