The KING of fruits has finally resurfaced on the little red dot; bringing with it a stinky aroma missed by many, including me!
While the central area has combat durian, the west has ah seng durian and the east is just blessed with too many durian stalls, it's hard to pinpoint a reputable stall in the north, where i live by the way.
Wait, i do remember one that was recommended by ieatishootipost.sg and its location was a breeze to recall as i used to work at the shopping centre right opposite; Sembawang Durian Seng (i have kindly helped to draw a red rectangle to indicate the shop)!
It's not a permanent shop and only appears during the durian seasons! With limited space right in front of the hair salon, i was thankful to have arrived at 5.30 pm when the crowd has yet to descend even though the white bee hoon restaurant a few doors away had like ten persons in the queue.
Do look out for the owner; a man with a booming voice who seemed fierce at first but actually quite friendly once you banter with him. Don't be surprised if he says he dislikes durians!
With famous durian species like mao shan wang (貓山王), golden phoenix (金风), black pearl (黑珍珠), red prawn (红虾) and XO, you can also have your pick of kampong durians (甘榜榴莲) and a special species not found anywhere else; old grandma (老太婆)!
Initially mistaken to be dates sold by the makeshift durian stall, i took a closer look to realise they were durian seeds; testament to the owner's claim that his durians were of the much-wanted "small seed" variant!
We didn't want to check out old grandma and opted instead for three golden phoenix durians, priced at S$15 a kilogram! Do ask to stick your finger in for a taste to ensure they are to your standard before agreeing to the purchase.
Our haul - three golden phoenix durians weighing 4.4 kilograms!
There was just one table where we could enjoy our purchases! I believe more would be placed once night falls and the queue starts to get longer.
After being deprived for so long, my mum and i were totally satisfied by the taste and texture of the durians! Imagine me being quiet for more than a minute plainly because i wanted to savour the taste slowly!
Our second thorny fruit - it was the biggest of the lot and i counted 22 seeds in total! They were not as fleshy as the mao shan wang but the seeds were really small and flat!
Unlike some picky durian lovers who would go for a particular taste, i am fine with bitter, bitter-sweet or sweet. It doesn't matter so long the texture was creamy, the taste was strong and the seed was tiny!
Evidence of the seeds' size; do keep in mind that the 'paper' was our usual tissue paper and these were the culmination for just two durians.
S$67 gone in just a flash! The next time i visit, i shall indulge in the old grandma follows by the cat mountain king! The king of durians, as in mao shan wang, should always be the last!
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Location
Along Jalan Tampang
[Opposite Sembawang Shopping Center]
Map
As above. Motorists should consider parking at the open air carpark right next to Jalan Tampang. Don't turn in to Jalan Tampang; drive ahead and you would find the entrance of the open air carpark no more than fifty meters away.
Reservation
Call 93441512 / 97598265
Promotions
Usual promotion was buy 5 get 1 free / buy 10 get 3 free. During happy hours (which i presume to be low peak period), it would be buy 3 get 1 free / buy 5 get 2 free!
Note: the free durians might not be the expensive species and you would not be able to choose; we bought three and got a complimentary ang hae; tasted sweet but with rather large seeds!