These Fried Durian Balls Will Keep You Coming Back

A high tea buffet of Asian delights and durian goodies to whet your appetite

By Samantha Francis; Photos: Courtesy of Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza

A lip-smacking durian dessert spread in addition to their High Tea buffet.

Get a whiff of this — durian season is back in full swing! But if queuing up at popular durian stalls and battling prickly shells aren’t up your alley, your next best bet is a good ole’ durian buffet.

From now till end July, Marriott Cafe will be offering a lip-smacking durian dessert spread in addition to their High Tea buffet.

Asian delights and durian treats

What this means is that diners can indulge in a sumptuous spread of local and international delicacies like Beef Rendang, Bak Kut Teh and Oyster Omelette, alongside durian-based desserts including Durian Puffs, Durian Mochi, Durian Strudel and more.

A bowl of steaming hot Laksa in one hand and a plate of Fried Durian Balls on the other?

Sounds like heaven to us.

The crispy mochi skin gave way to an oozing mess of luscious D24 durian flesh.

Hits and misses

Because sweet treats are my biggest vice, I started with the durian desserts. My favourite of the lot had to be the Fried Durian Balls.

At first glance, the heap of frittered balls looked like they could’ve been cheese stuffed potato balls or even fried mochis with red bean — as they tend to be.

Upon biting into one, the crispy mochi skin gave way to an oozing mess of luscious D24 durian flesh. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it tasted rather light, without much oiliness. It was good enough for seconds, and maybe even thirds.

The Durian Pancakes are equally worth trying. Made a la minute at the live crepe station, they were nicely browned and soft, pairing well with the durian puree folded within.

My only gripe: The puree tasted more watery than pulpy, perhaps due to the coconut milk used.

The Durian Pancakes are made a la minute at the live crepe station.

Durian aficionados may be slightly disappointed with the Durian Puffs. The choux pastries held velvety smooth durian cream that tasted pretty light on the taste buds.

However, the pungent and rich durian flavour that I so desired, was hardly discernible.

On the whole, the durian spread added new interest to the already popular High Tea buffet at Marriott Cafe. While there were hits and misses among the durian desserts, it is certainly worth a try.