If there is one place you must bring foreign visitors to dine in Singapore, this must be it. National Kitchen by Violet Oon checks all the right boxes. It is housed in a historical location, the beautifully restored former Parliament House. But that aside, Violet Oon’’s full-flavoured Peranakan cuisine is the real draw.

Oon’’s repertoire of Peranakan classics will not disappoint. Think beef rendang with generous slices of fork-tender meat; and chap chye, with vegetables braised in rich stock till tender, not mushy. Be sure to order the chicken satay, three hefty skewers of spice-marinated meat grilled till juicy and lightly charred on the outside.

Despite its touristy location, the flavours are not toned down for foreign palates. This is Singaporean cuisine at its robust, unabashed best.