What’s spiky on the outside and soft on the inside?
No, it’s not a cactus.
And heck no, it’s definitely not a studded, spiked leather jacket.
It’s durian.
Now that the weather is unbearable these days, we can’t help but wonder — could the ‘king of fruits’ take a hit from the heat? We sure hope not. We’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed for good measure. In the meantime, take a look at this curated list and see if any of these stalls strike your fancy.
Wonderful Durian
Wonderful Durian’s very own durians are planted in a kampung called Terentai in Malaysia. The stall is well known for its Mao Shan Wang (Mountain Cat King), Phoenix, and D24 durians. Rumour has it that a D197 Mao Shan Wang can cost up to $200++. We have no doubt that it’s delicious. The question is, are you ready to shell out hundreds of dollars for these durians?
Wonderful Durian
Opening hours: 24 hours daily
Address: 147 Sims Avenue, Singapore 387469 (alongside Lorong 17 Geylang)
Contact: +65 6747 0191, +65 9446 5556
Email: [email protected]
Chong Pang City
Chong Pang City (in Yishun) is home to one of the cheapest durians in Singapore. Here, you can find different kinds of durians selling at 3 for $20, or 1 for $8. One time, a durian piece was going for 20 cents.
Pro tip: visit the stalls during the late evenings. Trust us, you don’t want to go and haggle over the price under the scorching sun.
Chong Pang City (Yishun)
Address: 105 Yishun Ring Road
Ah Seng Durian
Here, a 5.5kg of Mao Shan Wang can set you back at around $70++. Besides selling an interesting range of durians, Ah Seng also stocks traditionally homemade lime and sour plum concentrate ($12/bottle) to help with digestion and to keep the flu bug at bay — a smart move, considering durians are known to be ‘heaty’ fruits.
I see what you did there, Ah Seng.
Ah Seng Durian
Opening hours: Weekdays, 12.30pm – 8.30pm & Weekends, 12.30pm to 7pm
Address: Block 20 Ghim Moh Market, #01-119 to #01-122, Ghim Moh Road
Contact: +65 9465 6160
Email: [email protected] & [email protected]
Combat Durian Balestier
Check out the number of press coverages Combat has got! A peek at their Facebook page shows that Hong Kong legends Patrick Tse and Chow Yun Fat have had personally stopped by the stall.
Proof here:
Here, the D24 and Mao Shan Wang durians are the hot favourites. 1kg of Mao Shan Wang can cost around $25. The first bite of the creamy sweet durian is so awesome, it feels like a religious experience. The service is top-notch, to boot.
Combat Durian Balestier
Opening hours: Daily, 12pm to 12am
Address: 249 Balestier Road (Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Temple)
Contact: +65 9278 9928 Linda
Email: [email protected]
Sindy Durian
This family business does not take a single break in the middle of the durian season — that’s how dedicated they are. One Facebook user recounted an experience when the queue was long and the staff wasted no time by speeding up their customer service. Another spent an hour and a half queuing for Mao Shan Wang and enthused that it was worth the wait.
This is not to be missed if you value tasty durians and impeccable service.
Sindy Durian
Address: 89 Whampoa Drive #01-835, Singapore 320089
Opening hours: 24 hours daily
Contact: +65 9710 2427
Email: [email protected]
Will you be heading to any of these stalls? If your favourite durian stall is not featured, let us know on Facebook. We’re waiting to hear from you durian fanatics.
(Header credit: alexsemenzato via VisualHunt / CC BY-ND, words by author)
Also read: Everything For Free? Introducing SG’s Really Really Free Market!
