Malaysia does durian and it does it will, so it should therefore not go as much of a surprise that they have restaurants dedicated to it, such as Dury Dury in KL.
Located right at the end of Jalan Alor street food market this mildly out of the way seems to be a big hit with the mostly Chinese durian fan club. Is it though worth the walk?
What the durian?
Durian—the so-called “King of Fruits”—is one of the most divisive foods on the planet. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying its power. Spiky on the outside, creamy on the inside, and reeking of something between sweet custard and an unwashed gym sock, it’s a fruit that demands attention.
And when it comes to durian, Malaysia does it best. The country’s tropical climate and expertise in cultivation have led to some of the finest varieties, from the buttery Musang King to the rich, bittersweet Black Thorn. Unlike Thailand’s mass-produced durian, Malaysia focuses on quality, harvesting at peak ripeness for that perfect blend of sweetness and bitterness
To this day the best durian I have ever had I not only say fall from the tree, but got to eat while pretty drunk or Borneo moonshine.
Durian at Jalon Alor Street Food Market
I have written a fair bit about this street food market, and while I do like it a lot, it is a bit of a tourist hole, so much so at times that you can hardly even walk through it. The food though is decent with perhaps one exception – durian. There are peddlers of the stuff throughout the market, but knowing that they can hawk it to rich Chinese do so at a premium. And there really is no shortage of people willing to pay the money on this street (sadly I was one of them).
Sadly the result here is overpriced and overripe fruit that just leaves you feeling completely ripped off and dare I say underdurianed (yes that is a new word that I have invented).
Dury Dury KL
I am not sure if this is a chain, or a one off, but when you arrive you are greeted to pretend trees with durians on them and a whole heap of different choices depending on the grade of the fruit. Yes grading of durian is a thing. What took my fancy at Dury Dury though was the 99 RMB AKA $15 2 for one of a good varietal.
There’s tables and chairs and then you get served the fruit with gloves and the ability and ideally strange to rip open the pungent fruit. The decor is overall fairly nice at Dury Dury and they even have a TV playing Chinese music, so it is fairly clear who exactly they are trying to cater for.
And I have to say it was pretty damned good. Not so much for my blood sugar or feeling of being bloated, but taste wise you understand. I did not of course mix it with beer, which allegedly can kill you, although I am not sure how much that is just an urban legend.
Drinks wise they had coconuts and various juices, but alas no durian, or even durian and sugarcane hybrid, like I had in Vietnam. Overall though Dury Dury fed the durian cravings that I had been yearning for.
And if it means anything they specialize in Musang King, Black Thorn, and Red Prawn – which are not curries, but types of durian
Dury Dury Address:
Dury Dury
22, Jalan Tong Shin,
Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Open 2 pm until 1 am……