
Classic but innovative, Yellow Pot in Six Senses Duxton is a true testament to well done, honest-to-god Chinese cooking.
Chinese food is arguably the most prominent cuisine on the planet. Lucky for us, it’s everywhere in Singapore. We’ve pretty much have got everything on the spectrum here, from hawker fare we can get for cheap to exciting mod-Chinese dishes that keep things fresh – but where do we find fantastic traditional Chinese food in a swish setting? In Duxton Hill, of course. More specifically in Yellow Pot, the authentic Chinese restaurant taking centre stage in luxury boutique hotel Six Senses Duxton.
Before we get to the food, we need to talk about the interior. The hotel itself unites a row of heritage trading houses that have been sustainably restored under the gifted hand of acclaimed British designer, Anouska Hempel. Known for her knack for blending history, symmetry and bold colours, Hempel’s style is unique and eclectic – but it works.
Seated at the restaurant, it’s hard not to be intimidated by Hempel’s presence. It’s a theatrical affair: the calligraphy wallpaper is from her personal collection, the walls are kept dark and the lighting dim, and actual yellow pots are everywhere. But where the food is concerned, there’s nothing dramatic about it. Just classic and authentic Chinese dishes, with some polish.

You’ve got chef Sebastian Goh to thank for keeping it real. A true-blue Singaporean native, Sebastian has over 18 years of global experience managing hotel and restaurant culinary programs, and developing a new generation of talented chefs. The menu at Yellow Pot is focused on adding innovative cooking techniques to traditional Chinese and Asian cuisines. This is executed flawlessly in the star dishes like roast duck, steamed Kühlbarra barramundi, chicken soup and wok-seared organic grass-fed beef tenderloin.
Sure it sounds like any other dish you might find in a zi char menu: but you will notice innovative touches like the house-made scallion, coriander and ginger pesto that tops the steamed fish or the vine-ripened tomatoes stuffed with wood ear and shimeji mushrooms in the chicken soup. Portions are decent and like dependable Chinese restaurants, made to share with a small group. The restaurant also uses organic and sustainably-sourced ingredients and aims to reduce wastage.

The authenticity branches to the beverage aspect as well: the tea selection includes a light Yunnan Black Tea Dian Hong Gold, a full-bodied Oolong tea from the Taiwanese highlands, and for something different, a milky almond beverage made from two different kinds of Chinese almonds that works well as a dessert too. Need something stronger? Choose your poison from the cocktail menu that incorporates Chinese herbs and ingredients with botanical accents (we’re a sucker for a chrysanthemum bud in our gin cocktail).
A proper Chinese meal is about the experience – passing around the sharing platters, the clicking of chopsticks, at times loud conversation in a place with lurid lighting, but call us crazy, we could get used to this super sleek scene. Sans creaky lazy susans and plastic chopsticks, maybe all you need is food done right and with that Yellow Pot hits the jackpot.
Yellow Pot, 88 Duxton Rd, Singapore 089540