Look at the trays and take a guess, what’s inside them?

They are the King of fruits – Durian!

So I was on my way back from work and stopped by the petrol station to fuel up my car. Then I spotted a familiar face. He was the durian seller whom I used to buy from in Sungai Ara. Then I felt the sudden urge to feast on durians lol. I am a durian lover, and I have spent hundreds on durian alone for the past 2 months. The passion for durian did not come naturally for me, I actually trained myself lol.

Durians are much cheaper now due to better harvest. Compared to buying a month ago, the price now is at least 30-50% cheaper. So now it’s definitely the best time to buy durian, don’t wait because they may be gone before you know it ;)

Total I spent for the durian is only RM24, and the kind uncle even gave me the rambutans for free. If I had a camera that time I’d have taken a photo of him for recommendation. He is also the first durian seller I have seen to open and pack durians in plastic containers for customers. Anyway rambutans are going dirt cheap too, RM1 for a kilogramme.

I have stored all the durian in the fridge, so I will get to enjoy them like ice-cream :drool: I truly feel sorry for those who are anti durian, they are missing out one of the best thing in life as Malaysians.

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It’s durian season again. And since I have never been to any durian buffet (or better known as eat all you can durian here in KL) I decided to have give it a try at one of the many stalls located at SS2. So far I haven’t seen this eat all you can durian thingy in Penang before, maybe that’s because Penang is selling it at RM1 each lol.

Located a stone throw’s away from SS2’s police station near the rows of bridal shops are three durian stalls having their very own durian buffets. For RM10 you can MAKAN SAMPAI KENYANG. Before you get all excited about feasting on Hor Lor and Ang Heh (Red Prawn), keep in mind that only Durian Kampung is served for the buffet at this price.

DurianSS2 offers the cheapest eat all you can around @ RM9 for Durian Kampung only. But because the promotion started during lunch time around 1pm, the durians were completely sold off when we reached there at 8pm. The only other promotion going on was RM15 for D24 durians. We didn’t take it and walked to the next stall, Donald’s Durian.

Donald’s Durian was having the buffet for Durian Kampung @ RM10 and RM20 for D24. It’s slightly more expensive than DurianSS2 but it was also the most crowded one.

Some of the varieties of durian they had at Donald’s Durian. I like the fact that they cater for durian party. I hope it’s not the throwing type one lol.

Since it’s a durian buffet you don’t get to choose the durians yourself. So there are bound to be hits and misses. The workers just bring the durians to your table whether you like it or not.
You might have a better chance of getting the nicer ones if your PR skill worked on them, else it’s all about your luck. Luckily the first durian that arrived on our table was also the biggest and also the nicest we had that night.

If lady luck is not on your side, you would get small and hard durians like this. After getting 2 durians we were not satisfied with – one being watery and the other one with a weird numbing aftertaste, we decided to complain.
The complaint worked and the bad durian was discarded into the bin by the worker. We were just glad we weren’t forced to finish the bad durians. And instead of asking the workers, we asked the lady boss to choose the durians for us.

That proved to the best thing to do, as she delivered two nice tasting durians. Besides, she’s much more friendlier too.

In total we had five durians (2 big, 2 medium and 1 small sized) shared among the four of us. If you ask me whether RM10 is worth the try.. I would say yes. But I highly doubt I would return for it again, at least not within the same year. I have far exceeded my quota of durians for this year in one night alone lol. I am hoping I won’t get sore throat the next day.

For a first timer, I was wondering if there was any basin to wash our hands, and whether drinks were served. Much to my delight, there was a basin and purified water is available for free. The basin was interesting because it had one of its taps fixated with a durian shell.
It is said that the water flowing through the inner part of the shell would help to eliminate the durian smell from your hand and mouth (if you gargle with it) I didn’t try it because it seemed weird lol. Have you tried it before? Does it really work?

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You don’t need me to tell you that Durian season is here again, those road side durian stalls are surely a good indication. I still remember the durian buffet I had at Donald’s Durian at SS2 for RM10 more than a year ago. Now, the price has gone up to RM15 due to low harvest.

Instead of buffet, we had ala carte durians this time around at the stall opposite Donald’s Durian located just behind the SS2 police station. It has no particular name except for the banner that says “Pahang Durian“. But you could easily identify the owner by his gold-dyed hair, which is also why people usually refer him as ‘Kam Mou’.

We opened a Bamboo Leg (Chook Keok) first but personally I did not fancy even though it is considered second only to the Raja Kunyit. The pulp’s texture is just too dry for my liking and durian is supposed to be creamy, no? Next we went for the XO Durian but found it to be half dry. But being a “Sure Eat Guarantee” stall, you could always request a new one as replacement.

So we got a XO replacement that turned out really creamy and tasted so much better.

Then we had two Red Prawn, known for their sweet and bitter aftertaste. Among the durians we had that night they had the thickest taste, nice to build up the momentum for our last durian – the Raja Kunyit/Musang King/Mao San Wong. Being the number 1 variant, Raja Kunyit is usually taken last so that the flavor won’t overshadow the others that taste more subtle.

Now the Raja Kunyit durian has received a lot of attention recently because Stanley Ho, the Macau casino mogul sent his private jet to Singapore just to pick up 88 of his favorite durians. I am very sure you have read this in the news. Well, I am pretty sure those durians were grown in Malaysia.

But too bad for us the better quality durians are usually exported to Singapore, where the people there could afford it more than us. When I was working in Singapore I would join my colleagues for durian sessions often at Tampines or Geylang. And it is true that their durians are better in overall, nothing surprising.
As for the Raja Kunyit that we had that night, errrr I think it was a major disappointment. Despite the smooth and creamy flesh and the small seeds, the ooomph was just not there and actually paled in comparison to the Red Prawns we had earlier. The best Raja Kunyit I ever had so far and yet to be beaten is still the one I had at Geylang, which costed me $40 a fruit!

In total we spent RM145 for 5 durians, averaging at RM36 per pax (1 Bamboo Leg, 1 XO + 1 replacement, 2 Red Prawn and 1 Raja Kunyit) Raja Kunyit was priced at RM20/kg while the rest was RM12/kg. It was certainly not a cheap meal but at least you get what you paid for unlike the buffet one where only the cheaper durian kampung (RM5/fruit) is served. Thanks to the Red Prawn durians for being the saving grace of an otherwise disappointing durian outing.

‘Kam Mou’ Pahang Durian (buffet @ RM15, subject to durian availability)
Jalan SS2/24 (Behind SS2 Police Station)
GPS Coordinates: N3 07.051 E101 37.415

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*** Update: Please refer to SK6363’s latest durian buffet offering here ***

This is the first time I see an eat-all-you-can durian buffet being promoted in Kepong. So I figured why not give it a try since it is only RM9 per person, which is the same as those in SS2. The stall is called 6363 and it is located at the famous durian street in Kepong Baru.

For RM9 and eat-all-you-can, you can only expect sweet durian kampung to be served. But the good thing is that water and tissue are provided free of charge and the durians we got were mostly decent.
Nothing was too bad and even if there was one that did not taste good, you could reject it and they will replace it with another fruit. And unlike the PJ stalls where the workers always open one big durian and shove it on your table, 6363’s workers have the courtesy to at least ask first.

I think the two of us ate close to five or six durians and felt the experience was worth the RM18 spent. We could have had more but opted to stop because we were worried of getting sick from having too much – even more with the hot and dry weather recently.

And if you are wondering, it’s RM25/kg for the Musang King here. I bought 3.8kg of it last weekend and cost me RM95. It was pricey alright but also very delicious.

Durian Buffet @ 6363 Durian Stall

Jalan Mergastua (Durian Street)
52100 Kepong Baru
GPS Coordinates: N03 12.263 E101 38.591

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We are not at the peak season of durian yet, but the fever for the King of the Fruits is hotter more than ever now. Durian cendol is not a new thing in Malaysia but a rojak & cendol stall in Shah Alam decided to take it it further by adding real and fresh durian fruits (never frozen) in their cendol. So essentially it’s not durian cendol. Instead, it’s durian in cendol.

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The whole idea is the brainchild of Mohd Hafez Hamed, who decided to include durian into his already extensive range of cendol flavors. If you don’t know yet, he offers more than a hundred types of cendol at his humble stall!

Since local durians are not that matured yet, he’s now using ‘Tembaga Chinni‘ from Thailand, known for its golden creamy flesh and sweet flavor. Rest assured though, that when the Musang King and D24 durians start to flood the local market, you’d be able to see them on the menu as well.

The prices for his durian cendol fluctuates based on the pricing of his durian stock which he gets on a daily basis. From what I was told, he uses up to 300kg of durian a day, so that’s 6 tonnes every month.
During our visit, a bowl could be RM10 or RM12, the difference is the amount of durian that goes into it. If you love durian, then an extra RM2 is worth paying for because the difference is quite significant.

After placing your order at the counter and paying for it, you will be assigned a number. Then the staff will deliver your orders by shouting out your number. Simply grab his attention when you hear your number being called out.

Taste wise, I’d say that cendol is already good on its own. It has pretty much everything you want in it – decent Gula Melaka flavor, fresh cendol ‘worms’ with a rich coconut milk aroma. So the durian would be just icing on the cake.
I used to sell durians so I am quite nitpicky when it comes to them. For a Thai durian, the quality is great and I could tell that they are more “natural” in the sense that they don’t appear to be ripened artificially with chemicals.
And of course local durians such as Musang King/D24/Red Prawn will triumph the ‘Tembaga Chinni’ on any day – so you could only expect the cendol to taste even better when they start dropping in large quantities.

Lastly, my advice to you is to arrive by 5.30pm if you don’t want to end up queing for hours. This was how the queue looked like before I left. FYI they are open tomorrow (2nd May 2016) even though it’s their usual off day.

Mohd Hafez Hamed, the owner explaining to the customers about his cendol and the durians he uses.

One of the staff showing off the fresh durians they use in their cendol.

Rojak & Cendol Shah Alam

Medan Selera Delima Seksyen 24
40300 Shah Alam, Selangor
Tel: 011-1156 4575 / 018-988 0157
Business hours: 6pm till finish (closed on Mondays)

The post Durian Cendol @ Rojak & Cendol Shah Alam, Seksyen 24 Shah Alam appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

The long awaited durian season is finally here. Unfortunately, due to the freakishly hot weather earlier this year, the harvest for this season will be a lot lower and prices will be higher too.
Besides Musang King and D24, a relatively new breed of durian called Black Thorn is making waves for its signature creamy and sweet flesh. It’s widely planted in the northern region of Malaysia especially in Penang and Kedah.

One of the most common fears of buying durian is getting cheated. Some unethical sellers prey on unsuspecting customers by offering them ‘fake’ breeds at expensive prices.
If you are not able to differentiate the different types of durian, you might be buying a common 101 durian at Musang King price because both of them share the same trait of having golden yellow fruits.

So, it’s important to purchase durians only from reputable and reliable sellers, preferrably regulars who you always see during durian seasons. As a general rule, try not to buy prepacked durians unless they are opened right before you, and always avoid durian stalls manned by foreigners.

If you already have a trusted seller that you always get your fix from, then by all means stick with it. Otherwise, you may considering getting your durians from Durian King TTDI located in Bukit Bintang. Their prices might not be the cheapest in town, but quality is always the number one priority when buying durians.
It’s advisable to pay a couple or more ringgit to get a better grade of fruit because it’d be worth it. Another personal advice I have is that, try buying smaller fruits. For example, try getting 3 durians at 1kg each rather than a 3kg one. Ultimately, you’d be more or less the same total price, but you get to enjoy 3 different flavors in return.

The Musang King we had that evening was grade A, it was perfectly ripe which is evident by the wrinkles you see on the flesh.

As for the Black Thorn, my view is that it’s suitable for those who like sweet and creamy durian with thick flesh. I’d say it’s quite similar to Red Prawn. That being said, it doesn’t really have the depth of flavor and underlying bitterness which Musang King, D24 or Tekka are famous for.
During our visit, Musang King and Black Thorn are priced at RM55/kg and RM40/kg respectively. The prices are higher because it’s the weekends. You should be able to purchase them at more affordable prices during weekdays when the demand is lower.

Durian King TTDI also offers chilled durians which you could enjoy like an ice cream. To be honest, I am not sure if this is the best way to store durians unless they are fully ripened, but it’s sure a good marketing strategy.

Durian King TTDI’s stall is only a stone throw’s away from Keong kee Herbal Soup in front of Shaw Parade.

Durian King TTDI

Tel: 016-274 6474
Business hours: Mon – Fri (5pm – 12am), Sat & Sun (12pm – 12am)

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When it comes to durian, the price actually comes secondary. Reputation and the quality of a durian stall are the more important things to consider before your spend your hard earned money. Good durians do not come cheap, they are rare because the best ones are exported. So they are definitely worth paying that extra few bucks.

Lets say you have been buying from a regular durian stall and you know the fruits are good, my advice is to stick to them. Try not to buy from random stalls that pop up once in a while, especially those that employ foreign workers. Even though they might be a couple bucks cheaper (per kg) you will probably end up buying sub-par quality durians.

If you are looking for great quality durians, I will recommend Chen Brothers Durian & Fruit in Kepong Baru. Compared to the other more popular durian stalls in KL or PJ, Chen Brothers is not only cheaper, they are also the most experienced in the trade.
That being said, don’t expect them to be the cheapest in town because like I mentioned earlier, you get what you pay for.

And like any other reputable sellers, they will guarantee that the fruits you get are 100% edible in the sense that they won’t be ‘potato’ (half ripe), unripe or have worms.
In case any of these things happen, they will be more than happy to exchange or reimburse any problematic pulps. I have bought from them a couple of times and so far, I have never been disappointed.

For those who love D24, you’d be pleased to know that Chen Brothers’ carry lots of them in exceptional quality. They usually have those ‘high mountain’ or ‘old tree’ stocks with green and grey husks.

Compared to the normal D24 that have whitish flesh, these are yellow with an outstanding taste – creamy, sweet and bitter.

Musang King is always a safe bet so you won’t go wrong with it. They usually have two types – grade A or grade AB which is usually determined by their size.
Price wise the difference is about RM8-10/per kg. Just for your reference purpose, I bought the D24 @ RM19/kg and AB Musang King @ RM32/kg yesterday. It might be cheaper or more expensive depending on the season.

So if you have been duped by durian sellers in the past and are looking for a reliable one, don’t hesitate to buy from Chen Brothers. I am sure you will be pleased with the service, honesty and more importantly the quality of fruits they offer. Lastly, vacuum packing is also available here – great for those who plan to bring durian overseas.

Chen Brothers Durian & Fruit

Jalan Mergastua (Kepong Baru Durian Street)
Tel: 019-393 6877 (Chong) / 012-233 2613 (Kai) / 017-338 1366 (Foo)
Business hours: 1pm till finish

The post Chen Brothers Durian & Fruit – Best Durian Stall in Kepong appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

** Due to the unexpected overwhelming response, I suggest you guys to call ahead to check for availability first. Some are saying they don’t offer it anymore, some are saying it’s still available. I have no idea. **

A few years ago I blogged about SK 6363’s durian buffet. That time, it was going for RM9/pax and only durian kampung was served. Now, they have upped the ante by offering eat-all-you-can D24 durian buffet for RM16/pax.

Is it worth the money? Well, just think about this. One kg of D24 now is probably going for RM16-RM19 per kg depending on the quality. So buying 1 decent sized D24 alone would cost you around RM20 – that itself is already more expensive than the buffet!

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However, don’t expect the durian served in the buffet to have the exact quality like those sold off-rack. I seriously hope you guys are not so naive into thinking that they’d be serving you grade AA, old tree, high mountain or super D24. OK? And since we were the first few to arrive, the workers were really free so they obliged my request to arrange the durian pulps nicely.
So if you do not get your durians as shown in the photos, PLEASE don’t complain. For those who want the durians to be served like this for photography or Instagram purpose, simply come earlier before the crowd swells. Asking nicely definitely helps too.

Now about the durians, I have to say they exceeded my initial expectations. I knew at least they won’t disappoint since it’s D24, and as lousy as D24 goes it’s still better than a lot of durian kampung.
What we had that day tasted A LOT better than what you could get from the random dodgy durian vendors. It was a mix of excellent (20%), good (60%) and OK (20%) quality and the overall experience was more than satisfying for a buffet.

As far as I know this is the only durian buffet in town and it’s bang for your bucks at only RM16/pax. All of us who came for it went home happy and I hope you will feel the same too.

From what I was told, the buffet will be available daily until the durian season ends, or when the price soars too high – whichever comes first. Lastly, ignore the pricing on the banner as it’s obviously an old one.

p/s: If you have the slightest feeling that any of my posts are dishonest, feel free to ignore them. Take Chen Brothers for example, I have always bought from them with my own money and none of the durians were ever sponsored. Do you think with their fame and success they even need my help to promote for them?

I was simply recommending them out of courtesy in case any of you have trouble looking for a reliable durian stall. Always exercise common sense and rights as a consumer.
If you feel that you have been duped because the durians are not up to your standard, then ask for exchange or refund. If you are buying in large amount then at least try the durian first before you pay!

D24 DURIAN BUFFET @ SK 6363 FRUITS TRADING

Jalan Mergastua (Durian Street)
52100 Kepong Baru
GPS Coordinates: N03 12.263 E101 38.591
Tel: 012-2286 239 (May Chan)
Business hours: 1pm till finish (~10pm), buffet starts at 2.30pm on weekdays, 5pm on weekends

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Step aside salted egg custard, half-baked cheese tarts are officially the craze of the town currently. One unassuming bakery in Kajang called Happy Happy Bread Bakery has even stepped up the game by imbuing our beloved durian into their cheese tarts.
Also, they are not using just any durian but Musang King! Based on the amount of social media attention they gained, safe to say it was a brilliant move and they are now reaping the benefits.

Although there was already a queue when we reached the bakery, waiting time was short as we got our tarts within 10 minutes. From what I saw, not everyone in the queue was there to buy the cheese tarts, as some of them were buying traditional pastries instead.

I am not sure if there’s a minimum purchase, but you will only get a box if you buy 6 pcs and above. We took a mix of normal cheese tarts and durian cheese tarts which cost RM23 (a bit of discount) in total. The tarts were still warm and fragant when we got them.

With everything considered, Happy Happy’s cheese tarts @ RM3.80/pc would be considered cheap if you compare it with Tokyo Secret‘s (TS) RM7.90/pc. Size wise they are pretty much the same but TS’ cheese tarts are deeper and undeniably filled with more cheese filling. Besides, Happy Happy’s cheese tart feels fragile and crack easily. So you need to be careful or they would break into pieces – even just trying to lift them up from the box.
Based on that I’d say their pastry kung fu is behind TS’, which is why you are paying RM4 less here. Having said that, the tart’s crust is still crumbly delicious with a sandy texture, while the cheese filling is soft and gooey and more overflowing – even more than TS’ but not as intense in flavor.

As for the durian cheese tart, it’s nice and good enough to justify its RM4.50 price tag. You can see the amount of Musang King durian flesh at the bottom of the tart which occupies more than half of the filling. However, if I return again I’d stick to the original cheese tarts.

For those who plan to come, do note that their half-baked cheese tarts are baked in 2 batches a day and only ready for purchase from 12.30pm and 6.30pm onwards. So plan your journey carefully to avoid disappointments. You may also call or Whatsapp them ahead for reservation.

Happy Happy Bread Bakery 开心即烘面包

285, Jalan Berjaya 10
Taman Berjaya, 43000 Kajang
GPS Coordinates：2.984111, 101.778709
Tel: 017-722 3326
Business hours: 6am – 10pm

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Looking for a good durian buffet in PJ where quality comes first? Then you should definitely consider Sinnaco Durian Specialist. They offer different buffet packages that you can choose according to your desire and budget.
Both their stall and shop can found along Durian Street in Section 19, a newly minted place where a few other durian stalls are also located at.

Sinnaco refuses to serve durian kampung buffet because they find the quality to be too volatile. So their cheapest package “Standard Type D” @ RM38 already includes branded durians such as D3, D4, D7, D10, D8, D14 and D15.

After weighing the options available, we decided to try the “Premium Grade (mountain slope)” durian buffet @ RM68/pax since one of our favorites D24 is part of the offering.
FYI the most expensive durian buffet here is none other than Musang King buffet which goes for RM158/pax. But for those who like their Facebook page, you get to enjoy a RM20 discount.

Here are some of the durians are included in the package, from left to right: D24, D13, Mas Pahang, Sultan and Jantung. And as usual, if you want them to be arranged nicely, just ask for the durian pulps to be stacked on top.

Among all the types of durian we had, the D24 was undeniably the most enjoyable one. It had a glossy and wrinkly skin, while the flesh was thick and extremely creamy. This alone beat all the other D24 durians we had at SK6363 not long ago.

The Sultan durian is similar to D24 in terms of taste and texture, but the flesh to seed ratio is much lower. If you like D24 you will most likely appreciate Sultan as well.

It’s obvious where Durian Jantung got its name from. The flesh is creamy and melts in your mouth with a balanced sweet and bitter taste.

D13 is for those who like a complex flavored durian with a fruity, wine-like aroma. The flesh is also more orange than the rest.

Just like the name says, the Mas Pahang durian has shiny golden colored pulps. It was also the sweetest tasting one we had that night.

Satisfied with the quality of durians, we decided to take away a Musang King (RM42/kg, thick flesh with tiny seeds) for my in-laws. Depending on the season, you’d get to choose from Pahang (Raub or Bentong), Johor or Perak.

As you’d have expected, those from Raub are the most expensive while Perak ones are the cheapest. Honestly speaking, not many durian sellers out there would segregate their supply clearly by region. Most of them would just declare their stocks of Musang King all originate from Raub for maximum profits.

During our visit the mangosteens were priced at RM9/kg.

Sinnaco’s shop is clean and maybe more importantly, air-conditioned so you can enjoy the durians comfortably. It is no doubt the most properly set up durian shop in the area. For the durian buffet, it’s the same question all over again whether if it’s worth paying for. If you have a considerable appetite and can finish at least two fruits by yourself, then you would have eaten your worth.
For those who are more concerned about the quality, what I can tell from our experience is that the durians we had were excellent. We didn’t have to send any of them back since all of them met our expectations. In fact, I am still thinking about the D24 now, it’s just so good.

To put it bluntly, Sinnaco’s durian buffet IS the better deal in town. Another durian stall nearby is offering eat-all-you-can durian kampung at RM35, which is baffling to me considering you can get durian kampung super cheap now, like 2 or 3 fruits for RM10. So why not spend a little more to enjoy branded durians instead?

Sinnaco Durian Specialist

No.60, Jalan 19/3, Seksyen 19
46300, Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7960 2600
WeChat: 019-280 1313
WhatsApp: 018-323 8393
Business hours: 11am – 12am

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Export grade Musang King Durian – these 5 words give me a mixed feeling. It’s unfortunate that the bulk of durian of the higher quality in Malaysia is exported to wealthier countries like Singapore and China.
However, if you can afford it, you can get them at Sinnaco Durian Specialist at RM58/kg (correct at time of writing) albeit at limited quantity.

So how did Sinnaco manage to get a hold of these “export grade” Musang King durians? Well they bid for them and basically paid the same price as the Singaporean stall owners. Appearance wise, they have a more greyish husk which is usually a good indication that an old durian tree bore them.

When a single durian can cost you close to RM100, you better make sure the quality is worth paying for. You should always make your taste preference known first: whether you are looking for bitter or sweet durian.
If the staff is an experienced one, he should be able to pick one that’s right for you. And this is probably the most important bit – always try the durian first and make sure you are happy with it! You wouldn’t want to return and argue about the quality later, trust me on that.

As soon as our export grade Musang King durian arrived, I knew it was going to be bitter-ish. You could actually tell by spotting the bruise-like mark on the durian pulps.
True enough, they tasted bitter-sweet and the depth of flavor was amazing and the ovrall quality is simply a class above than what we had previously. So the extra bucks were definitely worth it.

Sinnaco calls their Trakka as ‘Musang Queen’. It’s not without basis as the taste of Trakka is generally second after Musang King. But make no mistake, a very good queen can take on the average king anytime.

If you bought a Trakka durian and the core does not look like this, you better ask for your money back. FYI it’s not a defect but one of the unique characteristics you will find on a Trakka durian. Another durian that also shares an orangy core is Black Thorn – just not as prominent.

Taste wise it didn’t disappoint at all and recommended for those who appreciate bitter tasting durian. Trakka has always been a resilient cultivar and it shows time after time.

From what I was told, Sinnaco will continue to bring in the export grade supply of Musang King for another 2 weeks or so. If you are curious to find out what our neighbors are enjoying, and what we have been missing – you should make your away here as soon as possible.

Sinnaco Durian Specialist

No.60, Jalan 19/3, Seksyen 19
46300, Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7960 2600
WeChat: 019-280 1313
WhatsApp: 018-323 8393
Business hours: 11am – 12am

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Durian used to be an affordable thing to eat. I remember when I was still selling durians 3 years ago, Musang King was only RM13/kg at the lowest and hovered around RM18-RM21/kg on average, while D24 was only RM9/kg.

The season of our local durians just started recently and it is expected to last till November. As usual, prices are high due to the lower yield, which is normal during the begining of every durian season.
You can also expect the prices to remain moderately high because it rained a lot earlier this year and that has a drastic effect on the harvest. Even if there were cheap durians, they would have been snapped up by food manufacturers to be processed into frozen durian flesh.
Nowadays I only buy my durians from Chen Brothers. Although their durians are slightly more expensive than the rest, you can be assured of the quality and we have never been disappointed so far.
Even if there was an issue with the durians we bought from the brothers, they would happily exchange for us – no questions asked. Just make sure you really return those problematic durians, ok?

Musang King was definitely out of our consideration because it was too pricey. During our visit there were only 3 of them left but still, they were snapped up immediately by the buyer who came after us. Based on the budget we had, we bought a 红肉仔 (hung yuk zai) and 细核仔 (sai wat zai).

This was the 红肉仔. When literally translated, it means ‘red meat kid’ and you can see where it got its name. The color of the flesh is orangy with a matching bitter sweet flavor accompanied by a faint aroma of wine. Taste wise it could go toe to toe with Musang King, but the seeds are rather large.

If you like your durians with tiny seeds, then the 细核仔 (translated to tiny seed kid) can be considered. At its best quality, the flesh is thick and creamy with a wrinkled appearance. The taste is on the sweeter side and not as sophisticated as D24 or 红肉仔 mentioned earlier.
Lastly, do you know that a lot of durians you see in the last 2 months or so were imported from Thailand? Those are usually labeled as ‘red prawn’ because of the color of the flesh and its sweet taste. You can actually purchase them at Selayang’s pasar borong for half the street price.
Personally, I have never liked Thai durians because of the unnatural things they do to the fruit to make it ripe faster, like injecting hormones (through the stem) and submerging them in chemical laced water. Avoid if possible.

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We are approaching the bumper period (when the supply is high) for the current durian season, so you will see a gradual decline in the prices. Although Musang King’s price has dropped from RM120/kg to RM/75 from the week before, it’s still expensive.

Now if you want to enjoy durian without having to spend a fortune, durian cendol will be your answer. And no, you don’t need to travel to Shah Alam, as it’s also available at Mel’s Corner in Batu Caves.

Mel’s Corner’s durian cendol is RM20 for a big bowl and it comes with two pulps of local durian tembaga and ice cream with all the usual toppings. They don’t use any processed durian paste or artificial flavoring to enhance the durian flavor in the cendol.
Whatever you taste is directly from the durian pulps and the ones we had were bitter sweet and honestly quite wonderful. That said, do note that you may get a different type of durian and the price will change accordingly to the durian season.

This is the crowd in the weekends. Don’t be discouraged though, as service is relatively fast especially if you are taking away. For those who plan to ‘makan sini’, don’t bother to queue. You will need to secure a table first then only place your order.

Besides durian cendol, durian shake, ABC durian and Roti John are also available.

The durian shake is RM7, ice blended with 100% durian flesh, gula melaka and ice cream then topped with chocolate candies. The durian flavor is really strong in this one and the shake shake is rich and creamy in taste. I thought the chocolate candies were unnecessary and didn’t add anything to it.

Their Roti John was alright, not the best I have had but surely satisfying enough as a snack while waiting for the cendol to arrive.

Mel’s Corner is open till midnight too, perfect when you have sudden pangs of craving for durian or supper. To know more about this place, check out the video we made above.

The post Durian Cendol @ Mel’s Corner, Batu Caves appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Justberrys calls itself a premium dessert house and that’s a fitting description based on our experience. Personally, I feel Justberrys is among the best dessert cafes in Melaka.
It’s worth checking out if you are looking for something different to try while visiting the state. I would even go as far as to say they are better than most dessert places in KL, both in terms of quality and presentation.

The Bitter Durian @ RM25 is one of the most memorable durian desserts I have tried. Almost every component that makes up the dessert is durian oriented, such as real durian pulp (usually D24), creamy durian paste and durian flavored ice cream. If you are a durian lover, this is not to be missed.

For those who can’t stand durian and looking for something more conventional, the Choco Lava Rich @ RM23 would be a good bet.
It’s basically a chocolate flavored bingsu topped with chocolate chips, chocolate ice cream and crushed peanuts. The chocolate flavor is quite rich, but not to the point that you will feel ‘jelak’. Portion wise it’s definitely large enough to be shared with another friend.

Justberrys also has a series of tropical fruit desserts which includes watermelon, winter melon, dragon fruit and honeydew melon. We picked the Dragon Fruit Kona Tropican @ RM22 for its uniqueness, as we have not seen dragon fruit being used as such before. The dragon fruit they gave was of high quality and big in size, it had plenty of flesh and tasted naturally sweet too.

Happy with everything we had thus far, we also ordered the Cendol Durian @ RM18 to try. It was alright and did not impress us as much as the earlier desserts, mainly due to the fact that they used coconut cream instead of fresh coconut milk. So it lacked that distinctive aroma which is crucial in enhancing the flavor. The durian puree on top was great though.

FYI Justberrys has two branches in Melaka: Taman Kota Laksamana and Ayer Keroh. The latter (which we went) is a franchisee owned and operated by Muslims. I don’t think they are halal certified, but at least you will have better peace of mind when eating at the Ayer Keroh branch.

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Durian season is upon us again. This time, the durians are cheaper than previous seasons and they are affordable again. If you are looking for a reliable durian stall in Klang, look out for 榴莲妹妹档 (Durian Mei Mei).

This family owned durian stall offers a variety of durian clones including Musang King, D13, Red Prawn, D101, Kong Hoi, XO, D24 and etc but subject to availability.
Unlike some popular stalls that attract customers using sales gimmick and various ‘limited time promotions’, they are true to their words so you pay for what you see.

FYI we tried their Kong Hoi durian (sweet and small seed), Red Prawn and D13 (bitter sweet with orangy flesh) last Saturday (24 March) and all of them were excellent at RM15/kg. During the weekdays you can expect the prices to drop slightly due to lower demand.

As I know, the same durian clones were sold at RM13/kg a couple of days before that. They were about RM5 cheaper than what I got at Chen Brothers.
That said, I was still happy with my purchase at Chen Brothers because the durians we got were excellent and worth every cent. Moreover, I did not have to travel all the way to Klang.

Since the durian prices fluctuate from day to day, you can refer their Facebook page to find out the updated daily prices. Durian Mei Mei does not have a permanent stall and operates at various locations which are mostly pasar malam. Their locations and business hours are listed below.

Monday – Pandamaran Pasar Malam (2pm – 10pm)
Tuesday – Teluk Pulai Pasar Malam (2pm – 10pm)
Wednesday – Taman Chi Leung Pasar Malam (2pm – 10pm)
Thursday – Jalan Meru Pasar Malam (2pm – 10pm)
Friday – Taman Sentosa Pasar Malam (2pm – 10pm)
Saturday – In front of Magnum 4D Bayu Perdana, Jalan Batu Unjur 7 (1pm – 7pm)
Sunday – In front of Magnum 4D Bayu Perdana, Jalan Batu Unjur 7 (1pm – 7pm)

Durian Mei Mei – 榴莲妹妹档

Tel: 014-360 5397 (Cindy) / 016-643 5849
Facebook: 榴莲妹妹档

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