9 spots for the best Chinese herbal soups in Singapore

Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup is an iconic establishment for those in the east. The humble locale is famed for its wide array of tze char dishes and one dish that’s on every table is the very dish that inspired its name: the Black Chicken Herbal Soup. Within each bowl is a large, ‘silkie’ chicken that’s boiled with wolfberries, Chinese yam and a whole bunch of herbs such as cordyceps to craft a hearty bowl that’s full of flavour. If you’re not up for tze char dishes, the Pork Kidney Mee Sua is also a popular one-dish option to try.

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This might be a restaurant that specialises in turtle soup, but we also want to make a case for its nourishing range of chicken soups. The time-tested establishment – open since 1946 – has become one of the best places in Singapore for herbal soups, and has served countless bowls of its Cordyceps White Chicken soup and Ginseng Black Chicken soup, both of which have been simmered for over 12 hours to achieve an intensely rich broth and fall-off-the-bone tenderness from the chicken. It gets pretty busy around lunch time here, so plan your trip wisely.

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There’s something comforting about heading to a place that names itself word-for-word after the dish that it’s selling –that’s when you know they’re dedicated to their craft. At Herbal Soup, diners can expect a variety of charcoal-fired herbal soups, including classics like Sweet Corn Pork Ribs Soup, Black Bean Pork Ribs Soup, Chicken Feet Peanut Pork Ribs Soup. Not everything on the menu is available every day, so be sure to ask what they have when you’re there.

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There are many stalls to order from at Chong Pang Market & Food Centre, but if you’re feeling in need of some hearty, comfort food, we suggest heading straight to Pig’s Organ Soup & Herbal Mutton Soup. The soup has a pleasant herbal sweetness to it, with tons of ginger that eliminate the gamey smell from the mutton. On that same note, the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, and goes well with the rice/noodles and the salted vegetables.

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At Singapore Herbal Soup, expect a neat selection of double-boiled soups that are gentler in terms of flavour – perfect for those who like to have their dishes on the lighter side of things. Our personal favourite? The lotus root with pork ribs soup and a side of olive rice.

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If you happen to stop by ABC Brickworks, be sure to give Ah Er Herbal Soup a try. While they do have more popular options like the Lotus Root Peanut Pork Ribs Soup, Old Cucumber Pork Rib Soup, Gingko Pork Tripe Pepper Soup, and the Ten Tonic Ginseng Chicken, we’d suggest trying something a little more ‘luxurious’ here. Their version of The Buddha Jumps Over The Wall doesn’t contain shark’s fin (phew!) or sea cucumber like the restaurant versions do, but it still has pretty upscale (for the location and price!) ingredients such as fish maw, abalone, and Chinese mushrooms. Something we look forward to every time we’re having herbal soup here? The pumpkin rice. The fragrant aroma and natural sweetness from the pumpkin work wonderfully well with the hearty soup.

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Earth Jar Treasure touts its soups to be “health in a bowl,” so you can only imagine how nutritious they are. Each pot is broiled with a thin aluminium sheet just below its cover to help lock in all the goodness from its ingredients. Cultivate Blood Black Chicken Soup is a safe choice here: every sip is packed with tons of sweetness from the herbs used, accentuated perhaps by the use of honey dates in the broth.

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Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup has racked up more than 20 years of experience serving Herbal Mutton Soup, a traditional Hainanese dish that sees a deeply flavourful broth made with over 20 herbs. The secret to the clean-tasting lamb ribs? The ingredient is marinated with fermented red yeast and seared in oil every morning to remove the gaminess from the meat.

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Lao Huo Tang started with humble beginnings at a hawker centre in 2018, but quickly expanded to bring its traditional Chinese herbal soups to the masses with more upscale outlets around Singapore. Today, the chain continues to craft Cantonese-style tonics that’s flavoured only by natural ingredients, with equally stellar tze char dishes to pair with. You won’t go wrong with the Lotus Root Peanut Soup, Chinese Old Cucumber Soup, and Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup here. Besides, you won’t have to sweat it out at a hawker centre when sipping on the soups here.

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