I'm back for a second review of Onn Vegetarian. For those who follow my Hungry Ang Mo Facebook, you will know I can't stop talking about this place. Since my
first review many months ago, I feel that Onn has gotten even better. Not only that, the stall has had a slight face lift. Now a new signboard is present, highlighting their famous double boiled soup and what they title as 'green box menu'. Green box menu is an alternate title for 'black box menu' - Black box menu typically means that every day there is a surprise - The chef just browses around markets and looks inside his fridge and then decides what to cook. That is a perfect way to describe how Onn Vegetarian operates - Every day is a pleasant surprise.
Onn Vegetarian
Location: Blk 5 Upper Boon Keng Road, G5 Food HouseContact: 91526917Opening Hours: Daily 7.00am-2.30pm. Ad-hoc closing, follow their FB for updates. Note - The following dishes I am featuring are my personal favourites from Onn, therefore this post is more of a 'best of' compliation.![]()
The only significant criticisms I can give Onn Vegetarian is the opening hours and location - The G5 coffee shop doesn't get much traffic (70% of the stalls there have closed down and are still vacant). G5 is the coffee shop equivalent of the Antarctica - It is a miracle how anything can survive there. Moreover, closing at 2.30pm surely limits the amount of customers who can visit Onn, I know the opening hours have been a big source of frustration for many of my readers.
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As mentioned in my first review, Onn Vegetarian is a two man team. Managing the customers is John Tan, and the man in the kitchen is Chef Wai (pictured left) - Together they are a match made in heaven. Chef Wai's main preparation area is right at the front of the stall, and he looks almost like a mad scientist, with steam rising from his work station and covering his face. He just needs long unkept Einstein-esque hair and a white lab coat to complete the look. He cooks every dish fresh to order, which will result in a longer waiting time.
I have mentioned this countless times, but a trip to Onn is really incomplete without trying their magnificent
Double Boiled Soup. Chef Wai has literally hundreds of varieties of double boiled soup, which he alternates on a daily basis. The fundamental taste of all the soups are similar, but different ingredients are added and subtracted on different days. Occasionally there will be stronger/bitter herbal soups, and on other days lighter more Cantonese style soups. If you happen to catch this soup on a cool and rainy Singapore day, then you will be in for a real treat. This soup is so good you will practically be levitating after finishing a bowl of it. I especially love it when they add black goji berries inside.
Price: $6.00-$9.00 (varies depending on type). 9/10A dish that is a slightly more regular visitor to the Onn regular menu is the
Onn Mee Siam. If you're someone who loves sour food, then this is the dish for you. I honestly have never eaten a good mee siam in all the years I have been reviewing food in Singapore. Often they are too oily, MSG loaded and recklessly spiced. Chef Wai of course is too talented to fall victim to those sort of amateurish mistakes, and thus this mee siam was delectable. It may be too sour for some though.
Price: $4.00. 8/10I know it can be a little frustrating that many of the dishes I review at Onn are only available once every few months. But one dish you can rest assured will be available on a daily basis is the
Wanton Noodle. Quite frankly, this is hands down the best wanton mee I have ever eaten. The jet black sauce reminded me of the times I ate wanton mee in Ipoh in the past. The wantons are fried perfectly, thanks to Chef Wai's almost obsessive meticulousness. Instead of using conventional mock char siew, another variety is used, the juiciness and taste is much better than the local version of char siew. Presented beautifully - If you've been on the quest to find the best wanton mee in Singapore, then please end your search here - This dish represents perfection as far as wanton mee is concerned.
Price: 4.00. 10/10Another dish from the chefs hometown, here is the
Anson-Style Mee Rebus. Don't adjust your screen, there are indeed crinkle cut fries inside the bowl. What on earth are they doing inside? Chef Wai explained to me that Anson mee rebus adds boiled potatoes into the bowl - He decided to use fries as a homage to his hometown version. Although adding fries may be unconventional for some, there can be no debate over the quality of his mee rebus gravy, which is astonishing.
Price: $4.00. 9/10There are always unexpected surprises whenever visiting Onn, and this
Cod-Fish n Tou-Fu in Thai Spicy Basil Leaves was definitely one of them. The plating for this dish was immaculate, with the mock fish 'head' scored diagonnally, which allowed the Thai sauce to seep into the core. At the back, the chef designed a fish 'tail' from square shaped silken tofu The Thai basil is the star of this dish, with the aroma of this herb shimmering through the entire dish.
Price: $8.00. 8/10Considering how Chef Wai is Cantonese, I had quite high hopes for his
Sweet n Sour Monkey-Head Mushroom. This dish, which is basically a vegetarian take on 咕咾肉, is arguably the most famous Chinese dish in restaurants in Western countries. The key to the success or failure of this dish is in the sauce. Although Chef Wai's sweet and sour sauce is not the best I have tasted (number 1 spot is
Tung Fong Siu Kee Yuen in Hong Kong), it is still probably the best in Singapore, perhaps only rivaled with
Divine Realm in Hougang. I really loved the deep fried monkeyhead mushroom, which were firm and juicy.
Price: $9.00. 8/10Stir-Fry Eggplant with Salted Fish n Pork Belly is another example of ingredients cooked perfectly, and matched with a delicious zesty and sour sauce. The salted fish is crunchy and goes well with the mushy and creamy eggplants.
Price: $7.00. 8/10Here is the
Braised Bittergourd n Beancurd in Black Bean Sauce. Bittergourd is an ingredient you will find often in Chef Wai's dishes, and he cooks it splendidly. He cuts the bittergourd in a quite unorthadox fashion (almost as if cutting capsicum), but the end product is fantastic. Although the bittergourd is good, it is the mind-blowing black bean sauce with mushroom stems that really brings everything to life.
Price: $6.00. 8/10Since doing my first post at Onn, and giving their
Thai Green Curry a score of 10/10, green curry has almost become their signature dish. Their green curry is sensational, no doubt about that. But what I have learnt, after eating at Onn countless times, is that green curry is not their best dish - In fact, they have many dishes that are just as amazing as the green curry. This green curry gets my praise for simple reasons, the chef is able to recognise and stay true to Thai cuisine. However, consistency is sometimes an issue, with it sometimes being too diluted or the flavour not quite being there. Also I abhor the mock sotong inside. For those two reasons I have given it a reduced rating of 9/10.
Price: $8.00. 9/10 One ingredient that is used frequently in Onn dishes is 腐乳, which is a fermented soya bean. This
Stir-Fry Ladies Finger in Fermented Bean Sauce is great example of a dish with all the ingredients inside cooked perfectly, and an outstanding sauce. Cooking ladyfingers well is not as easy as it sounds.
Price: $7.00. 7/10Taking a break from his typical
modus operandi of sourness and spice, this
Mei Cai Kou Rou. Mei Cai
(梅菜)is a dry pickled Chinese mustard vegetable, which is used in many Chinese dishes. More specifically, mei cai can be divided into both sweet and salty varieties. Interestingly, Chef Wai uses the sweet variety for this dish. The final two words kou rou (扣肉) means steamed pork - Needless to say Chef Wai uses a mock meat to replicate the pork.
Price: $5.50. 8/10One thing I love about Chef Wai is how he has mastered spice and sourness, and isn't afraid to take risks. This
Anson Spicy n Sour Fish was a true pleasure. It is a tough decision, but I would have to say this is the best dish I have eaten from Onn (even better than the green curry), and one of the best dishes I have ever eaten in my life. The spice and sourness are cranked into overdrive, and if you love strong tasting food, then you will love this. For those 'eat to live' individuals who take a almost perverse pleasure in eating plain brown rice and steamed vegetables - Then this dish may be too much of an assault on your tastebuds, but for those who love flavour, then this dish will have you shivering with delight.
Price: $7.00. 10/10If you're a sour lover like myself, then look out for the
Briased Spicy n Sour Fresh Mustard Vegetable. This dish is served in a tom yam style soup, which was glorious - I don't believe anyone can match sour and spice together as effortlessly and briliantly than Chef Wai.
Price: $6.00. 8/10The last dish of this epic post is
Tom Yam Eggplant. Once again this dish exemplifies sour and spice done perfectly. The tom yam paste (which the chef makes himself from scratch) is addictively delicious. The eggplants make a great dance partner to this glorious paste, and are cooked perfectly. This dish could be a little on the oily side for some, but one cannot deny the immense taste. Another one of my favourites.
Price: $6.00. 10/10Conclusion - To be frank, this post could just keep going on and on endlessly, going through hundreds of dishes that Chef Wai produces. This post only shows a small percentage of what Chef Wai is capable of - And if you ask my opinion, he ranks as one of the greatest chefs I have ever met. Onn Vegetarian have not achieved even 10% of their potential - Chef Wai's food belongs in a better location (cafe/restaurant, not a coffee shop), with longer opening hours. Perhaps Onn can be faulted on being priced too high, but considering the quality and presentation (and that each dish is freshly prepared), I feel it is well worth it.Overall RatingFood - 10/10Ambiance- 7/10 Service - 10/10 Value - 8/10
