Goodwood Park Hotel's Durian Fiesta 2021 returns with durian pandan waffles and D24 salted caramel treats

If ever there were a grande dame of durian, Goodwood Park Hotel would be it. A pioneer in transforming the pungent fruit into elegant pastries, this heritage hotel first launched its celebrated Durian Fiesta in 1983.

Surpassing itself each year has to be tough, but we think Durian Fiesta 2021 pulls it off in spectacular, local style – durian pandan waffles, anyone?

Running from March 8 to Aug 1, 2021, the 38th Fiesta kicks off with all things D24, available for delivery or takeaway at The Deli. This year’s bumper crop goes local with new creations like the D24 Kueh Dadar ($22 for two, $78 for eight) – a Nyonya classic with a luscious twist of D24 durian stuffing alongside freshly grated coconut.

Another pandan-forward treat, the D24 Pandan Waffle Cake ($85), sees a pillowy stack of three waffles layered with durian pulp and drizzled with caramelised coconut sauce. It sounds dense, but the waffles come lighter and fluffier than your standard fare – you might down half before you know it.

If you love Teochew yam mooncakes, the Deep-Fried D24 in Layered Flaky Pastry ($12++ for three) is a siren’s call of crisp, flaky, melt-in-the-mouth layers of pastry spiralled around rich durian pulp. Best served warm, this creation is only available for dine-in at Min Jiang.

And speaking of yam, the hotel has dreamed up D24 & Sweet Potato in Chestnut Tartlets ($48 for six) too. An earthy riff on the Mont Blanc, each tart is filled with chestnut almond cream, then crowned with a vermicelli mountain of purple sweet potato purée encasing more creamy durian.

Salted caramel and durian might sound like strange bedfellows, but the Mini D24 Salted Caramel Delights ($40 for six) marries them beautifully between soft layers of almond sponge cake.

The salted caramel sauce brings out the savoury, buttery notes of the durian mousse, topped with a white chocolate disc for good measure. Of course, old-but-gold signatures like the D24 Puffs ($24 for six, $48 for ten) and D24 Mousse Cake ($16 per slice, from $85 for 1kg) are available as well.

Mao Shan Wang season hits in mid-year – from May 1 to Aug 1, 2021, you can look forward to royal indulgence with treats like ‘Mao Shan Wang’ Mousse Cake ($78 for 500g, $156 for 1kg) and ‘ Mao Shan Wang’ Power Puff ($28 per piece). And if you’re planning on a crackin’ feast with the fruit at home too, check out our durian delivery guide.

Goodwood Park Hotel’s Durian Fiesta 2021 is happening from March 8 to Aug 1, 2021. For advance orders, call p. +65 6730 1786, email deli@goodwoodparkhotel.com, or go to thedeligoodwoodparkhotel.oddle.me. For walk-in orders, visit The Deli at Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228221.

This article was first published in City Nomads.