Violet Oon to open restaurant in Dempsey, will pay S$52,615 a month for rental

Violet Oon will be bringing her renowned repertoire of Peranakan cuisine with the latest venture in Dempsey.

The Singaporean chef was appointed Singapore's food ambassador by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, now known as the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 1988 and is known to specialise in Peranakan cuisine.

She currently has restaurants located in ION Orchard, the National Gallery, and Jewel Changi Airport.

Awarded tender with the top bid of S$52,615

Oon's subsidiary, Halo Concept was awarded the tender at 7 Dempsey #01-05, with the top bid of S$52,615 a month, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) announced in an Instagram post on Aug. 29.

This is about 58 per cent higher than the second highest bid.

The latest restaurant will have a Singapore dining concept, with a mobile cooking studio "for an immersive Singapore culinary experience".

Indoor and outdoor dining spaces set amongst lush greenery are in the works, SLA added.

"Dempsey is one of the oldest State property clusters, with a history stretching back to the 1860s when it was first developed as a British military barrack," added SLA.

"We look forward to the transformation of the State property with renewed vibrancy through the preservation and promotion of Singapore’s rich culinary heritage."

Second highest bid was S$33,295

The current tenant is Contemporary Melting-Pot & Bar (CM-PB), a European bar and restaurant that has occupied the space for 15 years.

The restaurant said their closure is driven by circumstances beyond its control, rather than a voluntary decision to leave, and hopes that there may be an opportunity to bring the restaurant experience to a new location that resonates with the "same spirit and vibrancy".

CM-PB's last day of operation is on Sep. 11.

The operator of CM-PB, Urban Group, had submitted the second highest bid for the space at S$33,295 per month, according to the SLA website.

Culinary Arts Group matched Urban Group with the same offer.

The lowest bid received was S$20,000.

Top photos from Violet Oon's Instagram & SLA website