Out of all the durian stalls I have featured so far on my site, Kong Lee Hup Kee Trading is the stall that I visit most frequently. A big factor is that geographically it is quite close to my home in Sengkang. But also, I find the homely atmosphere and generous stall owners key factors, that always cause me to keep coming back. I have done a previous post on the D13, XO and D88 durians from this stall, which you can read
HERE.
Kong Lee Hup Kee TradingLocation: Blk 440 Pasir Ris Dr. 4, #01-03
Contact: 98517753What I love most about visiting my beloved friends at Kong Lee Hup Kee is rummaging through their small durian basket to see which 'lesser' durians they have available on that day. On this particular day, a quite unusual durian by the name of
Big Red (I'm just translating this directly from the Chinese -
大红)was available
.This durian was completely new to me, so I was feverishly excited to try it out. Appearance wise, the flesh is plump and dark orange (almost red). This durian has a thick dense flesh. The texture is extremely pasty, and therefore will probably not appeal to those who tend to just go for mao shang wang. Flavour wise, I was shocked to find it is actually neither sweet or bitter - It has quite subtle flavours. This durian is unlikely to reach any level of popularity with locals, but perhaps may have a minority cult following.
Price: $6.00/kg. 6/10If you're looking for a great value durian, that has high quality flesh and a tiny seed - Then
Kasap Merah will be the ideal durian for you. This durian has earned the nickname 'ice cream' durian. There is a lot of speculation as to the reason behind giving it this name. Some believe it is because the flesh has the aftertaste of vanilla ice cream, others think it is because the flesh is so soft, that one must eat it with a spoon, just like ice cream. If you are buying/consuming this durian
you should not eat it at room temperature. If you do, the flesh will be too watery. This durian is at its best after 24 hours in the refrigerator. After this time, it is no longer watery, and the flesh becomes clotted and creamy. I think kasap merah is probably
the most under-appreciated durian there is. This is really a fantastic sweet durian, that has a lovely refreshing texture, and delicious milky vanilla taste. It is a pity that people don't try out these different durians, as I am sure lots of people would love this one.
Price: $6.00/kg. 9/10![]()
Hor Lor (D163) is a durian that is extremely difficult to find in Singapore, but don't underestimate the quality of this durian. This durian won the 1987 and 1988 Penang Durian Competition (yes, such a thing exists), which cements the fact that this durian has the potential to be a huge fan favourite. It is true, good quality hor lor can be a thing of beauty, with the very best quality hor lor still being located in Penang. The name 'hor lor' can be translated to mean melon/gourd, which the shape of this durian supposedly resembles. Upon opening the durian, you will find pale yellow large glowing orbs of flesh staring back at you. This is without a doubt the stickiest durian I've ever consumed. The flesh literally coats your entire mouth. This is a durian on the side of bitter, but you can detect sweet notes, especially in the outer layer of skin. Seed wise, it has a large/medium size seed, but you get a lot of delicious dense flesh in each bite. The aftertaste of hor lor is woody, with undertones of coffee beans and cocoa.
Price: $12.00/kg. 8/10Ahoy me maties! A few years ago, it used to be quite a difficult to task to track down the
Black Pearl durian. This season, however, the supply of black pearl has been quite abundant. There does seem to be periods of 5-6 days when it disappears, and then suddenly it re-emerges once again. For those who haven't tried black pearl yet, you definitely should. It has the thickest, most dense flesh that you are ever likely to encounter in a durian. The flavour is typically mild, depending on the durian you buy, it can range in degrees of sweetness and bitterness. The name 'pearl' is due to the bottom of the seed resembling a pearl. Speaking of seeds, this durian typically has very small seeds.
Price: $12.00. 8/10 Perhaps it is just me, but as each year goes by,
Golden Phoenix seems to continue to rise in popularity in Singapore. This year especially I have seen a lot of golden phoenix (also known as kim hong and jin feng
金凤) hanging around part-time and full-time durian sellers stalls. Golden phoenix is very different from mao shang wang, in almost every aspect. Firstly, the durian is very small, only XO equals it for size. The flesh is in smaller chunks, and it is a pale yellow colour. The texture of the flesh is much drier and thicker, compared to MSW. This stall consistently has great quality golden phoenix, so if you're looking for reliable high quality, then definitely buy your golden phoenix from this stall.
Price: $12.00/kg. 8/10This year Mr & Mrs Chia really have some exceptional
Mao Shang Wang, and customers have subsequently been flocking to this stall to buy it. For this particular summer 2013 season, I've noticed that the MSW coming from Malaysia has been a bit on the watery side, I am not sure whether this is to do with a change in the weather pattern, or if these durians are being plucked from young trees. Therefore, finding good MSW this year has been quite tricky. This MSW is really at its peak after some time in the fridge. I recall eating this durian after about two days refrigerated, and that is when I enjoyed it the most. For those who have been living under a rock - Mao shang wang is basically a perfect balance of sweetness and mild bitterness, with a fruity aftertaste and delectable sticky creamy flesh. It is these qualities that have made it Singaporean's most beloved durian.
Price: $13.00/kg. 9/10
Conclusion - The earlier half of this post has highlighted some of Mr Chia's rarer durians. If you're going to his stall specifically for hor lor, kasap merah or big red - Then you would be wise to call ahead of time, as there is only a slim chance he will have them. Even if they are available, chances are he will only have a few pieces. The latter three species are available in greater quantities.
Hor Lor (D163) is a durian that is extremely difficult to find in Singapore, but don't underestimate the quality of this durian. This durian won the 1987 and 1988 Penang Durian Competition (yes, such a thing exists), which cements the fact that this durian has the potential to be a huge fan favourite. It is true, good quality hor lor can be a thing of beauty, with the very best quality hor lor still being located in Penang. The name 'hor lor' can be translated to mean melon/gourd, which the shape of this durian supposedly resembles. Upon opening the durian, you will find pale yellow large glowing orbs of flesh staring back at you. This is without a doubt the stickiest durian I've ever consumed. The flesh literally coats your entire mouth. This is a durian on the side of bitter, but you can detect sweet notes, especially in the outer layer of skin. Seed wise, it has a large/medium size seed, but you get a lot of delicious dense flesh in each bite. The aftertaste of hor lor is woody, with undertones of coffee beans and cocoa.
