Exploring the possibilities of the King of Fruits
BEYOND conventional durian goodies such as cakes and cream puffs, the two women behind Ms Durian are exploring further possibilities for the King of Fruits. Their innovative pastry creations include durian macarons and craquelins, which are cream puffs with crispy cookie-dough caps.
Founder Ling Goh grew up with a knack for sniffing out the best of durians, as her father ran durian supplier 717 Trading. “I grew up in a family that deals with durians day in, day out,” she said, adding that dealing with durians is “second nature” to her.
The family business also produced durian puffs and cakes. Yet, Goh sensed that “durian pastries were very under-explored” and “a lot more could be done”.
After learning how to bake at her father’s shop, Goh wanted to put her own twist on durian pastries. In 2018, she chanced upon a potential shop space and decided to set up her own durian speciality bakery and cafe, Ms Durian.
Goh gained inspiration from durian products from Malaysia and Thailand. “One of the most memorable items was durian coffee from Penang,” she recalled. Though initially sceptical, she was pleasantly surprised that she was fond of it. It is now an item on Ms Durian’s menu.
The company officially opened in March 2019, as a small shop in Potong Pasir. Six months later, Jeslyn Tan joined as a part-timer; when Covid-19 hit, she took on a full-time position and has since become the shop’s co-owner.
But the neighbourhood was too quiet, Goh recalled: “We had days when after 12 hours of work, our sales were only S$12 because there was very little traffic.”
This prompted her to take up online marketing courses, helping the brand gain exposure on Google and social media.
This early online foray put the bakery “in a very good position” during the pandemic, recalled Goh. Even during the worst of the restrictions, customers could still order their pastries.
“What was very heartwarming during the pandemic was that we became messengers for our customers,” she said. Stranded abroad due to border curbs, customers ordered pastries to be delivered to their loved ones, along with personalised messages.
New beginnings
The business gained a steady stream of customers and regulars. But at the end of two years, the landlord had other plans for the space and declined to renew the shop’s lease.
While they managed to find a new location, the business had to close from July 2021 to January 2022 while renovations were underway. Without a kitchen, it could not even fulfil online orders.
Finally, in February 2022, Ms Durian reopened in a new space at Jalan Besar, spanning 10,000 square feet. Starting over “was quite a struggle”, said Goh. “Even until today, there’ll still be people coming in saying: ‘Oh, I thought you had permanently closed after Potong Pasir’.”
Still, since the move, business has grown by 30 per cent. The company has also doubled the number of pastries on its menu since it began.
Goh and Tan constantly tweak existing recipes and experiment with new creations, pursuing innovation even if the process takes months. For instance, it took a year to find the “perfect balance” between the two main flavours of their mao shan wang durian whisky cake, a pulp-filled sponge cake with a hint of the liquor.
The latest addition to the menu, durian ice cream, took half a year of experimentation, including private lessons to perfect the recipe.
Separately, the Jalan Besar space allows for a new revenue stream: venue rental. The outlet has a spacious outdoor area which can be rented for events with up to 150 attendees, or used for collaborations with other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Some events hosted last year include a corporate event for 150 Prudential employees, a Planters Market with vendors selling plants, and a Mother’s Day flower arrangement workshop with Flowers by Terra.
This year, Ms Durian has corporate durian parties lined up from June to October as durian season approaches.
“We will be conducting workshops to educate attendees of the parties to understand more about different varieties of durians and get a chance to open their own durian,” said Goh.
Two new spaces on the shop’s grounds, converted from shipping containers, should be ready by July. One of them is designed with a kampung feel and meant for durian sales; the other, with a sleek and modern design, is intended for events.
Goh particularly hopes to host more events in collaboration with SMEs. “I received a lot of kindness from other small business owners when I needed help or advice,” she recalled. Now that Ms Durian is on firmer ground, Goh wants to give back to the community by supporting those who are starting out.
