Fresh durians are available only when they are in season. So, in between durian seasons what are durian lovers to do? Fortunately for people in JB, there is a delicious alternative - the freshly fried durian puff.
Mind you, the fried durian is no poorer cousin - no poor substitute when the lead actor is not around. Fried durian is actually an excellent way to savour the King of Fruits, in it's own right.
The most famous fried durian puff in JB is Wah Cai in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah as it has caught the attention of Malaysian and also Singaporean traditional media such as TV, newspapers and magazines.
Besides selling his fried durian puffs at the stall, Wah Cai now also supplies his famous fried durian to Singapore food courts.
Wah Cai Fried Durian Puff RM2.50 each
Wah Cai's creamy and flavourful durian is encased in a relatively thick and very crispy crust. It's almost like a large durian perfume capsule. Break the seal and the gush of warm durian perfume rushes up your nose. That's a kind of instant heaven for durian lovers or instant relief for durian cravings.
MR Seow's humble stall at Tai Son 大顺 kopitiam in Taman Sri Tebrau is well known among people in the local neighbourhood. However, unlike Wah Cai, MR Seow's stall is a little under the radar, media wise.
MR. Seow's tiny stall, known as CSS, is on the five foot way outside Tai Son kopitiam in Taman Sri Tebrau.
The friendly MR. Seow has been frying and selling fried goodies for over 10 years.
MR. Seow sells a variety of freshly fried goodies at reasonable prices. (He is particularly proud of his Nyonya chicken curry puffs.)
CSS Fried Durian RM1.80 each
MR. Seow's fried durian is encased in a lighter and thinner crispy crust than Wah Cai's. The taste, flavour and aroma of the hot durian flesh is similar to Wah Cai's. I highly recommend MR. Seow's fried durian.
Restaurant name: Restoran Wah Cai Address: 86, Jalan Pahlawan 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA), Skudai Map: http://g.co/maps/bsgg6 GPS: 1.522640,103.664664 Hours: Daily 7:00am to 4:30pm No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Restaurant name: CSS fried goodies stall (five foot way outside Tai Son 大顺 kopitiam) Address: Junction of Jalan Badik 1 and Jalan Badik, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/oNafD GPS: 1.486233,103.768782 Hours: 5:00am to 12:00pm No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Date visited: 3 Sep 2013
Fresh durians are available only when they are in season. So, in between durian seasons what are durian lovers to do? Fortunately for people in JB, there is a delicious alternative - the freshly fried durian puff.
Mind you, the fried durian is no poorer cousin - no poor substitute when the lead actor is not around. Fried durian is actually an excellent way to savour the King of Fruits, in it's own right.
The most famous fried durian puff in JB is Wah Cai in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah as it has caught the attention of Malaysian and also Singaporean traditional media such as TV, newspapers and magazines.
Besides selling his fried durian puffs at the stall, Wah Cai now also supplies his famous fried durian to Singapore food courts.
Wah Cai Fried Durian Puff RM2.50 each
Wah Cai's creamy and flavourful durian is encased in a relatively thick and very crispy crust. It's almost like a large durian perfume capsule. Break the seal and the gush of warm durian perfume rushes up your nose. That's a kind of instant heaven for durian lovers or instant relief for durian cravings.
MR Seow's humble stall at Tai Son 大顺 kopitiam in Taman Sri Tebrau is well known among people in the local neighbourhood. However, unlike Wah Cai, MR Seow's stall is a little under the radar, media wise.
MR. Seow's tiny stall, known as CSS, is on the five foot way outside Tai Son kopitiam in Taman Sri Tebrau.
The friendly MR. Seow has been frying and selling fried goodies for over 10 years.
MR. Seow sells a variety of freshly fried goodies at reasonable prices. (He is particularly proud of his Nyonya chicken curry puffs.)
CSS Fried Durian RM1.80 each
MR. Seow's fried durian is encased in a lighter and thinner crispy crust than Wah Cai's. The taste, flavour and aroma of the hot durian flesh is similar to Wah Cai's. I highly recommend MR. Seow's fried durian.
Restaurant name: Restoran Wah Cai Address: 86, Jalan Pahlawan 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah (TUTA), Skudai Map: http://g.co/maps/bsgg6 GPS: 1.522640,103.664664 Hours: Daily 7:00am to 4:30pm No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
Restaurant name: CSS fried goodies stall (five foot way outside Tai Son 大顺 kopitiam) Address: Junction of Jalan Badik 1 and Jalan Badik, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/oNafD GPS: 1.486233,103.768782 Hours: 5:00am to 12:00pm No pork, no lard, no Halal cert
There is no doubt that the Mao Shan Wang 猫山王 or Musang King is the most popular and also most prized of all durians now. (The Mao Shan Wang is named after Gua Musang town, the main fruit trading centre in Kelantan, Malaysia. The cultivar is originally from the town of Tanah Merah, also in Kelantan.)
The texture of thick Mao Shan Wang flesh is rich and creamy like toasted marshmallow. On the palate Mao Shan Wang flesh tastes slightly bitter with sweet notes. On the nose, its aroma is sweet and mildly pungent without being overpowering.
The Mao Shan Wang seed is flat and quite small.
Sometimes the waxy seed peeks out from folds in the slightly glowing yellow flesh. As you can see, the Mao Shan Wang flesh literary undrapes itself from the waxy seed.
While there is no question about the Mao Shan Wang's allure, identifying the real McCoy may sometimes be challenging.
This post aims to help us avoid fake Mao Shan Wang durians. Unfortunately, there is no 100% foolproof method against being sold a fake. We can, however, substantially improve our chances by learning more about the Mao Shan Wang.
Only the external identifying features are listed here as most durians are sold on an "once opened considered sold" basis unless it is obviously rotten or unripe.
To identify a real Mao Shan Wang, check that it has all the following five external features together. Other cultivars may have some but not all five features altogether.
Look out for these five external features in a single durian:
Mao Shan Wang thorns are like small pyramids with flat angular sides unlike some other durians with conical thorns.
The thorns converge at the base of the stem forming a ring around it.
The Mao Shan Wang is mostly oval shaped like an egg or sometimes even a pear. Rarely, it is round like a bowling ball.
There is a characteristic brownish 5-arm "starfish" at the base of the Mao Shan Wang. The thin, longish arms warp the base of the durian and run up to the middle of the shell as if it is trying to hold it together tightly.
The "body" of the "starfish" is brownish in colour, flat and bald. It is not pointy or bulging and the thorns do not gather or converge here. In the Mao Shan Wang, the thorns at the base are parted away from the "bald patch".
Before asking the durian seller to open the durian, look out for these five external features in a single durian.
With these five external identifying features, hopefully we never have to suffer another fake Mao Shan Wang again :)
Note: Learning about durians is like a journey - we become wiser as we taste and experience more. So, this post will be updated from time to time, as I explore more and hopefully understand durians better.)
(Acknowledgement: My durian teacher is Tommy Lim of Prickly Sensations. A banker by profession, Tommy's depth of durian knowledge is simply amazing. Responsibility for any error in this post is, of course, wholly mine.)
Editions: 22 Aug 2013, 3 Sep 2013
There is no doubt that the Mao Shan Wang 猫山王 or Musang King is the most popular and also most prized of all durians now. (The Mao Shan Wang is named after Gua Musang town, the main fruit trading centre in Kelantan, Malaysia. The cultivar is originally from the town of Tanah Merah, also in Kelantan.)
The texture of thick Mao Shan Wang flesh is rich and creamy like toasted marshmallow. On the palate Mao Shan Wang flesh tastes slightly bitter with sweet notes. On the nose, its aroma is sweet and mildly pungent without being overpowering.
The Mao Shan Wang seed is flat and quite small.
Sometimes the waxy seed peeks out from folds in the slightly glowing yellow flesh. As you can see, the Mao Shan Wang flesh literary undrapes itself from the waxy seed.
While there is no question about the Mao Shan Wang's allure, identifying the real McCoy may sometimes be challenging.
This post aims to help us avoid fake Mao Shan Wang durians. Unfortunately, there is no 100% foolproof method against being sold a fake. We can, however, substantially improve our chances by learning more about the Mao Shan Wang.
Only the external identifying features are listed here as most durians are sold on an "once opened considered sold" basis unless it is obviously rotten or unripe.
To identify a real Mao Shan Wang, check that it has all the following five external features together. Other cultivars may have some but not all five features altogether.
Look out for these five external features in a single durian:
Mao Shan Wang thorns are like small pyramids with flat angular sides unlike some other durians with conical thorns.
The thorns converge at the base of the stem forming a ring around it.
The Mao Shan Wang is mostly oval shaped like an egg or sometimes even a pear. Rarely, it is round like a bowling ball.
There is a characteristic brownish 5-arm "starfish" at the base of the Mao Shan Wang. The thin, longish arms warp the base of the durian and run up to the middle of the shell as if it is trying to hold it together tightly.
The "body" of the "starfish" is brownish in colour, flat and bald. It is not pointy or bulging and the thorns do not gather or converge here. In the Mao Shan Wang, the thorns at the base are parted away from the "bald patch".
Before asking the durian seller to open the durian, look out for these five external features in a single durian.
With these five external identifying features, hopefully we never have to suffer another fake Mao Shan Wang again :)
Note: Learning about durians is like a journey - we become wiser as we taste and experience more. So, this post will be updated from time to time, as I explore more and hopefully understand durians better.)
(Acknowledgement: My durian teacher is Tommy Lim of Prickly Sensations. A banker by profession, Tommy's depth of durian knowledge is simply amazing. Responsibility for any error in this post is, of course, wholly mine.)
Durian is that King of fruits that inspires men to do many things, including creating great art. Singapore has the Esplanade Theatre, and now in Johor Bahru, we have the Chocolate Durian cake from Oh My Cakes (OMC).
Both spiky creations bring countless hours of enjoyment to people :P
Bryan, the creator of this new cake invited me to observe the process of producing his Chocolate Durian creation. (Late last year, I saw Bryan make his signature chocolate cakes.)
Bryan told me that this new cake is inspired by his girlfriend Sue May who asked the simple question: "Why not put chocolate and durian together?" and voila! Bryan had his Eureka moment.
Why not?! indeed.
And so, OMC's chocolate durian cake was born - inspired by a sweet lady, not by a spiky king :P
Actually, as both good chocolate and good durian have bitter and sweet notes, they are really a match in heaven. With chocolate, this cake is more than any pure durian cake. With durian, this cake is more than just awfully chocolate.
OK. Now let's see how Bryan makes a chocolate durian cake.
The first step - Bryan actually does the hard work of extracting the durian flesh from the premium durians he bought from his supplier. OMC is a small operation, so most of the processes are by hand.
Bryan next whips the chocolate ganache which is also very hard work. Those who whipped badminton or tennis rackets before should know :P
Laying on the first layer of chocolate ganache on the sponge cake base.
On goes the first layer of gorgeous golden durian.
The second layer of chocolate ganache on the second sponge cake layer.
Laying on the second luxurious layer of creamy durian.
Capping the chocolate and durian with the topmost layer of spongy cake.
Wrapping the entire cake with a velvety coat of luxurious chocolate ganache.
Finally, adding on the artistic touch of the "durian spikes".
I told Bryan the "spikes" remind me of Hershey's kisses.
Now, taste testing!!
The blend of durian and chocolate worked extremely well. Both durian and chocolate are slightly bitter, sweet and creamy in texture but in their own unique ways. Chewing the chocolate and durian together with the spongy cake is a special treat for our taste buds and our noses. It is very easy to overindulge in this seductive pleasure, either unknowingly or by throwing calorie and cholesterol caution to the wind. I am guilty of the latter, with no regrets.
Fortunately, it is not too costly to enjoy this luxurious indulgence. At the moment, Bryan offers his Chocolate Durian creation at RM88 for the 1kg cake and RM168 for the 2.5kg version. After seeing what it took to make one of these cakes, I feel OMC's pricing is very reasonable.
If France's last Queen, Marie Antoinette said "Let them eat cake." Then, we say let's eat OMC's Chocolate Durian cake :P
To order call +6016-792 4999 or + 607-2893816 or PM Oh My Cakes Facebook Page. (Bryan is temporarily not taking orders for this durian cake).
Collection time is 11:00am - 4:00pm. Delivery service is available from 4:00pm - 7:00pm ( Delivery service is chargeable depending on location).
Durian is that King of fruits that inspires men to do many things, including creating great art. Singapore has the Esplanade Theatre, and now in Johor Bahru, we have the Chocolate Durian cake from Oh My Cakes (OMC).
Both spiky creations bring countless hours of enjoyment to people :P
Bryan, the creator of this new cake invited me to observe the process of producing his Chocolate Durian creation. (Late last year, I saw Bryan make his signature chocolate cakes.)
Bryan told me that this new cake is inspired by his girlfriend Sue May who asked the simple question: "Why not put chocolate and durian together?" and voila! Bryan had his Eureka moment.
Why not?! indeed.
And so, OMC's chocolate durian cake was born - inspired by a sweet lady, not by a spiky king :P
Actually, as both good chocolate and good durian have bitter and sweet notes, they are really a match in heaven. With chocolate, this cake is more than any pure durian cake. With durian, this cake is more than just awfully chocolate.
OK. Now let's see how Bryan makes a chocolate durian cake.
The first step - Bryan actually does the hard work of extracting the durian flesh from the premium durians he bought from his supplier. OMC is a small operation, so most of the processes are by hand.
Bryan next whips the chocolate ganache which is also very hard work. Those who whipped badminton or tennis rackets before should know :P
Laying on the first layer of chocolate ganache on the sponge cake base.
On goes the first layer of gorgeous golden durian.
The second layer of chocolate ganache on the second sponge cake layer.
Laying on the second luxurious layer of creamy durian.
Capping the chocolate and durian with the topmost layer of spongy cake.
Wrapping the entire cake with a velvety coat of luxurious chocolate ganache.
Finally, adding on the artistic touch of the "durian spikes".
I told Bryan the "spikes" remind me of Hershey's kisses.
Now, taste testing!!
The blend of durian and chocolate worked extremely well. Both durian and chocolate are slightly bitter, sweet and creamy in texture but in their own unique ways. Chewing the chocolate and durian together with the spongy cake is a special treat for our taste buds and our noses. It is very easy to overindulge in this seductive pleasure, either unknowingly or by throwing calorie and cholesterol caution to the wind. I am guilty of the latter, with no regrets.
Fortunately, it is not too costly to enjoy this luxurious indulgence. At the moment, Bryan offers his Chocolate Durian creation at RM88 for the 1kg cake and RM168 for the 2.5kg version. After seeing what it took to make one of these cakes, I feel OMC's pricing is very reasonable.
If France's last Queen, Marie Antoinette said "Let them eat cake." Then, we say let's eat OMC's Chocolate Durian cake :P
To order call +6016-792 4999 or + 607-2893816 or PM Oh My Cakes Facebook Page. (Bryan is temporarily not taking orders for this durian cake).
Collection time is 11:00am - 4:00pm. Delivery service is available from 4:00pm - 7:00pm ( Delivery service is chargeable depending on location).
