3 Best Stalls For ‘Cheap’ Mao Shan Wang Durians
Well, cheap compared to the prices at most other durian stalls. This season’s king of fruits is especially expensive due to a shortage in supply. So we scoured the island for three of the best deals.
It’s currently peak season for Mao Shan Wang, the only durian varietal we think is worth splurging all those calories on. But bad news for fans of the premium fruit: its average price is now between $23 to $30 per kilogram — as opposed to last year’s $15 to $18. A prolonged rainy spell in Malaysia — where Mao Shan Wang durians are imported from — caused the supply to fall to about a third of its usual crop and prices to spike. However, here's some good news. We’ve found three stalls offering possibly the cheapest Mao Shan Wangs in town. And they are *drumroll*… (see next slide).
Well, cheap compared to the prices at most other durian stalls. This season’s king of fruits is especially expensive due to a shortage in supply. So we scoured the island for three of the best deals.
The Uni Grad Towkay
Fruits Top 1’s (also confusingly known as Durian 36) articulate boss, Teoh See Yong, better known as Ah Yong, 32, is our go-to durian dude. Not only are his fruits delicious, he’s — ahem — reasonably honest as far as durian sellers go. The boyish man boasts a degree in hospitality from Taylor’s uni in KL, but has dived full-time into his family’s durian biz. “The MSW supply is so low this year because most of the flowers on the durian trees were destroyed by the rain,” laments Ah Yong. But there’s a silver lining: “There're many new flowers appearing on the trees now, which means there’ll be a big harvest this November — provided there’s no bad weather.”
Grab A Seat
The shop's open-air seating area accommodates over 80 pax. It's passably clean, and gloves are provided so you can avoid odorous fingers.
Fruits Top 1’s Durians
Ah Yong’s Mao Shan Wangs are mostly from Pahang, with a small number from his grandpa’s farm in Segamat, Johor (the latter specialises more in the red prawn variety). His fruits are bittersweet, veering towards intoxicatingly bitter this season. The fruit segments also seem a bit smaller as opposed to previous years’, but they’re still meaty enough, with satisfyingly small seeds and very moist, custardy flesh. Feel free to taste test and reject any durians that aren’t to your liking. But don’t overdo it, of course.
Smelly No More
This $17,000 vacuum pack-sealing machine from Holland ensures your packets of takeaway durians are 100 percent pong-free. Once sealed, the fruit stays fresh for up to three days chilled; six months frozen. Pro tip: drop by Ah Yong’s stall just after 7pm, when the Mao Shan Wang durians from Pahang are delivered from the plantation.
Stall #2: Mr Durian
PRICE: $20/kg, till Aug 24 (show the towkay this story to enjoy promo). Usual price $22/kg.
Alan Chern, 48, the chatty ‘Mr Durian’ here, formerly operated his stall near Zhongshan Park in Balestier, but relocated to his current Rangoon Road digs six months ago “for more space”. The 50-seater offers both al fresco and indoor seats, as well as plastic gloves, tissues and a wash basin.
#01-00, 140 Rangoon Rd, S218418. Open daily 1pm-11pm. Tel: 8284-3222. www.facebook.com/pg/mrduriansg
You May See Some Stars Here
Alan’s stall is also something of a celeb haunt — Marcus Chin and Hossan Leong are regulars, while Stefanie Sun and Qi Yuwu have dropped by to tapow MSW durians. “Stefanie and her mother are very gracious; they don’t haggle over prices. And Qi Yuwu brought his daughter here twice," he shares proudly. Note that if you're here to take away durians, it'll cost you 30 cents to vacuum-seal each packet.
Mr Durian's Al Fresco Seats
You can dig into your durians by the roadside, ghetto-style. Or at...
Mr Durian's Indoor Seating
The slightly stuffy indoor area, serviced by a lazily spinning fan and one air-con unit.
Durian With a Side of Celebrity
Alan with Stefanie Sun.
Photo courtesy of Alan Chern/ Mr Durian
Mr Durian's Wares
The Mao Shan Wang durians here are from Johor and Pahang. The mid-sized specimen we ate opened to reveal plump, golden mounds covered with a thin film of skin. Beneath that, the flesh is creamy, heady and bittersweet, clinging to smallish seeds. Shiok. Our durian yielded about eight seeds, enough for two pax or one voracious durian lover. You can either call or text the boss to chope your MSW, or show up at the right time. “I get deliveries at 1pm, 5pm and 6pm,” he shares.
Stall #3: Melvin's Durian
PRICE: $22/kg till Aug 24 (show the towkay this story to enjoy promo). Market price on other days.
You may recognise Melvin Ha, the towkay of Melvin’s Durian, from durian stall Ministry of Durian at Upper Paya Lebar. The Ministry shuttered earlier this year. “There were some personal issues [with my business partners],” explains the 27-year-old. He quickly bounced back with this 50-seat, eponymous air-conditioned joint in Serangoon. It’s similar to the cafe-style durian enclave that Ministry of Durian was known for. Orders above $80 get you free delivery, while there’s a $12 fee for orders below $80.
Blk 263 Serangoon Central #01-41, S550263. Tel: 8869-0781. Open daily noon-11pm. www.facebook.com/pg/melvinsdurian
The Goods
Regrettably, we did not get to sample Melvin’s Johor- and Pahang-imported durians in time for this story. So we can't vouch for its quality. “I get everything at around 1.30pm except for the Pahang durians, which usually arrive at 6.30pm,” says Melvin. Reserve durians for in-store pickup, or opt for delivery.
Shopping
