Eating the Somewhat Inedible: Durian Smoothie at Pho888

Eating the Somewhat Inedible: Durian Smoothie at Pho888

Many feel that durian smells and tastes too fearsome to actually bring near one’s nose or mouth. No doubt about it: the smell and taste certainly do not conform to standard opinions of what fruit (or food in general) should smell and taste like.

Signs on hotels and other public areas prohibiting dogs and durian have been reported throughout Asia and Europe, to wit:



The Wife bought a durian once, took it home, scared the children, and had to dump it before we could sample its thick, creamy and odoriferous flesh.

However, a few nights ago at Pho 888, I had a durian smoothie that was really quite potable. The nice man who made it put a clear plastic half-globe on top of the cup (for the straw), which tended to contain the sulpherous fumes rising off the beverage. With a bunch of sugar and cream, the stinky durian became almost enjoyable – kind of like the “egg water” you sometimes get out of forest preserve hand-pumps.

Both the wife and I had a half-dozen sips each before I had to drop it in a garbage can (I didn’t want it to stink up my vehicle). For three bucks, not a bad way to sample the notorious King of Fruits.

Pho 888
1137 W Argyle St
Chicago, IL 60640
773. 907.8838

Yeah, we had a Durian smoothie at Tank noodle last night. Also they put those big old tapioca pearls in it. It was mostly everything we'd been led to expect, though I got the onion notes more than the garbage or raw sewage.

Not an experience we'll be repeating, but I'm glad we tried it.

For an even neater way to stick your toe in Durian waters, you can try the Durian flavored candies (both hard and gummi) widely available in s.e. asain groceries. ..(heaven forbid some evil person find these and get the idea to pass them out for Haloween!).

I like the idea of durian. Here's a fruit that Westerners are told that they will not like, but also told that connoisseurs "get" and love above all fruits. Because of this, people are willing to say, I tried it, but it's not to my taste -- which is something many, maybe most, are unwilling to do when it comes to things such as certain styles of BBQ, pizza, liquor, soup, you name it. Count me among those who actually enjoy the stuff, despite the burnt-rubber meets expired egg salad funk. Maybe my taste buds are finally shot, and I'll eat anything that registers now. But I think durian ice cream is swell.

JeffB wrote:I like the idea of durian. Here's a fruit that Westerners are told that they will not like, but also told that connoisseurs "get" and love above all fruits. Because of this, people are willing to say, I tried it, but it's not to my taste -- which is something many, maybe most, are unwilling to do when it comes to things such as certain styles of BBQ, pizza, liquor, soup, you name it. Count me among those who actually enjoy the stuff, despite the burnt-rubber meets expired egg salad funk. Maybe my taste buds are finally shot, and I'll eat anything that registers now. But I think durian ice cream is swell.

Oddly enough, I had a few cuts of durian fruit when I was in Thailand back in 2002. Surprisingly nothing staggeringly offensive in the taste in my experience. Of course, having access to the fresh-fruit version of the King might have something to do with that. I wonder whether the potent smell and flavor reported come about later as the fruit ripens and "matures." (This appears to be confirmed by the Ripeness section of the durian fruit entry on Wikipedia; some Thai folks prefer their durians young.) Count me in among those who've tried it, but didn't think what I had was all that bad (in the rather fresh form in which I had it).

--Dan

I wouldn't have minded the funkiness (and I don't know that the version I had had a lot of fruit in it) except that it RUBBED OFF. I was ostracized from the family for the afternoon post-smoothie.

I did appreciate the laminated top on the drink when I had it. Funny how, as connected as taste and smell are, the two are so distinct in this case.