That was unexpected. We were originally stopping by the Royal Ville strip mall to get some pasta as a quick afternoon snack when we noticed that a durian shop had plopped right in the middle of it all (833 Bukit Timah Road #01-08). In this neighborhood, it was clearly meant to be more upscale than on the seedy streets of Geylang...with the air conditioning and clean seating area being testament to that. Interesting concept.
But it was still a durian shop at the end of the day, which meant a bucket near your feet for waste, exposed florescent tubes overhead, and cheapo boxes of Kleenex and water. It's not like I would really expect much more than that when eating this stuff (and I have to admit that the fruit's custardy taste is growing on me). But I do wonder how the residents and neighboring restaurants feel about the smell emanating from here.
2 comments:
That shop's just round the corner from my place. I love durians in a big way, but when the shop first opened, the first thought in my head was, "There's goes the al fresco dining customers for Casa Roma next door!"
If you are still on the fence about durian, may I suggest that you take a short flight to Medan, North Sumatra, and ask any taxi or becak driver to take you to Ucok Durian. Ucok will immediately make you a convert -- it is a veritable durian paradise -- and the guys there will keep cracking them open until you find the perfect durian for you. Its a great scene, and you will save enough money on your durians to pay for the flight from Singapore. Lots of good food (including great Straits Chinese food like in Penang, as well as Sumatran food) and coffee in Medan as well (and not too much else, but what more do you need?).
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