If you ask durian experts and connoisseurs where to get the best quality mao shang wang, then more often than not they will point you in the direction of Combat Durian. This stall has been around for over 50 years, and specializes in a durian named 'King of Kings', which is essentially a super high level mao shang wang (coming from the oldest MSW trees). The named 'Combat' actually came about from a simple mistake in pronunciation - 'Combat' should have been 'Come back'. But the name Combat Durian stuck, and this stall has been bundling out excellent quality durians ever since.
Combat DurianLocation: 249 Balestier Road
Contact: 92789928The creator of the stall is Mr Ang, who has been selling durians in the Balestier area since 1957. He has since divided the running of the stall with his daughter, Linda.
Here is a picture of Linda posing next to their famous 'king of king's' durian.
Whenever you are eating different types of durians, there should be an order you eat them in - Almost like a starter, main course and dessert. The durians with lesser complexity in flavour should always go first, while the superstar durians should go last. Myself and a couple of other durian lovers kicked our little durian buffet off with
Red Prawn. Personally, red prawn has never been one of my favourite durians. This durian is insanely sweet, the sweet to bitter ratio would be something like 99:1 I am sure. The other reason I don't particular like red prawn is the large seeds that are inside. There isn't that much flesh, therefore I'm always left feeling a little unsatisfied. Not a bad durian to warm-up with though.
Price: $10.00/kg. 6/10After red prawn, it was time to take things up another notch, and bring out the
Green Bamboo. This durian (also known as 'tek kah') is distinctive by its large size and deep orange 'core/stem', that can be seen when the durian is opened. The flesh is perfect at room temperature, with it being delectably creamy, and having a mellow aftertaste. It is a durian that is flirting more on the sweet side, but does have an undertone of noticeable bitterness. Famed for being incredibly difficult to open, this is not a durian that you want to be taking home and attempting to open yourself.
Price: $15.00/kg. 7/10Next level up, and we get to the durian that the whole of Singapore knows. If you say the word 'durian' to any Singaporean, probably three words will soon follow it -
Mao Shang Wang. I was eagerly awaiting this treat, as it was my first mao shang wang of the 2013 season (I was waiting for the price to drop). So why does everyone seek after mao shang wang? Is there really something so utterly amazing about it? The answer is yes and no. Does mao shang wang have a one-of-a-kind taste and texture that beats every other durians on the planet hands down - No. There are many other durians just as nice as Mr. Cat Mountain. But, mao shang wang does have that generic appeal, because it has just the right amount of bitterness, sweetness, creamy flavour, and fruity aftertaste, that will appeal to anyone and everyone. It is like the Elvis Presley of durians. This was a delicious MSW, but perhaps a tad to watery. It would be at its absolute best after about 24-48 hours in the fridge. After which, the flesh would have clotted up, to make one of the most unbelievable desserts one could imagine.
Price: $20-12.00/kg. 8/10Now we get to the main event. Bow down to the
King of King's. Visually, mao shang wang and king of king's are practically identical. There is no way of telling the difference between the two. It is only when you put the flesh in your mouth, then you will know the difference. Simply put, king of king's is like mao shang wang on
steroids. Taste wise it is slightly more complex than MSW, with a more distinctive bitter flavour. Texture wise, there is a significant difference between the two. The texture of king of king's is sticky like peanut butter, creamy, sweet and gooey - Which felt like absolute heaven for me. The price may seem a little high, but believe me, this durian is something special. So far this season, nothing has come close to this durian. A sensational gift from nature, that sent me into a euphoric state of bliss.
Price: $25-20.00/kg. 10/10Conclusion - This stalls has been around for over 50 years, and I would bet that in another 50 years it will still be around. Linda and her father provide excellent quality durians, with their main attraction being the king of king's. For me, this notorious durian definitely didn't disappoint. I will be back again soon to pay homage to the king once more.
