Within the storied walls of The Warehouse Hotel, flagship restaurant Po has embarked on a culinary renaissance. The refreshed menu honours Singapore’s rich Nanyang heritage, reimagining classic recipes with a renewed focus on authenticity—featuring the region’s finest ingredients, carefully sourced from local producers throughout Southeast Asia.
Celebrating Singapore’s multicultural heritage on a plate
Po’s new menu is a love letter to nostalgia, reimagining Singapore’s favourite flavours with a touch of elegance. Chef Desmond Yong brings the comfort of our grandmothers’ kitchens to a new level of sophistication, presenting dishes that feel both familiar and refreshingly new. Adding to the charm, the menu is sprinkled with Popo’s Pearls of Wisdom—a playful detail that captures the restaurant’s spirit of storytelling.
There’s something beautifully poetic about this transformation. The Warehouse Hotel itself once served as a repository for spices and oils, a bustling hub where traders from across Asia converged to exchange goods and ideas along the Singapore River. Today, Po continues this legacy of cultural exchange, but through the universal language of food—bringing together Chinese, Malay, Peranakan, and Eurasian culinary traditions under one roof.
The starters alone capture Singapore’s layered culinary story. The Ikan Kerabu is a must-try starter. This Peranakan-style dish features raw hamachi cured in ginger flower and plum dressing, then topped with a tangy herb salad, sakura shrimp, and coconut. It’s bright, refreshing, and beautifully layered—a vibrant opening that captures Po’s playful take on heritage flavours.
The Singgang Serani offers a window into our Eurasian heritage—a dish born from the marriage of European techniques and local ingredients that could only have been created here. This Eurasian-style fish curry has been reinterpreted with finesse: mackerel stewed with turmeric rempah and coconut milk, then presented in a toasted rice shell layered with tomato jelly and edible flowers. It’s a dish that bridges past and present, comforting in flavour yet surprising in form.
From the Chinese kitchen comes Samsui Chicken—boneless organic chicken, gently poached and served with scallions, crispy ginger, and garlic. Simple, wholesome, and quietly elegant, it nods to one of Singapore’s most beloved heritage dishes.
The Malay influence shines in Kambing Masak Lemak Chilli Api, where slow-braised lamb meets a rich coconut curry spiked with fiery chilli. Paired with steamed rice vermicelli, it’s a deeply comforting dish with just the right kick.
Shifting from starters to the mains, the meat dishes are where Po’s menu truly leans into bold, comforting flavours.
The menu shows Po’s thoughtful take on heritage cuisine, and the Itek Sio is a great example. The duck leg is gently confit, then marinated with shallot, tamarind, and coriander seed in its own fat before being grilled till tender. Served with house-made pickles for a bright, tangy kick, it’s a dish that captures Po’s philosophy beautifully—honouring tradition while reimagining it with modern technique.
Perhaps most intriguing is the Babi Tohay, a nearly forgotten heritage dish that Po has lovingly revived. Using Iberico pork slow-braised in fermented krill paste until meltingly tender, then wok-fried with tiger prawns for extra depth and texture.
Seafood lovers aren’t forgotten either, with dishes that celebrate the ocean’s bounty in true Po style.
The Sotong Masak Hitam is a bold favourite—squid simmered in a fragrant spice paste and its own black ink until tender, then topped with crispy fried tentacles for that perfect contrast of texture. It’s earthy, comforting, and full of depth, a dish that feels at once traditional and fresh.
The House-Made Beancurd with Crabmeat and Salmon Roe has the comforting appeal of a classic Chinese tze char dish, yet it tastes luxurious. The silky beancurd, freshly made in-house, is topped with sweet crabmeat and finished with briny pops of salmon roe. It’s homely at heart but elevated in execution.
The Lobster Mee is Po’s showstopper—a hawker staple reimagined with flair. Thick udon noodles are braised in rich dark soy, wok-fried with pork belly, sakura shrimp, cabbage, and crispy pork lard, then crowned with a fresh lobster. It’s indulgence with a local soul, comfort food taken to another level. But what truly seals the deal is the house-made Peranakan chilli served alongside tying the entire dish together.
Lobster MeeTo end on a sweet note, Po offers two distinctive desserts. The Yuzu Cheng Tng is a refreshing twist on a local favourite, crowned with yuzu sorbet and juicy pomelo for a citrusy lift that cleanses the palate.
For something more indulgent, the Kueh Tingkat features three types of Peranakan kuehs, with the selection usually rotated to keep things playful and seasonal. Together, these sweet endings capture what Po does best: bringing heritage flavours into the present with creativity and heart.
Dining at Po feels like rediscovering Singapore’s soul through its most fundamental expression—food. It’s a reminder that our multicultural heritage isn’t just something we celebrate during festival seasons or in museum exhibits, it’s alive and evolving in our kitchens, on our plates, and in spaces like Po.
It’s Nanyang cuisine served with a touch of artistry—sophisticated enough for special occasions, yet rooted deeply enough in tradition to feel authentically Singaporean.
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