Is a Durian Tasting Worth It? Our First Durian Flight in KL

Durian is intimidating. It's the "world's smelliest fruit," hotels and Grab cars in Malaysia put up signs banning it, and when you do see it for sale, it's a pile of huge, spiky fruit with no clue where to start. Which one do you pick? How do you even open it? And what if you hate it after paying for a whole one?

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That's exactly why we put it off. We spent most of our three months living in Kuala Lumpur without trying durian once. Then we went to Grumpy Bagels for breakfast, spotted a durian "park" right next door with tasting flights on the menu, and came back the very next day.

So this is our honest review of a durian tasting flight at DurianBB Park in KL: five varieties, from mildest to strongest, eaten by two people who had never tasted durian before.

Here's the full tasting on video, with Cream on camera describing every bite:

Is a Durian Tasting Worth It? Our Quick Answer

Yes, and it's the best way to try durian for the first time. A tasting flight gives you several varieties already cut, so you never touch the spiky shell, and you learn that durian isn't one flavor. Our five tasted completely different, from sweet and mild to bitter and boozy. Cream didn't expect to enjoy it at all, and we both finished every piece.

Why Durian Is Such a Big Deal in Malaysia

Durian is called the "king of fruits"¹ in parts of Southeast Asia, and in Malaysia the love is serious. There are shops dedicated to it, whole durian "parks" like the one we went to, and durian in everything from desserts to snacks.

Malaysia even registers some of its durian varieties with numbers. Those get a "D" code: Musang King is D197, Black Thorn is D200, and Golden Bun is D13.² Durian sellers use these names and numbers on their menus and price boards, which means nothing to you until you've tasted a few. At DurianBB, every piece on our flight came with a little flag showing its name in Chinese and English and its D number.

The one to know is Musang King. It's a Malaysian original, first grown in Kelantan and named after the town of Gua Musang³, where a grower from Raub, Pahang, found the tree and took a branch home to graft. It's the most popular durian in Malaysia.³ If you only try one in the country, make it this one.

Then there's the smell. Signs saying "no durian" are everywhere: in our Grab cars, in apartment buildings and hotels. That's part of what makes it so intimidating to try. You can't just buy one and take it home to experiment. You eat it where you buy it.

What a Durian Tasting at DurianBB Park Is Like

DurianBB Park is on Jalan Kamuning in Imbi, a few steps from Grumpy Bagels, and close to Bukit Bintang. We took a Grab there in May 2026. It's hard to miss: an open-sided pavilion with a thatched roof and giant durian mascots out front.

The flight comes as five pieces of durian on one long black platter, each with its flag, arranged from the mildest to what the staff told us was the best. They gave us gloves "to keep our fingers from getting stinky," and we had a fresh coconut to cleanse our palates between rounds.

Getting the flight is the beginner's move. The durian is already cut, so you skip the hardest part of handling that spiky fruit, and you get variety instead of a whole fruit of just one kind.

What Does Durian Taste Like?

First, the smell. Up close, the best way we can describe it is gasoline with something fruity underneath. Funny enough, it smells sweeter when you're further away, and the closer you get, the stinkier it is.

But durian doesn't taste anything like it smells. The texture is creamy and custardy, even softer than a ripe avocado. The flavor is a mix of sweetness and savory notes of onion and garlic. Cream described it as caramelized onion in one variety and like a liqueur-filled chocolate in another.

The flavor isn't immediate, either. It builds as you eat, so take a few bites of each before deciding what you think.

But once you experience Durian, you come to know that Durian smells and tastes like Durian!

The 5 Durians We Tried, From Mildest to Strongest

1. Star // The Mildest Durian on the Flight

The first durian had no variety name, just a star. Its flag read 特別嘉賓, Chinese for "special guest," so we never found out which variety it was. The staff told us it was the mildest, and it was a great place to start.

It was a little cold and squishy, and extremely creamy, like a custard with a slight onion taste. Cream's first words were that it "doesn't taste anything how it smells." The Star was more sweet than strong, which is why it was my favorite of the five.

2. Golden Bun (D13) // The Savory One

The Golden Bun was more golden in color and smelled a little different, and the flavor was completely different. It tasted like caramelized onions and garlic, with a mushier texture than the Star and a little sweetness underneath.

It's the savory one of the flight, and it leaves an aftertaste. Cream said it was "like you just took a spoonful of caramelized onions."

3. XO (D24) // The Creamiest, and Cream's Favorite

XO is named after XO cognac⁵. It's a variation of D24, and that's what its flag said.² We were warned it would taste like alcohol, even though there's no alcohol in it. It was lighter in color and firmer to the touch.

It does have that boozy edge. Cream compared it to a chocolate with liqueur inside. It got sweeter closer to the seed, had a light onion note while you eat it, and was the creamiest of all five. That mix of slight alcohol flavor, creamy texture, and sweetness made it Cream's favorite.

4. Black Thorn (D200) // The Bitter-Sweet One

Black Thorn was darker and firm like the XO, and the staff described it as a stronger version of it. It was also stinkier.

The stronger boozy note comes across as bitter, but it's still creamy with some sweetness, and that bitter-and-sweet contrast is what makes it interesting. The bitterness covers most of the onion flavor, and it lingers in your mouth longer than the first three.

5. Musang King (D197) // The Strongest, Saved for Last

We were told the Musang King is the best, so it went last. It had the darkest gold color, and it might be the stinkiest of the five.

It's bitter like the Black Thorn but with a sweetness that lingers as you eat it, and those bitter, boozy notes come through strongly. It's the strongest durian on the flight for sure, and an acquired taste. If you're new to durian, it makes sense to work up to it rather than start here.

What We Didn't Love

Not much, but a few honest notes:

• The smell sticks to your mouth, not your hands. Thanks to the gloves, our fingers were fine. The aftertaste and the durian breath stayed with us for a while.
• The Golden Bun's onion aftertaste lingers. If savory fruit sounds strange to you, this is the one you might not love.
• The strongest durians are strong. Black Thorn and Musang King are bitter, and Musang King is an acquired taste. We both still finished them.
• We waited too long. My biggest regret is not doing this at the start of our three months in KL, so we could have spent the rest of our stay eating more durian.

Tips for Trying Durian for the First Time

• Get the flight. You get variety, and it's already cut for you.
• Go from mild to strong, and drink coconut water between pieces.
• Let each piece build. Eat slowly and give the flavor a few bites before deciding.
• Don't give up after one. All five tasted so different that, if you dislike one, another might fit your taste.
• Eat it there. With "no durian" rules in hotels, apartments, and Grab cars, durian stalls and parks are where you're meant to eat it.
• Learn the names, then go hunting. The day after our tasting, we ordered a durian cendol made with one of the varieties we'd just tried, and we knew exactly what the variety meant. Cendol is one of our must-eat foods in Kuala Lumpur, and the durian version is our favorite.

Before You Go

• Where: DurianBB Park, Jalan Kamuning, Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, next to Grumpy Bagels. Check its hours and current prices on Google Maps before you go, since durian prices change with the season.
• Getting there: we took a Grab. It's also close enough to Bukit Bintang to combine with a day there. Our guide to getting around Kuala Lumpur covers Grab, the monorail, and walking.
• Where to stay: Bukit Bintang, where we lived for three months, keeps this a short ride away. See places to stay in Bukit Bintang.
• When: we went in May 2026. Malaysia's main durian season runs from about June to August, with a smaller one from around November to January⁶, so the choice of varieties will change through the year. If you're still planning when to come, our guide to the best time to visit Kuala Lumpur covers the heat and the rain.
• Get online before you land: you'll need mobile data for Grab and maps from the moment you arrive, so get an Airalo eSIM before you land.

So, Is a Durian Tasting Worth It?

Yes. We went from avoiding durian for months to Cream announcing "I think I'm a durian enthusiast now" in one afternoon, and I would do it again. It's one of the food experiences that make Kuala Lumpur worth visiting. If durian intimidates you, a tasting flight is the low-risk way in: start with the Star, save the Musang King for last, and find your favorite.

Next Steps for Your Kuala Lumpur Trip

• The 10 Must-Eat Foods in Kuala Lumpur
• The 9 Best Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur
• The 13 Best Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur
• Grumpy Bagels KL Review
• Is Kuala Lumpur Worth Visiting?
• The Best Time to Visit Kuala Lumpur