Would you pay S$12 for Mao Shan Wang durian kaya toast?
If Singapore had a national fruit, it would most likely be the durian. On that note, patisserie and cafe Ms Durian is launching three new durian desserts to celebrate National Day: Mao Shan Wang Durian Kaya Toast, Ugly Durian Egg Tart and MSW Durian Kaya Craquelin, the latter a spin on their signature durian cream puffs. The sweets will be available from 1 August to 31 October 2024.
Ms Durian is a cosy cafe at Jalan Besar specialising in durian desserts like Mao Shan Wang cakes, puddings and ice cream. It also serves fresh durians when the fruit is in season, plus a selection of savoury cafe fare like pasta. The homegrown biz is co-owned by baker Ling Goh, 38, and Jeslyn Tan, 23. Ling set up Ms Durian five years ago at a small bakery in Potong Pasir, having learned how to make durian pastries from her dad, who owns a 56-year-old durian business. Jeslyn, a Shatec grad, joined the partnership in 2020, and the duo opened their larger 70-seater Jalan Besar outlet in 2022.
8days.sg samples their limited-edition desserts, which Ling says is made with grade A MSW durians.
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MSW Durian Kaya Toast with eggs, $12
Kaya toast, but make it gao. Our set came with three pieces of durian kaya toast, alongside two soft-boiled eggs. The thinly-sliced kopitiam-style bread is grilled to a light golden brown, with a nice crisp texture. Each slice is slathered with creamy kaya blended with MSW durian puree, and topped with a slab of salted butter.
The coconutty gula melaka and durian-spiked kaya on our toast is a lot runnier than seen in Ms Durian’s lush promo photos. Quite nice, but if you’re into more bitter MSW durians, don’t expect to taste that here - the sweetness of the slightly caramelly kaya mellows most of the fruit’s pungency. It could do with a more generous dose of durian too, so we don’t find this quite worth the $12 price tag (regular kaya toast with eggs and a drink at Ya Kun costs $6.30, as a rough comparison). Better to spend your cash and calories on the craquelin (see below).
Ugly Durian Egg Tart, $4 each
Named ‘Ugly Durian Egg Tart’ for its rustic appearance, this smallish Portuguese-style pastry features a mildly buttery, flaky golden-brown crust, made with French Elle & Vire butter. The filling is a mix of MSW durian puree and custard.
We like the eggy sweetness in this, but once again feel like it was missing the bitter pong we love in MSW durians. Still fun to eat if you’re looking for something different from your usual egg tart. 
MSW Durian Kaya Craquelin, $3.60 each
Our favourite among the three desserts. We like the delicate, crumbly layer of craquelin (cookie-like dough) piped on choux pastry. The puff is pumped with a good amount of pure MSW flesh, then dabbed with a touch of kaya.
We enjoy the greater durian-to-kaya ratio here - each bite oozes lots of thick durian paste blended with just a bit of smooth kaya. But note that this munchkin is gone in one mouthful.
Dry Laksa with Tiger Prawn, $22
Ms Durian will also be serving a savoury menu of limited-edition local dishes from 1 August to 31 October, including Sambal Batang Biryani ($20), Handmade Chicken Satay ($15.50), Dry Laksa with Tiger Prawn ($22) and Black Pepper Crab on Sourdough ($28). This is on top of their strange-sounding MSW Durian Nasi Lemak ($17), which is only available till end July.
Ms Durian is at 11 Kelantan Rd, Jln Besar, S208604. Open Mon, Wed, Thu, Sun 9am - 10pm; Fri & Sat 9am - 11pm. Closed on Tue. More info via website, Facebook & Instagram.
Photos: Gwyn Lim, Ms Durian
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