Singapore is a destination with an impeccable list of the finest hotels, and a myriad of dining options that truly offer something for everyone. It is a melting pot of styles, culture and cuisine making it one of our favourite locations in Southeast Asia. In recent years a growing number of hotels and restaurants have embraced the popularity of veganism and have added vegan and plant based options for their guests. Here we highlight a selection of these establishments that we ‘tried and tested’ on our last trip to Singapore. We hope you enjoy reading ‘Luxury hotels and vegan food in Singapore’ as much as we enjoyed researching the article!
Six Senses Duxton
When the Top Hotel Brand in the World opens a pair of boutique luxury hotels in Singapore you know you’re in for a treat. Six Senses are known for their unique resorts in breathtaking and natural locations and Six Senses Duxton was the first city centre hotel from this award winning brand. You can expect environmental and eco influences throughout as this is synonymous with the ethos of Six Senses. What may pleasantly surprise you is how they have seamlessly transitioned from luxury beach resorts to luxury city centre hotels.
Six Senses Duxton calls Tanjong Pagar home, this is a Singaporean neighbourhood that is exciting and eclectic with Chinatown at it’s core. The boutique hotel is a row of heritage trading houses that have been sustainably restored under the gifted hand of Anouska Hempel. Guests can expect beautifully crafted rooms and suites with all of the modern touches you would expect from a hotel of this standing. In line with their sustainability policy there are no plastic bottles, no plastic straws and bathroom amenities are provided in planet friendly refillable containers. The feel good factor is the real deal here as every effort is being made to ‘tread lightly’ and respect the environment.
Yellow Pot is the restaurant at Six Senses Duxton which serves ‘authentic and innovative Chinese cuisine’ to guests and non guests alike. Since opening, it has become a favourite with local diners who are drawn to the interesting menu, understated service and relaxed ambiance. Be sure to enjoy the signature drink, Escape to Kaifeng, at Yellow Pot Bar, the antiquarian themed cocktail bar which serves a delightful array of cocktails and fine wines.
The main menu at Yellow Pot has vegan options clearly marked and those include the exquisite ‘Chilled Organic Vine Ripened Tomatoes’. The ripe plum tomatoes are infused with a li hing dressing which is both sweet and salty in equal measures and these are topped with delicate micro herbs and dehydrated tomato skins. These flavour bombs exploded in your mouth and were so very good indeed.
Our meal continued with a crunchy and healthy vegetable dish of ‘Wok Fried Pea Shoots & Beansprouts’. This combination of ingredients that were cooked to perfection left us satisfied and content. No over cooked and under flavoured vegetables at Yellow Pot, just the freshest and crunchiest plant based food that has been prepared with passion.
No Chinese meal would be complete without rice, and our ‘Black Olive Fried Rice with Shitake’ was a great example of this Chinese staple. These olives are nothing like their European namesakes, but an ingredient that is used for seasoning of many Asian dishes offering a saltiness and umami. As you would expect, the rice was perfectly cooked and presented, delivering the savoury climax to our meal at Yellow Pot.
Six Senses Maxwell
Not to be outdone by it’s sister property in the same neighbourhood, Six Senses Maxwell welcomes discerning guests who want something a little different to what many of the luxury hotels in Singapore offer. Again, a design led and sustainable restoration, with interiors by French designer Jacques Garcia, has created a unique and thought provoking boutique hotel that delivers on style and grandeur in equal measures. From the oversized, Himalayan singing bowl which guests are invited to stand within upon check in, to the rooftop lap pool, gym and multiple F&B outlets, including the soon to open Max’s Rooftop bar, there really is something for everyone at Six Senses Maxwell.
Six Senses Brasserie
The menu at Six Senses Brasserie has both vegetarian and vegan options, but upon request the chef was happy to prepare a vegan tasting menu. One of the starters was a ‘Heirloom Beetroot Salad’ which was refreshing and well balanced; the zesty orange, earthy beetroot and walnut snow combined very well and offered a delicious start to our vegan dining experience at Six Senses Maxwell.
Our vegan meal at Six Senses Brasserie ended in style with a superb dessert which exceeded all of our expectations. The ‘Blueberry Crumble’ was a perfect combination of crunchy oats and juicy blueberries that when paired with the homemade, vegan vanilla ice cream created one of the tastiest vegan desserts we’ve had for some time…
Breakfast at Six Senses Maxwell is also served in Six Senses Brasserie and the a la carte menu has a number of vegan options as part of the ‘Health and Wellness’ section. Our favourite (which we ordered every day) was the ‘Avocado Tartine’; a raw flaxseed ‘bagel’ with vine tomatoes, cashew hummus, avocado and topped with coconut ‘bacon’ provided a nutritious and healthy start to our day.
JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach
In stark contrast to the previous boutique properties, but equally as luxurious and vegan friendly, is the stylish and contemporary JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach which is located in the centre of the vibrant downtown district. Guests can choose from more than 600 rooms and suites, two swimming pools and a wide array of restaurants and bars including Akira Back, which serves Japanese fine dining in a modern and memorable setting. Expect service of the highest level at this stylish hotel, and a staff team that are happy to go above and beyond for their guests.
Akira Back
Having loved the appearance of culinary creations from Chef Akira Back, we were excited to experience his plant based dishes in Singapore. The a la carte menu has a number of vegan options, including vegan wine on the extensive wine list. Upon request, we were able to enjoy a multi course vegan tasting menu which combined dishes from the main menu, others which had been adapted and also some delectable surprises.
The vibrant and stunning ‘Bell Pepper Carpaccio’ which was marinated in nanbanzu (a type of vinegar) was the highlight of our meal. Delicate in both taste and texture, these slithers of bell pepper were so, so tasty we would have happily eaten them again and again. If the rest of our meal was anything like these tasty delights we were certainly in for a treat.
The simple sounding, yet divinely delicious ‘Roasted Mushroom’ was packed with flavours and delivered yet again a dish that impressed on many levels. The toasted quinoa presented a crunchy element which complimented the earthy flavours of the mushrooms and gentle spice of the togarashi chilli. Wow.
Another standout dish at Akira Back was ‘Crispy Rice’ which again sounded simple but was far from simple in every way. The bite size cubes of crispy rice and eggplant, topped with a creamy and plant based ponzu aioli were just perfect. The citrus tartness of the ponzu complimented the creamy aioli and left our tastebuds tingling and very contented indeed.
We loved the wide variety of vegan food available in Singapore and the hotels and restaurants in this article were some of the best we experienced. The worldwide demand for plant based food shows no sign of slowing down and as vegans, this makes us very happy indeed!
By Paul Eyers, Founder of Vegan Food Quest.