Best Experience of Eating Durian at Si Bolang, Medan City

So, have you ever tasted durian? I know that many of you here in Foodies Bee Hive Community of Hive Blockchain have already heard about the reputation of durian. It’s really a strange and distinctive smell and taste for people outside South East Asian countries. You will consider the taste of durian is like rotten onion, rotten egg and anything bad odor.

However, I believe when you may appreciate the king of fruit which is well-known in Southeast Asia, like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore or Indonesia, you will have a great experience and start loving it. And I do agree with Bob Halliday statement.

To anyone who doesn’t like durian it smells like a bunch of dead cats. But as you get to appreciate durian, the smell is not offensive at all. It’s attractive. It makes you drool like a mastiff.” —Bob Halliday, Bangkok-based food writer.Source

Talking about the taste of durian flesh, throw me back to the year of 2004 when I was a volunteer for Medecins Sans Frontier - Belgium (MSF-B) in Lamno of Aceh Jaya Regency of Aceh Province, Indonesia in humanitarian work to help people affected earthquake and tsunami. One day, when durian harvest in the neighbor village, the local people challenged some expatriates to taste durian. I was also joining them to be an interpreter.

As soon as they approached the pile of durians in the farm, all the expatriates started covering their noses with their hands. Their faces were wrinkled and flushed. It looked like they have lost before the challenge. I laughed to myself, because they just smell the durian and almost vomited. However, they didn't give up and walked over to the pile of durian fruit. While laughing, some local people immediately split the durian fruit showing its golden yellow flesh, soon some expatriates started to feel nauseous and moved away from the location.

Source

Two of them were desperate to hold and ate the durian flesh while closing their eyes, and they managed to swallow the flesh without vomiting at all. Soon they drank some water. I smiled and appreciated their courage. After sometime I asked them how is the durian flesh taste, and they answered honestly, that it was sweet but smelled like rotten onions.

I keep remembering the experience, that durian is a special fruit in Southeast Asia and only most people of this region could tolerate (and even craving) to durian taste and smell.

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When I visited Medan City of North Sumatra Province, my family and I enjoyed durian at the Si Bolang Durian Fruit Shop. It was a wonderful experience when everyone in the restaurant was enjoying durian. All who come here are durian lovers, or maybe one who is in training to eat durian. I think, Si Bolang Durian will provide a place for beginners to practice eating durian, because the atmosphere in the restaurant will give mass suggestions, where the aroma of durian spreads throughout the restaurant’s area. Fortunately, Si Bolang Durian is an open air restaurant.

Upon arriving there, I saw crowd of people enjoying durian on their table. We came in and had our seat to joining the crowd. You could imagine how the aroma of durian spreading over there, but none bothered by the smell. They were laughing, and chatting while eating the golden flesh of durian. The atmosphere was contrast to that in Lamno 17 years ago.

After sitting, a young man came to our table and pleased us to order while handing us the menu list.

We didn’t need to peruse the list too long, we just ordered the durian fruit (still with its husk) and some mineral water. Apart from durian fruit, they also provide some menus based on durian such as pancakes, compote and various other durian cakes.

I was really amazed to the concept of Si Bolang Restaurant. It’s located at the heath of Medan City on Iskandar Muda Street No 75 CD. The restaurant is well designed with open air space. The lighting is cool and striking, different from the surrounding location.

After waiting for sometime, our durian was coming. The husk was already opened, we just need make it open widely to take the durian flesh and enjoyed them.

We opened them up. And the its smell was immediately spread around us. The flesh was golden yellow. I tasted it and it’s very delicious.

After having our durian, I walked to the place where they prepare durian before serving them to the guests. I took some shots.

And there was live music performing there, just close to our table.

So, Si Bolang is creatively combine the traditional fruit with the modern life in the city, serving durian for travelers and local citizens of Medan City. What a great durian restaurant! Do you want to taste some?