Calling all durian lovers. ‘Tis the season to dig into globs of rich, creamy durian flesh in the form of sweet and savory treats, so hit up these hotel restaurants to eat your fill of Mao Shan Wang and D24. From strange-sounding combinations like durian ravioli and durian prawns to more traditional treats such as durian chendol and durian mousse, these generous spreads will probably fulfil your King of Fruits quota for the next, oh, couple of months.
Check ’em out below.
Sip on a cup of jasmine TWG tea with your pinky finger sticking out at this classy (but probably stinky) durian afternoon tea with bite-sized treats to tide you over till dinner. Start off with a wolfberry-infused jasmine tea jelly with honey emulsion, then move on to savory stuff like chicken roulade, spiced ginger and chili caviar. But the main star of the meal is durian, of course. You’ll be nibbling on sweets like durian macaron, D24 durian mousse, durian custard sable tart with taro foam, gula melaka durian opera and lots more.
Jul 1-31. Daily 3pm-5pm, weekends extra seating 12.30pm-2.30pm at Axis Bar and Lounge, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. $42/person, $80/two.
Gorge yourself silly on unlimited amounts of barbecued meat, seafood and fruit-infused dishes like smoked duck with lychee and plum, apple and walnut salad, rock melon risotto, and fried fish with strawberry in sweet and sour sauce. If that sounds a tad too strange for you, head straight for the smoked beef brisket at the carving station, or make a beeline for the barbecue pit to get helpings of mini wagyu burger sliders. Of course, this being a part-durian buffet, you can’t miss out the durian station in the alfresco garden, where desserts like deep fried durian croquette, durian penyet and durian pastries await.
Jul 13-30. Dinner 6.30pm-9.30pm and Sunday brunch noon-3pm at Melt Cafe, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. Dinner $85/person, Sunday brunch $98/person, add $60 for free flow champagne, house wines, cocktails and beers.
Ready your stomach for a gut-busting spread that starts with the restaurant’s signatures like ayam buah keluak and black bean slipper lobster. Then work your way through the array of seasonal fruits such as rambutan, mangosteen and mangoes at the Tropical Fruits stand, before you stink up your breath with creamy bites of durian pengat, durian cream puff, durian crepe, durian tart, durian chendol, and durian pudding. If you’re not sick of durians by then, order a round of Mao Shan Wang durians ($7.50/100g) to keep you going till your body cries for mercy.
Jul 1-31. Dinner buffet at Ellenborough Market Cafe, Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore. From $72.
The King of Fruits goes savory and sweet at this buffet, which serves up all-you-can-eat D24 and Mao Shan Wang goodness. If you’re feeling adventurous, try dishes like grilled chicken and durian tortilla, durian ravioli with sage and garlic butter, or prata with durian and gula melaka. Even the seafood here gets the thorny treatment with butter durian prawns on curry leaves and wok-fried prawns with sambal durian. Just remember to save space for pastries such as pandan crepes with durian mousse, mini durian crumble, chendol durian and the extra sinful deep-fried durian ice cream.
Jul 7-Sept 2. Tues-Sun 6.30pm-10.30pm at Lime Restaurant, PARKROYAL on Pickering. Adults $88, includes coffee and tea; children $58.
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