Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Soup tulang or better known as bone soup, is a dish prized for the marrow in the mutton or beef bone stewed in a red soup that is made from spices and tomatoes.
Located at Jalan Sultan, MA Deen Biasa serves one of the best tulang and is touted to be the “King of Soup Tulang”; we knew we had to head down to try it.
Located along the road, you can sit outside and people watch while sipping on your teh or if you prefer a more cooling environment, the indoor seating will shelter you from the sun.
MA Deen Biasa is humbly decorated and nostalgic, it reminded me a lot of growing up and eating at shops like these.
I ordered the smallest size of Soup Tulang (S$10) and that comes with five mutton bone marrow. With a top-up of S$2, you can get a basketful of baguette that’s cut up into pieces to mop up the soup. I’m not usually a fan of mutton because of the gaminess, however, this dish is aromatic and does not have any strong odour.
The Soup Tulang has a light sweetness to it, almost like having tomato soup. There is an elaborate taste of spices such as fennel, cumin and ginger. The meat was tender and I got down to having my hands dirty.
I tried to knock out the marrow that’s hidden deep in the bones and inevitably failed. After knocking for what seemed like an eternity (people were starting to stare), the owner walked over with a big smile and gave me a straw to suck out the marrow.
With the straw, I succeeded and managed to get some bits out. At first sight, it might look off-putting to some but I can assure you the taste is amazing.
The buttery texture melts in your mouth, it is slightly sweet and surprisingly tasted like foie gras. Using the skills I just acquired, I continued on to my next bone and slurp up the bone marrow.
Though they’re best known for their Soup Tulang, MA Deen Biasa serves a variety of dishes, and I had the Chicken Briyani (S$8) that comes with a small plate of curry.
The Chicken Briyani is less spectacular; the briyani was cold, and I felt it lacked in spices. This dish would definitely be better if the chicken and the dish were served piping hot and fresh.
The chicken was a bit tough and the only saving grace for me was the curry. It was thick, savoury and made the dull dish a whole lot better.
By far, the soup tulang at MA Deen Biasa is one of the best I’ve tasted and until I find somewhere that can compete with this, I’ll say they are indeed the ‘King of Soup Tulang’.
Let us know where has the best soup tulang. I thoroughly enjoyed eating here and getting my hands messy; after all, the best food is best eaten with hands!
Expected Damage: S$5 – S$20 per pax
