Would You Pay $12 For Mao Shan Wang Durian Kaya Toast?
If Singapore had a national fruit, it would most likely be the durian. On that note, patisserie and cafe Ms Durian is launching three new durian desserts to celebrate National Day: Mao Shan Wang Durian Kaya Toast, Ugly Durian Egg Tart and MSW Durian Kaya Craquelin, the latter a spin on their signature durian cream puffs. The sweets will be available from 1 August to 31 October 2024.
Ms Durian is a cosy cafe at Jalan Besar specialising in durian desserts like Mao Shan Wang cakes, puddings and ice cream. It also serves fresh durians when the fruit is in season, plus a selection of savoury cafe fare like pasta. The homegrown biz is co-owned by baker Ling Goh, 38, and Jeslyn Tan, 23. Ling set up Ms Durian five years ago at a small bakery in Potong Pasir, having learned how to make durian pastries from her dad, who owns a 56-year-old durian business. Jeslyn, a Shatec grad, joined the partnership in 2020, and the duo opened their larger 70-seater Jalan Besar outlet in 2022.
8days.sg samples their limited-edition desserts, which Ling says is made with grade A MSW durians.
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MSW Durian Kaya Toast with eggs, $12
Kaya toast, but make it gao. Our set came with three pieces of durian kaya toast, alongside two soft-boiled eggs. The thinly-sliced kopitiam-style bread is grilled to a light golden brown, with a nice crisp texture. Each slice is slathered with creamy kaya blended with MSW durian puree, and topped with a slab of salted butter.
The coconutty gula melaka and durian-spiked kaya on our toast is a lot runnier than seen in Ms Durian’s lush promo photos. Quite nice, but if you’re into more bitter MSW durians, don’t expect to taste that here - the sweetness of the slightly caramelly kaya mellows most of the fruit’s pungency. It could do with a more generous dose of durian too, so we don’t find this quite worth the $12 price tag (regular kaya toast with eggs and a drink at Ya Kun costs $6.30, as a rough comparison). Better to spend your cash and calories on the craquelin (see below).
Ugly Durian Egg Tart, $4 each
Named ‘Ugly Durian Egg Tart’ for its rustic appearance, this smallish Portuguese-style pastry features a mildly buttery, flaky golden-brown crust, made with French Elle & Vire butter. The filling is a mix of MSW durian puree and custard.
MSW Durian Kaya Craquelin, $3.60 each
Our favourite among the three desserts. We like the delicate, crumbly layer of craquelin (cookie-like dough) piped on choux pastry. The puff is pumped with a good amount of pure MSW flesh, then dabbed with a touch of kaya.
We enjoy the greater durian-to-kaya ratio here - each bite oozes lots of thick durian paste blended with just a bit of smooth kaya. But note that this munchkin is gone in one mouthful.
Ms Durian will also be serving a savoury menu of limited-edition local dishes from 1 August to 31 October, including Sambal Batang Biryani ($20), Handmade Chicken Satay ($15.50), Dry Laksa with Tiger Prawn ($22) and Black Pepper Crab on Sourdough ($28). This is on top of their strange-sounding MSW Durian Nasi Lemak ($17), which is only available till end July.
Ms Durian is at 11 Kelantan Rd, Jln Besar, S208604. Open Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 9am - 10pm; Fri & Sat 9am - 11pm. Closed on Tue. More info via website, Facebook & Instagram.
Photos: Gwyn Lim, Ms Durian
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