Unless you work in Raffles Place, chances are you would not have been to The Herbal Bar.

It is a tiny eatery with limited seating at the basement of Republic Plaza and, like most eating places in the Central Business District, caters mainly to the lunch crowd there during normal times.

It specialises in Chinese soups, with a few bento sets, side dishes and desserts to complete the meal.

While not one himself, the owner comes from three generations of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners. So the soups are based on health-boosting recipes following TCM principles.

No MSG is used, which explains why the Chinese Cabbage, Fish Maw And Meatballs Soup ($11.80) had such a clean taste. But despite its lightness, it was flavourful.

Fish maw is believed to have probiotic qualities, but I enjoy it more for its spongy texture. The cabbage was soft and sweet and the house-made meatballs had a nice crunch from bits of water chestnut and carrot.

I had the soup with Rice Wine Chicken With Healthy Mixed Rice, Vegetable, Peanuts ($9.80), though that could be a meal in itself.

The tender and moist pieces of boneless chicken thigh had a mild herbal flavour and its slightly sweet sauce went nicely with the rice, a mix of white and brown grains. The bai cai vegetable and peanuts, however, were appreciated more for their nutritional value than their pedestrian flavour.

For something more exciting, get the Oriental Salad - Black Fungus & Lotus Roots ($4.80). It came in a dressing that hinted of chilli and Sichuan pepper, but I would not call it mala because it was very mild. There was just enough to tickle the tongue, which in this case was good enough.

The Ginseng Chicken Soup ($12.80) was the most boring - a clear soup with the herb taking centre stage. But if you like the distinct flavour of ginseng, which supposedly boosts immunity and energy, go for it.