Some may compare it to a smelly sock, but to us, this is our king of fruits. Behold, the mighty durian!
As Singaporeans, we embrace this fruit with wholehearted pride. If you’re a durian lover, head over to Double Durian to celebrate with durian dishes galore.
Located along Hamilton Road, Double Durian is a cosy cafe that takes its durian menu seriously. They use only Mao Shan Wang durians, so you know you’re getting the best here.
Disclaimer: If you hate durians, look away now. At this cafe, you’re going to see durians, durians and more durians. Now that I’ve cleared the air, are you ready for chargrilled durians?
At Double Durian, their speciality is Chargrilled Whole Durian (approx. $22 – $24 per kg, depending on seasonal price). They actually take an entire durian and throw it on top of charcoals!
After picking your durian, the durian is wrapped in aluminium foil and char-grilled for 35 minutes. They then crack it open and cook it further over lychee wood to infuse the durian flesh with a smoky aroma.
Snap some pics for Instagram, because you can even capture the char-grilling process right in front of you.
While I expected this to be a burnt durian disaster, I was pleasantly surprised. The durian flesh was incredibly soft, but not mushy. In fact, the durian flesh pulled right off the seed!
Due to the char-grilling, the durian flesh really had a smoky flavour. The smokiness was milder than I thought it would be and actually quite pleasant. Durian purists will also be delighted to know that the original Mao Shan Wang taste was not lost during the process.
The main make-or-break for this dish, however, is actually the warmness. Even though I liked it, I must admit that not everyone will love eating warm durians. Nevertheless, if you’re adventurous, the Chargrilled Whole Durian is really a must-try for any durian devotee.
We’ve had warm durians, now on to something cold. Double Durian gives you both with their Ying Yang Baked Durian ($15) that balances both hot and cold in one durian!
The durian is chilled and baked to char the exterior just slightly, which makes the outside warm while keeping the inside cool. It may sound confusing, but the contrast of different temperatures in each bite turned out to be really delightful. Do eat it once it’s served though!
The durian feast continues with their durian-themed drinks and desserts. Quench your thirst with Double Durian’s Durian Smoothie ($5.80/$6.80), which uses actual Mao Shan Wang durian flesh for flavour.
The durian smoothie wasn’t too pungent and tasted delicately sweet. My only gripe with it was that my smoothie had small bits of ice in it and could have been blended a little more.
For something a little more sophisticated, indulge in their Durian Crepe Cake ($6.50). While the durian flavour could be a little stronger, the many layers of crepe were really thin, which is a tough feat to pull off.
Each bite was also really light, and filled with a good ratio of cream to satisfy any sweet tooth.
To end of the durian fiesta on a sweet note, try Double Durian’s Durian Ice Cream ($4.80 for single scoop, $6.80 for double scoop). It may not look as elaborate, but this is my favourite of the durian dishes here.
The ice cream was jam-packed with durian flesh (1.5kg of durian in every three litres!) and had a rich flavour. It may be a little heaty, but the creamy consistency is superb.
If you’re experiencing durian overload, Double Durian serves a range of appetising non-durian mains. Their bestseller, Pork Rib Tower ($19/$28) is really delicious with a whopping serving of pork ribs stacked just like Jenga.
Each piece is marinated for 24 hours and double-cooked to achieve its juiciness. While it could have been a bit more tender, the pork ribs were deliciously sweet with a hint of smokiness. It can be a little jelak eating so many pork ribs, so do bring your friends along to demolish this tower of ribs.
Although I initially thought their char-grilled durians would be just another gimmick, Double Durian proved me wrong with their soft and flavourful durians.
While some durian purists may see char-grilling durians as an act of disrespect, missing out on this one-of-a-kind experience is the real loss. So give Double Durian a shot and celebrate our king of fruits in more ways than one!
Expected Damage: $15 – $45 per pax
