Who says fashion people don't eat? In fact, we do and we eat really, really well at exceptional places such as Violet Oon Singapore at Jewel Changi Airport

What is a Singapore Tatler party without merry-making and importantly, feasting? Often, food is our top priority during the planning stage. And this year's Tatler Fashion Awards, which was themed "Neon Jungle", was no different. While we focused on making our annual fashion event exceptional—including a fresh take on a runway show—we also provided fellow style lovers with the best meal to match the outstanding threads on parade. That was why we chose the newest outpost of Violet Oon Singapore in Jewel Changi Airport, and we held the party on the day the much-anticipated building opened its doors to the public.

With chef Violet Oon, the grand doyenne of local and Peranakan cuisine, at the helm of the kitchen, everyone knew they were in for a meal cooked with love and a whole lot of +65 authenticity. A clear indication that the party's spread earned everyone's approval: none of the guests left without sinking their teeth into the Burbur Cha Cha Pannacotta, the last dessert of the evening. 

(Related: Tatler Fashion Awards 2019: Inside The Party)

Savouries

All the dishes were served butler-style, except for the chicken satay, which was brought to the table and kicked off the evening on the right note. The bite-sized wonders complemented with overflowing champagne and wines made for a night full of revelry. The intimate party allowed our fashionable guests to let their hair down on a Friday, and enjoy lively conversations as you would in a stylish house party. 

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Photo 1 of 7 The Meatless Meatball Rendang is the local answer to Impossible Foods. The walnut and cheese dumpling is braised in a creamy coconut cream sauce flavoured with kaffir and bay leaves—tastes just like meatballs our mothers would make.
Photo 2 of 7 What's there to complain about the Chicken Satay when chef Violet actually owns a satay bar grill restaurant? Perfectly chargrilled chunks of meat with a peanut sauce that is thick, aromatic and piquant at the same time.
Photo 3 of 7 Sweet, tangy, spicy, a pop of Sambal Kim Chiam Udang cleans the palette up immediately. Now you're ready for the next dish.
Photo 4 of 7 Chilli Crab on Mantou is Singapore's favourite crustacean dish without the mess.
Photo 5 of 7 We wonder why many guests popped numerous servings of Otak with Coconut Cream on Crostini one after another. It must rank as one of the favourite dishes of the evening.
Photo 6 of 7 We love how the chick pea puree on Curried Chick Pea works like jam on bread, just savoury and spicy.
Photo 7 of 7 Coronation Chicken on Crispy Wanton Leaf shows an art of culinary texture as the crispy fried wanton skin was the perfect match for the succulent and juicy chicken chunk.

Small Plates

While the canape-style savouries kept everyone satisfied, guests were looking forward to the main dishes after cheering enthusiastically for the models and Tatler friends including Annabel Böhm, Peggy Jeffs, Adeline Teo, and Yenny Then, who walked the show for the Christian Dada fashion showcase. And they were not disappointed—when the hospitable wait staff brought the trays of main dishes out, the gorgeous aroma wafted through the air.  

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Photo 1 of 3 While Tauhu Goreng is prepared the same way as the traditional Malay dish, it was chef Violet's sweet and tangy peanut sauce that stole the show—and our hearts.
Photo 2 of 3 Preparing suan pan zi (taro dumplings) requires several tedious steps, but the Hakka Abacus Beads, which have been tossed with dried cuttle fish, ground chicken, dried shrimp, Chinese mushrooms, beancurd and Chinese celery, show that patience produces remarkable dishes.
Photo 3 of 3 When it comes to chef Violet's Dry Laksa dish, here's our piece of advice: junk the diet plan for the meal, and sink your teeth into the rice noodle slathered with laksa gravy, which is spicy, aromatic and lemak (rich in Malay) at the same time.

(Related: Violet Oon’s ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Dumpling Recipe)

Dessert

After 10 courses of dishes with robust flavours—as Peranakan food should rightly be—dessert made for a brilliant end to a spectacular evening of fashion and food. Eye surgeon and Tatler friend Ho Ching Lin puts it best. Grabbing a shot glass of Burbur Cha Cha Pannacotta before she left for the evening, she remarked "Oh, this is so good, lucky I didn't miss this!" 

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Photo 1 of 3 The Singaporean version of petit fours, the Neon Coconut Candy is made of compressed grated coconut, making each pop a delight in your mouth.
Photo 2 of 3 Burbur Cha Cha Pannacotta is an excellent example of east-meets-west done well with the classic Italian dessert getting a local touch as it is topped with sweet potato, yam, agar agar and gula melaka syrup.
Photo 3 of 3 The skin of the Kueh Dah Dah is not too thick and the grated coconut inside is not too sweet—something that many restaurants and eateries tend to get wrong very often.

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