In last year's durian season, i got wind of a reputable durian stall in Geylang that i can add to my existing list; currently consisting of Sindy Durians (Balestier), Sembawang Seng and Ah Seng (Ghim Moh).
There were two stalls very close to each other and i am at a fix on choosing the correct one. The other one that's right outside NTUC appeared to have much lesser people; hence, i am placing my bet with the above.
It's also heartening to see baskets and baskets of durian husks even though they might have been there for a long period of time or that the sellers were just removing the seeds and packaging them for customers who prefer to takeaway.
Prices of Mao Shan Wang (Cat Mountain King or MSW for short) and the slightly more premium King of The Kings! For a non durian connoisseur like me, i couldn't discern the subtle differences and will go with the MSW anytime.
The cheaper durian species which might not taste as bad as one thought they should be. There were occasions the MSW i got couldn't stand a chance against these cheaper species!
To be fair, i could have been cheated by the unscrupulous durian seller since i couldn't identify the actual species when there are over 200 in the market; for those who are interested, MSW is D197.
Our haul - 1 red prawn and 2 MSW. If i recollect correctly, the red prawn was S$10 each while both MSW cost S$50; with the calculation of S$15 a kilogram, the two MSW would weight about 3.33 kilograms.
Red Prawn - with their slightly (in my opinion, hardly noticeable) reddish meat, this was prized for those who enjoyed the absolute sweetness in their durians. In the past, this would count as my favourite species; however, i prefer something sweet yet bitter nowadays.
Strangely, it had a bitter aftertaste and although not as creamy as MSW, it was sufficient to satisfy my insatiable craving for durians.
MSW which was surprisingly rather small - don't be deceived by its diminutive size, this thorny fruit was packed with a lot of durian seeds!
Not as flat as the MSW durians we had at Penang.
One main reason why i don't like to buy durians in styrofoam boxes is that i love to unveil the little smelly gems that are encased in the protective thorny shell!
Our second MSW!
Alex was in a roll and decided to buy a third MSW despite the fact that we couldn't ingest anymore! It didn't help that our intention was to go for dinner after this! Sigh.... this asshole has the tendency to order too much every time he likes to eat something and this often comes at the expense of his friends who couldn't stand food that would otherwise be thrown away.
Commanding a higher price (S$30 due to its size), this was a disappointment as the texture of the durian meat was on the hard side and the taste veered towards bitterness. Maybe we had too much durians!
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I realised today that the reputable stall was actually the one near NTUC and i guess i would have to give it a miss until the craving strikes again! Nevertheless, i did notice that the one i patronised drew more customers.
Location
606, Geylang Road, off Geylang Lorong 36
(Look out for the above building)
Map
As above