This week wasn't any ordinary Bistro Friday. Nope, I spent my BF in beautiful, tropical, stinkin hot, Singapore.

I've been here since Sunday doing work for a customer. Earlier in the week, we went out to dinner for some excellent local cuisine, served at an absolutely amazing multi-cultural buffet at the nearby Grand Hyatt hotel. Everything was completely top notch, as I'd expect from a Grand Hyatt.

During the dinner, we were talking about the different foods of the world, and I--perhaps somewhat foolishly--said how culinarily adventurous I am. I like to try just about anything. Well, I do draw the line now and then, but for the most part, if it doesn't involve things that I just can't ethically accept, then I'll try things.

She asked me if I'd ever tried Durian. I hadn't, but I had heard of it on an episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations". (I really like that show. Among other reasons, it's the only travel/food show I know of with a parental warning at the beginning. Apart from that, I largely agree with the culinary adventures Bourdain goes on, and seek them out whenever I'm in the regions he covers -- case in point, durian.)

Then she said, "we'll go get some durian on Friday after work, then." Had I gone too far? Had I spoken more than I'm willing to do? After all, some of the write-ups I've read about durian are pretty extreme (and funny). Plus, durian is literally illegal in public places here in Singapore. There are signs outside the subway stations saying "No Durians" with a little silhouette of the poor fruit. Oh no... This is no bluff, I thought.

But Bistro Friday came, and I hopped into the taxi to go to one of the local fruit mongers where durian is sold. The fruit monger is on a side street in the red light district where I'm quite sure not many tourists go. But, as soon as we got out of the taxi, I knew we were in the right place.

It's an open air--mercifully--fruit market with stacks and stacks and stacks of the beloved durian fruit, which is only in season during April and May. Each fruit is roughly the size of a cantaloupe.

They are spiny on the outside, which is actually where the name comes from. (From the Malaysian word for thorn, which is quite similar to the Afrikaans word for thorn, I might add.)




Other than the spiny outside, they look harmless enough, but don't let looks deceive. The smell is really powerful.

The fruit monger selected a ripe durian for us and kindly opened it for us to eat. The smell only gets more intense when the fruit is opened up, by the way.

I somewhat reluctantly went ahead and took my first bite--WOW! I immediately forgot that I was eating something that smelled like rotten, stewing, sewage and recognized why they call this the king of fruits. I'm a durian believer, instantly.

The flavor is kind of like vanilla pudding, flavored with almonds. It is soft, succulent, and unlike any flavor you'd expect to find in a fruit pod. Simply amazing.

So, when you find your way to Singapore, you absolutely MUST seek out this much-maligned fruit. It is so very worth the effort!

Cheers from Singapore,

Ken