Cover Culinary doyenne Violet Oon
Culinary doyenne Violet Oon
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Leading up to her 75th birthday this May, the culinary doyenne aims to raise $1 million for charities with her gastronomic overture called Empowering Lives: Food for Good. Here’s how it all came to fruition
With the sand under her feet, amid a special dinner celebrating Sentosa’s 50th anniversary in 2022, culinary doyenne Violet Oon found inspiration within herself. This wasn’t just another beachside soiree. As if the stars aligned, her reunion with the people behind the philanthropic organisation Community Chest at the event led to the beginning of her gastronomic overture called Empowering Lives: Food for Good.
Laying the foundation for Oon’s poignant vision of turning meals into notes of change, the initiative sets out to engage with members of the food and beverage community, from talented chefs to groups and corporations, to come together for a year-long fundraiser to raise money for the charities under the umbrella of Community Chest.
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From her early days as a restaurant critic to representing Singapore as a food ambassador travelling all over the world to promote local cuisine, the culinary luminary has long been the virtuoso orchestrating edible symphonies beyond Singapore’s grand culinary landscape. In 2019, Oon was conferred the Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism at the Singapore Tourism Awards in the same week she turned 70. Right there and then, it was eureka. “I decided to do seven social and community service projects, one for each decade of my life,” she tells us.
Oon was also heavily inspired by her mother. “I have always believed in giving back. I remember that she was president of the children’s home in Malacca where I saw the babies who were abandoned and they had so much less than I did,” she says. Yet, beyond the realms of her culinary prowess, she yearns for a higher purpose—a resonating chord that harmonised her iconic status with a profound commitment to community welfare. “People say I am an icon of Singapore food but how can I use this status for good?” Oon wonders.
Above Violet Oon with Mel Wadhwa, founder of All Things Delicious
Violet Oon with Mel Wadhwa, founder of All Things Delicious
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In early 2023, Oon started rallying her community. “I opened my little black book and let my fingers do the walking with phone calls and messages.” The plan was to create over 200 culinary-led programmes “donating our talents as chefs, cooking teachers and culinarians, and our businesses as restaurants, cooking schools and hotels”. Soon, chefs, restaurateurs and culinary establishments banded together, and they included Unlisted Collection chief executive officer Loh Lik Peng, actress and comedian Koh Chieng Mun, violinist Lynnette Seah and The Intan Private Museum owner Alvin Yapp, who have pledged to join Oon on her crusade that challenges the traditional philanthropic model, extending beyond monetary donations.
In the spirit of inclusivity, Oon’s democratisation of philanthropy has not only made giving more accessible, but resulted in heartfelt sharing from individuals who have found empowerment in contributing to these culinary programmes. At the first event, which effectively kickstarted the Food for Good initiative, over a dinner fundraiser, which raised SG$6,000, at the bakery cafe All Things Delicious, founder Mel Wadhwa spoke about her humble beginnings in hopes of inspiring more people to lend a helping hand to the underprivileged in the community.
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Above Violet Oon at Jean Yip and Mervin Wee's fundraiser alongside Dawn Yip and Danny Koh (vice chairman of community Chest)
Violet Oon at Jean Yip and Mervin Wee's fundraiser alongside Dawn Yip and Danny Koh (vice chairman of community Chest)
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Organising a large-scale philanthropic initiative is no easy feat. From cooking classes to gourmet weekends, each culinary event is a conduit of change. As Oon explains, “I wanted each to showcase their special strengths”, turning every initiative into a celebration of individuality within a collective cause. Throughout the project, the community opened their hearts to Oon’s cause. Both Great World and Tanglin Mall came through with Malls for Love, an initiative supporting beneficiaries of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), while Mary Silva Sundarason, opened up her home and donated her private dining experiences, whipping up feasts themed after the cuisines of Kerala and Italy.
Even the family of Jean Yip and Mervin Wee, who are behind the beauty and wellness empire Jean Yip Group, and known for being generous donors, opened their home and prepared a feast featuring some of Yip’s best home-cooked dishes—a showcase of her Peranakan and Cantonese heritage. Think time-tested recipes such as ayam kapitan (Nyonya curry chicken), Wagyu brisket rendang, and har lok (Cantonese dry fried prawns). “By actively helping the community, we [Jean Yip Group] are creating a legacy that goes beyond our beauty business, while reflecting the beauty in our hearts,” Yip shares.
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Above Bakwan kepiting soup & goreng (Oon's unique twist on pork and crab meatballs, reinterpreted as stuffed crab)
Above Sambal udang petai
Bakwan kepiting soup & goreng (Oon's unique twist on pork and crab meatballs, reinterpreted as stuffed crab)
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As for Oon, she presented Secrets of the Peranakan Kitchen in January this year at the Violet Oon Singapore outlet at Jewel Changi Airport. Her cooking workshop was a tour de force of the rich history and culture of Peranakan cuisine. Participants spent the afternoon learning from the doyenne herself and getting hands-on with preparing a Peranakan tok panjang feast with dishes such as the sambal udang petai (sambal shrimp and stink bean), chap chye (braised assorted vegetables), and kueh kochi (black glutinous rice dumpling with coconut and palm sugar).
In a broader sense, the F&B community in Singapore has always shown resilience and compassion. Oon recalls, “Even before the pandemic, many chefs and restaurants are proactive when it comes to contributing. For instance, chef Tony Khoo’s literary endeavour of self-publishing his autobiographical cookbook, To Be a Chef, in 2012 helped raise over SG$300,000 for charity. The generosity ingrained in the industry is positive and my project is only one of many.”
Celebrating the community’s ability to bring joy through food, Oon is incredibly touched but yearns for Food for Good to evolve beyond March, which marks the official end of the year-long campaign. She gives impetus to ignite perpetual generosity in hopes of seeing a future where donors manage and sell events independently, empowering themselves fully in the process while directing funds to Community Chest, or other charities of their choice. “We will do more in 2024 where open-date purchases for such tailored experiences will be made available,” shares Oon.
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The collective cause inspires equal opportunity too, and “that everyone and anyone can be a philanthropist in their own unique way”, Oon asserts. “It could be by volunteering your time and skill sets, donating money, or simply doing good by enabling others to give back and contribute their talents and resources, to help those in need.”
Reaffirming the notion that even the smallest contribution can leave a lasting impact on those in need, she says: “Many of us do not realise that every dollar counts and 100 per cent of the donations goes into exact programmes, which the Community Chest channels to empower the lives of 93,000 service users. We do not have to be a donor of large sums of money—$15 can provide one week of befriending services to help ensure that a senior is meaningfully engaged; $25 can provide families with half a day of social work intervention; $65 can provide half a day of special education in dedicated areas for students with special needs.”
Leading the charge on the volunteering front, Oon recently spent time at the CPAS, teaching children with cerebral palsy how to make cookies. Watching the children beam with delight at their accomplishment, “It brought such joy to my heart, truly, whenever I come up close and personal with those who we try to assist”, she shares. “I strongly believe that those in a privileged position to give, must spare a thought to those less fortunate and lend a helping hand, in either small or big ways we can.”
In Violet Oon’s world, where every dollar counts, it is plain as day that there is no greater joy than the joy of giving. Everyone has a part to play, no matter how big or small. One thing’s for sure, this isn’t the last we will be seeing of the grande dame.
Credits
Images: Violet Oon, Jean Yip, Mel Wadhwa
