I'm very excited to write this review of Ah Teck's 'The Best Durian' stall, because this stall was the catalyst which allowed me to really become interested in the world of durians. Seven years ago, I first experienced the taste of durian (in the form of a birthday cake), and was perplexed as to why anyone could enjoy something that essentially tasted like rotten onions, which have fermented in a used gym sock. Fast forward a few years, and I was eager to give durian a second chance. After being continuously scammed by almost every durian seller I encountered, I finally met my very first honest durian seller - Ah Teck.
Ah Teck 'The Best Durian'Location: Block 681, Hougang Avenue 8Contact: 98862556Back when I first met Ah Teck, it would have been laughably easy for him to con me. I knew almost nothing about durian. The only durian I knew was mao shan wang, and I had no idea how to pick a good durian. Plus, let's face, I'm an ang moh buying durian - This is a dastardly durians sellers
dream. Even though I was essentially a limping antelope in a room full of lions, Ah Teck never took advantage of my vulnerability. He gave me good quality durians, and always at fair prices. For that reason, Ah Teck will always be a friend to me, and always someone I think of and smile, when it comes to durians.
Ah Teck has been selling durian at this particular spot in Hougang since 1991 (I was just four years old). Over those 20 plus years, he has developed a loyal following of customers, mainly from the Hougang area. His best selling durians are black pearl and mao shan wang. Ah Teck was born in Muar, Malaysia - His durians come from his cousins plantation in Malaysia. His opening times are 3.30pm-12am. Customers are advised to call in advance to make their order, as his durians can sometimes sell out - Especially on weekends.
D13 durian must surely rank as the most common durian in Singapore. You can find D13 everywhere almost all the time. D13 is a durian I seldom purchase, simply because it is a big seeded durian with quite simple flavours. Having said that, you can still find pretty good D13 around. You may often hear the word 红肉 'red meat' used as an alternative name for this durian.
Price: $10.00/kg. 7/10Let me get this off my chest, because a lot of people are missing the point when it comes to selecting good
XO. For lesser educated durian lovers, wet durians automatically mean one thing - No good. This is true for some species, but completely false for others. People seek XO for its alcoholic aftertaste, which can send your whole mouth into a buzzing frenzy. This aftertaste is only present in XO durians, which have undergone an extended period of fermentation inside the shell. Harder/Thicker fleshed XO will not have had this extra time in the shell, and thus will not have the aftertaste. Therefore, if you're looking for a flavourful XO, more watery flesh is ideal. The XO at Ah Teck's stall was deliciously creamy and had a slight alcoholic buzz at the end.
Price: $12.00/kg. 8/10
Conclusion - I have visited many of the durian sellers in the North of Singapore, and so far Ah Teck is the only honest seller I've come across. Be very careful, block 681 and 682 have a number of durian sellers, make sure to look for Ah Teck's stall, and don't get lured into buying from the others.
