Sustainability and wellness, which remain priorities for Six Senses’ first city property, find expression at its modern Chinese restaurant and bar Yellow Pot.
With its sleek black lacquered interiors, pops of gold and mustard-yellow fans affixed to windows and wallpaper featuring 18th century English indentures, Six Senses’ first city property along Singapore’s Duxton Road comes as an unexpected surprise.
Sustainability and wellness, which remain priorities for Six Senses’ first city property, find expression at its modern Chinese restaurant and bar Yellow Pot.
At our small group tasting, I had the opportunity to sample the food and beverage menu created by chef Sebastian Goh and beverage consultant Kamil Foltan that features organic ingredients, sustainably-sourced ingredients, and traditional herbs and botanicals.
If you, like me, were expecting molecular gastronomy, you might not have expected its range of Chinese dishes to hit the spot on homestyle comfort food, sans the feeling of overindulgence. What was also impressive is the use of premium ingredients and thoughtful preparation from scratch that sees many of the familiar flavours in Chinese cooking coming through.
Seared pork cheek with julienned green mango and onions Photo Credit: Naomi Neoh
Among the standouts were its dish of seared pork cheek, tenderised by a marinade of lemongrass, garlic, shallots and celery and served with julienned green mango and onions.
Lean but tender and flavourful, its roast duck was uniquely prepared with a fermented bean curd marinade that uses herbs, star anise, bay leaf, fermented tofu, cinnamon and locally-produced five spice powder, before being roasted in a traditional Apollo oven using hickory wood chips. The house-made plum sauce served alongside the meat provided a sweet, tangy accompaniment.
Steamed kühlbarra barramundi Photo Credit: Naomi Neoh
Its steamed kühlbarra barramundi, which uses sustainably-sourced fish from a local fish farm in Singapore, was paired well with a house-made scallion-ginger pesto and a savoury base of house-made fish stock.
“Eat With Six Senses is all about finding the right balance between healthy and hearty,” explains Six Senses General Manager Murray Aitken. “With Yellow Pot, we want to showcase the rich diversity of colours, tastes and textures prevalent in Chinese cuisine, while avoiding some of the less healthy additives and flavour enhancers.
“We are also working closely with local farmers and producers who are committed to responsible sourcing and sustainable practices. We want to help our guests make informed choices that allow them to eat well, and leave feeling better than when they arrived,” said Aitken.
Yellow Pot’s bar menu showcases top-shelf spirits, premium wines, local craft beers, artisanal Chinese teas and cocktails with Eastern influences. The bar’s trademark cocktail, Escape to Kaifeng, was a delightful combination of house-made chrysanthemum cordial with Tanqueray London dry gin.
The 50-seat restaurant includes two semi-private dining areas and a 20-seat antiquarian-themed bar.