Batangas Bulalo: Filipino Beef Marrow Soup in Riyadh

What is bulalo?

Bulalo is a clear beef soup made by simmering beef shank — with the marrow bone still in — for hours, until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender and the marrow is soft enough to scoop out with a spoon. It's most closely associated with Batangas and the cool highlands around Tagaytay, south of Manila, where a steaming bowl of bulalo is a weekend tradition. Traditional versions add vegetables such as corn on the cob, cabbage or pechay, and the broth is seasoned simply so that the beef is the star.

Our Batangas Bulalo

At Fiestahan, Batangas Bulalo is slow-simmered beef shank and marrow broth, Batangas-style, and it's one of the most ordered dishes on our menu. It comes to the table piping hot and made for sharing. For bigger tables, the menu also lists a Super Bulalo — ask our team which size suits your group.

How to eat bulalo

Bulalo is a sharing soup, so put it in the middle of the table. Ladle the broth over steamed rice, scoop the marrow out while it's hot, and eat the tender beef with your rice. Many Filipinos like to dip the meat in a little fish sauce with calamansi and chilli for extra kick. It's the kind of meal that makes a group slow down, talk and stay a little longer.

Bulalo or cansi?

Both are beef shank and bone-marrow soups. Bulalo is clear, savoury and gentle. Bacolod Cansi, from Negros in the Visayas, is soured with batwan fruit, which gives it a bolder, tangier broth. If you're with the barkada, order one of each, add an Iniwow sa Bilao platter and a sizzling Fiesta Sisig, and compare.

Visit or order

Find us inside Al Jazeera Supermarket on Musa Bin Naseer St in Al Sulaymaniyah, with free parking and a family section. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday a live band plays from about 7:30 PM, so book a table for band nights. Fiestahan is also available for pick-up and for delivery on HungerStation, Keeta, Ninja, Jahez and The Chefz.