We parted company with C and P after our laksa feast. C and P wanted to have a good walk after eating all that laksa; I was intent on smothering myself in durian-flavoured gelato. My sister Juji had told me the Il Gelato shop on James Street sells it, and there was no way I was going home without trying it. Thank goodness for having separate appetites/stomachs for savoury and sweet food!
Jac and I each got a scoop of gelato in a cup. Jac is not a durian fan; she chose tiramisu gelato. Il Gelato on James Street have a sign at the door and on top of the counter announcing that they sell “lao-leen”*/durian ice cream, which is a good thing, as there is no durian gelato in sight amongst the more “regular” gelato flavours on display. They have all the usual kinds of flavours you’d expect: chocolate, vanilla, bacio (hazelnut and chocolate), berry, lemon etc. My durian gelato was scooped from a container kept separate and far away from all the others (not even in the same ice box!). This isn’t surprising; I can imagine if the other gelato absorbed even just a hint of the durian smell, it would probably put most customers off the gelato. Jac’s tiramisu gelato is on the left (the brown one), my durian gelato is on the right (the snowy white one).
Jac’s tiramisu gelato had a good coffee flavour and was very creamy and sweet (and I thought its tawny colour looked really appealing) – but I only had eyes for my durian gelato.
As soon as the woman who served me handed me my cup of gelato I could smell the durian aroma. Fantastic! It looked like a cross between vanilla ice cream and lemon sorbet but the smell was all durian. I just sat there breathing it in greedily, with unashamed pleasure. Jac and I sat facing each other at a table near the back of the shop and dug our spoons into our little cups of ice cream. After a couple of minutes, Jac said to me: “Lean back”. “Pardon?” I asked. She said, “Lean back, away from me! Your ice cream stinks!” LOL. If you’re a durian fan living in Perth, you really should try this durian gelato. Obviously, nothing can beat eating the real thing, but durian ice cream’s a pretty good way to enjoy good old stinky. :) For readers unfamiliar with durian, have a read of the Wikipedia entry on durian to get an idea. Pay special attention to the section on “flavour and odour”.
C’s totally not a fan of durian either – I sent her text telling her how fantastic the durian gelato was, and she texted back: “You monster!” Hahahahahaaa.
Perth readers, feel free to tell me about any other places you can get durian-related dishes! I just can’t get enough durian. I know they sell durian smoothies at the drinks stall at Spencer Village in Thornlie, and you can get durian puffs at Dragon Palace restaurant on Francis Street in Northbridge (thanks for the tip, Angie!). What else?
*Cantonese dialect for durian
I'm TFP, a food blogger from Perth, Western Australia.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Hahaha, “pay special attention to the sections on flavour and odour”.
Durian is something I will never, ever understand or like. Especially fresh durian, which I tend to literally run away from!
It describes the odor as pig shit! O_O I could never eat it >.
I have never mustered up the courage to try durian yet. I think next time I’ll give it a shot, provided that I’m still conscious after its been opened. It looks so innocent in ice cream form…….
Many years ago, I remember buying durian flavoured icypoles? they used to sell them in certain asian grocery stores, even used to have red bean and coconut flavour..they were creamy and shaped in a long rectangle, delicious!
You might of already stumbled upon them, I can’t actually remember which stores at this point .. haha sorry not too much help hey..
Hey tfp!
I live in Indonesia, and so far I never met anyone who defines durian smell as “custardy rotten onion,” “week-old gym sock” or other yucky things durian-virgins said.
Anyhoo, my uncle took my mom’s car for a roadtrip to the island of Sumatra, and on his way back he brought a baggage full of durians. While my mom is a fan of durian, it was not the best car fragrance (you actually get dizzy from durian smell overdose). We had to fill the car with bags of coffee to absorb the durian smell.
If you have the chance to visit Jakarta, you have to try the durian martabak. It’s not the savory version you might find in Australia. It’s more of a sandwiched thick sweet pancake, smothered with butter and sweet condensed milk. The common fillings are usually chocolate, ground peanut, or cheese, but one martabak franchise actually put durian as their main topping. As fellow durian afficionado, I have a feeling that you’ll love it!
OMG!!! Il Gelato now a durian flavour?? Good on them! :)
I ABSOLUTELY LOVEEE DURIAN!!! Growing up in Singapore, I ate them whenever I could. Now I live in Melbourne and I don’t get it as much but at least we have durian gelato – for emergency fixes!! :P
lol, ive never had durian…not a fan of stinky cheese/tofu/garbage
when i was younger id remember the horror id bring on my family by eating Spaghettio’s infront of them. (apparently they stink) My ex would make me leave the room to eat them and brush my teeth afterwards. I would hope jac had the forthought to bring some mints with her for afterwards!
Well, TFP I believe Cakes Delight on Canning Highway do a durian cake which is quite yummy. My husband is a HUGE fan of durian and would eat everyday when we go back to Malaysia. So, he will be delighted to discover durian gelato is available. My oldest son cries though you’re torturing him if you put a durian next to his nose while his baby brother goes into ecstasy. He savours every last creamy bit of the durian and looks around for more!
dea,
Hahaha, we appear to have very similar tastes for most things, but I guess not for durian! :-P
Lixue,
I guess there’s something vaguely pooey about the smell of durian, but I wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as pig poo. Then again, I don’t have much experience with pig poo so I can’t say for sure. :)
Kagenosuke,
Yes, it does look “innocent” in gelato form! Gelato might be a good way for people to ease into durian, actually. Heheheh. Stealth durian.
Ranee,
We have them in our freezer! We bought the variety pack you mentioned – there’s durian flavoured creamy icy poles, red bean, sweet corn, jackfruit and yam! And Jac has told me the durian ones are all mine! I don’t have to share them with anybody! :)
Tephy,
Hahahaha, durian-smelling car. Jac would never let me stink up our car with multiple durians. I think she’d have one durian in the car, but that’s it. Phwoaaah! Durian martabak sounds great from your description! I don’t know if I will ever make it to Jakarta, but if I do, it will certainly be on my list of must-try foods!
laundrydays,
This isn’t a standard gelato for the Il Gelato stores though – so far have only seen it in the Northbridge store. I feel it is my duty to eat it as regularly as possible though, so they’ll continue to sell it. :)
Yin,
I’ve been very lucky, I think – that my folks chose to migrate to Perth, where Asian food (especially hawker-style meals) is plentiful, and durian-related items are also available. I’d really miss it if I couldn’t have it.
jetgirl,
Heheheh, we always have minty chewing gum on hand as we both love eating garlic and stinky foods in general (though Jac draws the line at durian). I’m very self-conscious when it comes to smells, so I always make sure to chew minty gum or something after indulging in smelly food.
Oooh, thanks for the info, Jin. I hope your hubby gets to try the durian gelato next time you’re in Northbridge. Let me know what he thinks of it. Speaking of durian cake, I have some of the other kind of durian cake in the fridge – kueh dodol… might have to sneak a small piece now that I’m thinking about it. That’s all mine too, Jac is just not interested. :)
Hey TFP!
I can’t suggest any other places for durian ice cream/gelato in Perth… but there’s a fantastic shop in Melbourne which I am sure the only one that sells durian flavoured gelato. Best. Thing. Ever. All their other flavours are fantastic as well but this one takes the cake.
Just realised that this is completely pointless, heh. If you are every travelling down this way, let me know and I’ll give you the location of this place!
I can’t believe you went and ate some more after that meal.
I was so full i didn’t eat brekkie the next morning.
hey Yan! I just realised that we are talking about the same place in Melbourne!! It’s a shop at Lygon Street called ‘Dolce’. Fantastic gelato with extremely creative flavours like PANDAN LOL.
Yeah, the durian gelato is alright. I’m glad the flavour is still the same as it was last year when it first came out!
When I first discovered it last year, the girl behind the counter was like, “Oh, we have a brand new flavour you might like. It’s durian!” I think my friend almost fainted, where as I was like, “Whee! Durian!” She said they had to keep it in a separate fridge because it just stank the whole place up, and the fridge they keep it in totally stinks. lol
As for other durian hints… hmm… hold that thought, I’ll rack my brain and get back to you. :)
i love durian!!! =D
and i think its odour is lovely, even fragrant.
so i can never ever fathom the thought of why some people find it smelly and disgusting.
ahhh… the custardy flesh… mmm =D
i especially like the bitter tasting ones.
In the suburb next to mine, at a Vietnamese noodle shop, they serve durian gelato. I saw the ladies behind the counter ladling out fresh durian into a container and I instantly salivated. The lady saw the longing in my eyes and offered me a plate of durian. I said I only wanted 3 pieces. She put it on a plate, then tried to charge me $10 for the three seeds. I baulked and said No! She then slashed the price to $5. I took the plate begrudgingly, sat down, and starting eating. Turns out there were about 5 seeds of durian, and my god I had almost forgotten how good they were.
Back to Singapore in Nov/Dec. Must get fix.
I have to check that place out. But I might have to do it alone. Hb is anti-durian. Once I thought he wasnt coming home from site, I slowly defrost my frozen durian. And guess what, he came back and I quickly have to hid my durian. He started to complaint and my little told him that mommy had durian somewhere in the garage freezer. At least while we were in Malaysia, I’m the boss since I am the majority. Hehehehe
Yan,
No worries! I’d like to visit Melbourne sometime – I’ve never been there before. Good to know there’s durian gelato to be had over there!
C,
Yes. I am a piggy! :-P Something happens to all the food overnight, obviously I’m a fuel-guzzling dreamer. :)
Yin,
Yum, pandan ice cream sounds great. What other interesting flavours do they have?
Angie,
I think it’s great they have it, and it can only be a testament to the duriany-ness of the gelato, that they have to store it away from everything else. :)
lynnie,
I’ve always loved the smell of it, but can understand why some people find it offensive. It’s interesting what smells turn one person off yet entice another person.
E,
Yum, I’ve been craving fresh durian (well, as fresh as we can get here – frozen imported whole durian from Thailand). I must say I’d have been tempted, pricey or not. If I visit Malaysia/Singapore I’ll have to time it for durian season so I can eat to my heart’s content.
flower,
I understand the anti-durian partner problem! Jac has said I am not allowed to buy a whole durian to eat while she is around – I can only do it when she is away. I hope I can get durian when she is away next – in November! Mwahahaha!
Hi! Do you like durian cake? I don’t touch anything durian but my aunt who lives in Perth makes the most amazing (apparently!) durian cakes. I don’t know where you could get a slice but if you’re ever hankering for a whole durian cake, I’ll put you in touch with her!
There is Durian Ice cream selling in Ipoh Garden, applecross. (nearby HANA KOREAN BBQ)
It was YUM! Must try it. you can even buy for take away.
I’m back!
I’m pretty sure you can get durian cake in the city somewhere… you can also ring Cakes Unlimited (now in Mt Pleasant)… I can’t remember which Asian cake shop has it.
A reliable source also tells me that you can get a durian drink at Viet Hoa. She thinks its durian mixed with ice cream… a milkshake, I guess.
Hi Kay,
Yes, I love durian cake. I’ll get in touch if I’m ever in the market for one! :)
Jojo,
Cool, thanks, I’ve made a note of that – Ipoh Garden in Applecross. If I’m ever in that area, I know where I’ll be heading. :-P
I LOVE DURIAN.
What I can’t stand is the ‘chao dao fu’ or stinky fermented tofu from the street stalls in HK, parts of China and Taiwan. Those smell like the sewer after a very rainy day.
wandernut,
I haven’t eaten the stinky tofu. Not sure if I’d like it or be turned off. I hope I get the chance someday to find out.
I hate durian, but they were selling whole ones at Mt Hawthorn Woolworths the other day.
I love durians. The smell is always over-rated. I don’t know why. I think i’ve came across worse scents than durian.
a couple of doors down from the il gelato in northbridge is a dodgy looking Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon, which has the most AMAZING durian smoothie ever known. i swear its just plain durian!!!!
Ok, I realise I might be a little late but I was at Thai Corner in Applecross about a week back and they were selling durian with glutinous rice! I didn’t have it though because I was more in the mood for mango with glutinous rice hehehe
Katie,
Damn! I haven’t seen durian at any Woolies I’ve been to, nor any other Asian supermarkets. Haven’t been to Mt Hawthorn though. :)
Kiran,
I agree! But then I like the smell of durian, so I’m sort of biased. :)
danibop,
Oooh, sounds good. I tend to avoid smoothies because they are just too milky for me, but maybe I will find someone to share one with me.
Nadie,
YUM! I love durian with glutinous rice!
If you guys coming to Singapore, come and enjoy the best durian gelato from Alfero Artisan Gelato located at Marina Square #02 level. You can come down and talk to Mr Alfero from Italy himself there. Worth buying no joke better than 5 star hotel.