The Unsung Sop Buntut Cut Meutia

by Immanuel J. Palar
4th May 2017
Over at a tight-knit neighbourhood in Menteng, Sop Buntut Cut Meutia has been preserving its authentic oxtail soup for more than four decades.

Menteng is one of the areas in Jakarta where one easily encounters legendary eateries. A handful of them comes with imposing post-colonial façades, some with eye-catching neon lights, and then there are those modest ones by the roadside. Sop Buntut Cut Meutia belongs to the latter, serving up classic Sop Buntut (oxtail soup) in the narrow alley of Menteng Kecil.

Over the span of four decades, Sop Buntut Cut Meutia has been a loyal companion to the regulars and white-collar workers around the area, who often opt for a simple bowl of sop buntut during lunch time. Initially serving Padang cuisine in its menu, the eatery founded by Hj. Nurjanah, often draws visitors with their famous sop buntut. The eatery eventually serves oxtail soup alone and renamed itself to Sop Buntut Cut Meutia, borrowing the name from the nearby mosque.

Choices are straightforward here, one only has to pick from the options of boiled, fried or grilled oxtail. The signature is no doubt Sop Buntut Rebus, where the tender meat goes well with chunks of carrot and tomato in the soup. While Sop Buntut Goreng or Bakar offers a different texture, in which the fried/grilled oxtail comes with a separate bowl of warm soup.

It is obvious that visiting during peak hours is not advisable as the place is easily packed. But the good thing is, whether under a scorching or cold raining weather, a warm bowl of sop buntut always sounds like a good idea.