Weaved within its name, Li Bai is one of the places to head to for authentic Cantonese dishes. And true to its dialect roots (Cantonese people are known for their love for soups), Li Bai has a list of over ten soups to pick from.

If you’re feeling indulgent, get the Mini Bird’s Nest Buddha Jumps Over The Wall ($82) where bird’s nest is added to make the already luxurious soup even more lux. Otherwise, you can pick between options such as Seafood Soup in Mini Pumpkin ($32), Shark Cartilage Soup with Fish Maw and Goji Berry ($30) and Thick Soup of Bird’s Nest with Lobster ($45).

39 Scotts Rd, Sheraton Towers Singapore, Singapore 228230, tel: 6839 5623

Visit https://marriottbonvoyasia.com/restaurants-bars/sheraton-towers-singapore-li-bai-cantonese-restaurant for more information 

Founded in 1946 by Chinese immigrant Tan Ah Sai, Tan Ser Seng is one of the few establishments left that serve turtle soup. The Claypot Turtle Soup is made with farmed freshwater softshell turtles from Indonesia reared for consumption and is simmered with over 20 herbs and spices.

But if the thought of consuming turtles is too much to bear, Tan Ser Seng also has the equally comforting Ginseng Black Chicken Soup and Cordyceps Chicken Soup as well.

29 Lor Bachok, Singapore 387791, tel: 6748 3953

Visit https://tanserseng.oddle.me/en_SG/ for more information

Hansang Korean Family Restaurant was founded by two Korean sisters in 2007 who wanted to serve authentic and nourishing Korean meals with quality ingredients sourced from South Korea.

One of its bestsellers is the Samgyetang ($20.80), which is Korea’s version of ginseng chicken soup made with glutinous rice and red dates. If you want something more impactful, consider one of the jjigaes or stews.

10 Sinaran Dr, #03-33 Square 2, Singapore 307506, tel: 6397 6752

Visit https://www.hansangkorean.com/ for more information

At this multi-regional Chinese restaurant at Jewel Changi Airport, there are many delicious soups worth the trip over, but we will highlight two. The menu at Shang Social is designed by Shangri-La’s highly acclaimed Chinese master chefs specialising in Cantonese, Sichuan and Huaiyang cuisine.

First up is the dramatic Seafood Broth Rice served in Iron Pot ($19.80). Here, crispy rice, large prawns and hefty chunks of fish are served in an iron clay pot. The soup, a collagen-rich, concentrated crustacean broth — read: packed with flavour — is poured on top. The iron pot ensures the soup is piping hot throughout and the flavours and textures are comfortingly excellent.

The popular Sichuan delicacy, Stewed Red Garoupa Fillet in Pea Mash Soup with Pickled Peppers and Chinese Cabbage ($98) is tart, mildly fiery and very moreish. The broth is a milky brew of fish stock, Sichuan peppercorns and bean paste, to which ingredients such as sliced red garoupa, fresh mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, black fungus and house-cured young ginger and mustard vegetables are added. A medley of piquant flavours makes this a perfect rainy day soup.

78 Airport Blvd, #01-219 to 222, Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore 819666, tel: 6346 0260

Visit https://shangsocial.com for more information. 

Try Braised Sea Treasure Soup in Pomegranate Egg White Parcel accompanied with Prawn Spring Roll ($48). Like its name, this elegant dish at Min Jiang is a mouthful, but an absolutely delicious one. The base is a collagen-rich superior stock of chicken bones, chicken feet and pork. A variety of nourishing ingredients such as Australian abalone, chopped bamboo pith and dried scallops are encased into an egg-white parcel and submerged in a thick broth of Sri Lankan crabmeat and stock. Served with a crisp-fried prawn spring roll and topped with tobiko, this is a showstopper soup to brighten the dullest of days.

7A & 7B Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249684, tel: 6774 0122. Visit and 22 Scotts Rd, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore 228221, tel: 6730 1704

Visit https://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/en/dining/min-jiang-dempsey.html for more information. 

For one of the most obvious spots in town for a hearty, comforting bowl that is healthy and affordable, look no further than one of The Soup Spoon’s many outlets. It always states clearly its soups’ nutritional info, calories and ingredients so you know exactly what is in your nourishing bowl. The Tokyo Chicken Stew is a long-time favourite, dairy-free, packed with lotus root, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and more. The Soup Spoon even does meatless versions of its popular soups, like the Sumo-Style Nabe which uses Quorn, beancurd, napa cabbage and mushrooms and the broth is laced with soy milk.

The Soup Spoon has multiple locations in Singapore

Visit http://www.thesoupspoon.com/ for more information. 

On the Michelin-approved menu of Putien, one of its simplest dishes is easily among the most popular. Putien’s Bian Rou Soup is a Fujianese speciality still prepared in the traditional way of the Qin Imperial Dynasty. Each bowl of the clear broth comes laden with pork wantons, where the wanton wrappers themselves are made with pork meat and a bit of sun-dried sweet potato flour. The meat is hand-pounded 12,000 times to achieve a paper-thin consistency within which a savoury pork and spring onion filling is encased. It is served in a delicate, clear vinegar-laced broth flavoured with fried shallots and spring onions.

Putien has multiple locations in Singapore

Visit https://www.putien.com/ for more information. 

Nothing works better or faster to clear up those sinuses than a steaming hot bowl of clear and pepper-laced ‘pork bone tea’. Its simplicity and consistency are what have ensured that Song Fa’s Teochew-style Bak Kut Teh has been on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for six years. A long-simmered broth of pork, pork bones and nourishing herbs and spices such as pepper, garlic and star anise make the soup’s backbone. Ingredients range from pork ribs and tenderloin to liver and premium pork loins. Perfect on its own, but excellent with fried dough fritters.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh has multiple locations in Singapore

Visit https://songfa.com.sg for more information. 

Fancy Chinese restaurant Madame Fan serves reinvented Cantonese classics from a kitchen headed by head chef Pak Chee Yit. Its signature soup is the Double Boiled Four Treasure Soup, where complementary sea flavours of sea cucumber, fish maw, dried Hokkaido scallops and crabmeat are brewed together for several hours and served in a young coconut. The coconut itself adds a subtle sweetness and depth of flavour to the comforting broth — make sure to scrape some of the flesh into your soup spoons, it pairs excellently with generous chunks of crab meat.

32 Beach Rd, The NCO Club, South Beach Tower, Singapore 189764, tel: 6818 1921

Visit https://www.madamefan.sg/ for more information. 

At Real Food Grocer, all of the food is free of processed or artificial ingredients and is completely free of meat and meat products. Its Dumpling Soup ($11.20) is a healthy nosh-ers favourite with house-made vegetarian dumplings that are packed with at least 10 ingredients (carrots, mushrooms, bean curd, French beans, celery, turnips and more).

Another is the Kombu Shiitake ($10.80). The broth is a clean-tasting brew of kombu and shiitake mushrooms with leafy vegetables and tofu. It is mildly sweet and the perfect light accompaniment that does not overpower the plump, fresh dumplings. Suitable for vegans and anyone who prefers a healthy, light bowl packed with fibre and nutrients.

181 Orchard Road, #02-16 to 19 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896, tel: 9138 0141 and 30A Yishun Central 1, #01-09 Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre, Singapore 768796, tel: 9456 2370

Visit https://www.realfoodgrocer.com/ for more information. 

Sore throats begone, if you have a steaming hot bowl of pho in front of you. With this Vietnamese noodle soup. it’s not just the umami-rich, meat broth that hits the spot, it’s also the additional cocktail of fresh herbs. There are several worthy bowls of pho, but at Mrs Pho, we have never been disappointed with its ample servings.

The Beef Combination Pho ($10.90) contains brisket, sliced beef and tendon in a full-flavoured, mildly-sweet broth that has been boiled for 12 hours that comes alive with a squeeze of lime, a dash of fish sauce and, for those who can take the heat — a stir of pounded red chillies. The addition of basil, cilantro and mint is welcome and adds to both flavour and nutrition.

Mrs Pho has multiple locations in Singapore

Visit http://mrspho.com/ for more information. 

Yun Nans serves food from China’s Yunnan province, and the Steamed Pot Chicken (S$29.80) is a soup that is its signature dish. Here, black feet kampong chickens are pressure-steamed for three hours with no water added. The resultant tender meat and broth are served in a Jianshui claypot, a unique cooking method that retains all the goodness of the meat and results in a clear but rich and robust broth that is not greasy at all.

You are meant to separate the chicken meat, drizzle chilli oil over it and take sips of the soup separately. The contrast of flavours is excellent, and the broth is extremely comforting.

Yun Nans has multiple locations in Singapore

Visit https://yunnans.sg/ for more information. 

Michelin-starred Summer Palace at Regent Singapore serves the ultra-comforting Double-Boiled Assorted Seafood Soup served in a Golden Pumpkin ($32). The head, bones and tails from the Soon Hock fish are pan-fried and then boiled with sliced ginger to prepare a light-soup base, after which the fish’s fillet and Chinese cooking wine are added and steamed further within the pumpkin. The pumpkin’s sweetness contrasts with the savoury, delicate broth while adding nutrition.

1 Cuscaden Rd, Level 3 Regent Singapore, Singapore 249715, tel: 6725 3288.

Visit https://regentsingapore.com.sg/dining/summer-palace/ for more information. 

A list of Asian-style soups would be incomplete without mentioning this iconic nourishing and warming brew. Most Chinese restaurants serve the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, but we prefer the luxurious Cantonese-style preparation by the chefs at St. Regis’ Yan Ting.

The broth itself is rich and indulgent and packed with nourishing and premium ingredients such as abalone, fish maw, dried scallops, Jinhua ham, pork tendons and mushrooms. Instead of the typically used shark fin, Yan Ting’s version features top quality bird’s nest. Cooked for over six hours, the resultant soup is collagen-rich and the ingredients are cooked to tender perfection.

Priced at $148++, advance orders are needed and the chefs are open to taking special requests if guests prefer their preparation style and ingredients modified.

29 Tanglin Road, The St. Regis Singapore, Level 1U, Singapore 247911, tel: 6506 6887

Visit https://www.yantingrestaurant.com/ for more information. 

Established in 2008, Lao Huo Tang serves up traditional naturally-flavoured Chinese soups made from fresh vegetables, lean meat or pork ribs. These nourishing, Cantonese-style tonics are thus naturally low in fat, calorie and sodium. The restaurant also prides itself on not using oil, cream and butter in its soups.

Bestsellers include traditional favourites such as the Lotus Root Soup with Peanut, Chinese Old Cucumber Soup, Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup, Herbal Black Chicken Soup with Dried Scallop, and the decadent Buddha Jumps Over The Wall.

Lao Huo Tang has multiple locations in Singapore

Visit https://laohuotang.com.sg/ for more information.

Soup Restaurant was born out of the love of food among four friends who met at university while studying engineering. They started with a restaurant in Chinatown and have since expanded locally and overseas with comfort food at its core.

For instance, the signature Double-Boiled Whole Coconut with Black Chicken Soup is a Nanyang speciality dish that contains antioxidants and electrolytes, promoting radiant skin and cell renewal. Other hot favourites include the Double Boiled Dried Scallop with Black Chicken Soup and Double-boiled Waisan & Ginseng Roots with Chicken Soup.

Soup Restaurant has multiple locations in Singapore

Visit https://theherbalbar.getz.co/ for more information.

This humble eatery in the basement of Republic Plaza caters mostly to the CBD crowd, specialising in traditional Chinese soups passed down through the generations while also offering side dishes, bento sets and desserts.

Each soup is double-boiled in porcelain pots to extract maximum flavour without the use of MSG and lower amounts of salt, sugar and oil. Tuck into cosy comforts like Ginseng Chicken Soup, Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, Chinese Cabbage Fish Maw & Meatballs Soup and more. 

9 Raffles Pl, #B1 – 22 Republic Plaza, Singapore 048619, tel 9185 2835

Visit https://theherbalbar.getz.co/ for more information

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