Of Dendengs and Prata Tumbuk

0Hazrul Azhar Jamari • 9th Oct 2007 • My Notes

I’ve only had dendeng once the entire Ramadan. Which is a good thing coz I needed to watch that weight. But Ramadan without dendeng is like having cheeseburger without the cheese. So obviously once wouldn’t be enough.

What’s that? Oh, what’s dendeng?

Dendeng is a kind of barbecued beef delicacy. The Chinese community here might be familliar with the Bak Kwa. Dendeng is something like that, but it is made from halal slaughtered beef.

A 300g packet of dendeng costs $10

The taste? Mmmm… sweet and spicy. I loike! Be careful though. This is a premium product and it’s not cheap. A 300g pack costs $10. How much is that? Well, that’s approximately the size of a $0.60 tetra pack. But the price is worth its reputation.

Let’s take a look inside that pack.

Dendeng with oozing BBQ sauce. Yummy!

I wish it was crispy grilled though. Well, as you can see it looks like bacon, but it’s not crispy tough. It’s actually tender and sweet. Kinda like a well done steak.

Yummy dendeng!

It’s best savoured if you eat it in small pieces. So tear it into smaller pieces and enjoy it’s rich juices. You’ll be back for more!

Apart from Dendeng, I finally found the long lost Prata Tumbuk. People has been saying that there is no Prata Tumbuk this year. I’ve searched high and low all over Geylang almost the whole Ramadhan (well technically about a couple of days in Ramadhan lah) and FINALLY, I found it by accident.

I know a lot of people has been looking for this Ramadhan only delicacy which made its debut about 3 years ago in Singapore. But this year, the dish was so elusive. I swear a lot of people thought Prata Tumbuk will not be around this year and that’s even claimed by some stall owners here.

The Prata Tumbuk Stall at PCF Geylang Temporary Market Bazaar

It was by accident that I found the stall. And it was under my nose all along. Where is it exactly?

Opposite Tanjong Katong Complex beside bus stop going towards Bedok

It is the first decorated gantry in Geylang (from a driver’s perspective) if you’re going towards Bedok.  It’s about 10m from the bus stop. The distinct clunking of the stall is unmistakable. You won’t miss it if you open your eyes and ears wide enough.

Right, so now that we’ve established the location of the elusive Prata Tumbuk stall, what is it exactly?

Prata Tumbuk in its glory

It’s like murtabak, but the insides are like roti john. The prata is mashed and bashed into small pieces and for that to happen, the mamak needs to bash his spoon against the pan hard. When he does this, he makes loud clunking noises and this is what makes prata tumbuk unique. One can know the presence of a prata tumbuk stall with the very din it makes.

So what goes into that delicious tray of mashed meat? Well, apart from either beef or chicken and of course the prata pieces, there’s curry, mayonnaise, lime and tomato. Sounds like Burger Ramly eh? Each box of this Ramadhan delicacy costs $3.

The first bite of the sweet and sour Prata Tumbuk

The flavour is tantalising. There’s the sweetness of the mayonnaise, the spicyness of the curry and the sourness of the lime. Of course, you leave out the lime if you want to.

This is a must have in any Ramadhan. Makes a perfect sahur meal too.

So those Prata Tumbuk lovers, stop drooling already! Go to Geylang now!