Where to find durian in los angeles

Los Angeles is a teeming city of almost 4 million people and probably a similar number of durians locked away in giant frozen warehouses. With enclaves of of Thais, Vietnamese, Filipinos, and Chinese, durian is easy to come by. Monthong is the variety name. I do hear rumors of fresh durian at some of the larger retail stores during the season, but have yet to either see this with my own eyes and nose. Fingers crossed, guys! Otherwise, my preference is the cookie-dough tubes. Several people have asked which are the best brands of frozen durian.

The conclusion? I hesitate to make a recommendation, but here I go. Check the map to find the location nearest you. View Durian Hotspots LA in a larger map. My grandparents live d in an area of Los Angeles far from any large Asian supermarkets. However, there were still plenty of small unobtrusive Asian groceries around — if you know where to find them. Many are still not listed on Google Maps. In , Thailand became the sixth largest exporter of fruits , according to the National New Bureau of Thailand.

Chris was initially skeptical. He remembered going back to Thailand with his parents when he was a kid and trying durian for the first time at a farm. Chris compared durian to stinky tofu, the fermented Taiwanese night market snack that also inspires a passionate following. Hey guys, I am taking orders for delicious durian fruits imported straight from Thailand. The smell is mild compared Durian is known for being more expensive than other fruits.

Those who love it consider it a delicacy. But in the U. And for an untrained eye, it can be gamble to pick a good one. The pandemic had prevented the Sintuvat family from taking a trip back to Thailand this summer, so Bonnie wanted to bring Thailand to her mom. The durians are cracked at the farms, boxed up and shipped to San Francisco International Airport within 48 hours, after heavy negotiation with the farmers to only choose the best quality fruits that are available at the particular time in the season.

Because of this, Tou and Chris are constantly at the airport in the early hours of morning, racing with the clock. When a shipment for Orange County comes in to San Francisco International Airport, Tou picks it up, replaces the old gel ice packs with new ones and immediately drives it over to the next airline so Chris can pick the shipment up from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana within a few hours.

Since he started about a month ago, Chris has sold about 50 boxes a week, most often to customers who live in Little Saigon. Tou also offers delivery across the nation, but he recommends customers pick up the cargo directly at the airport so they can control the timing. But, it is durian pizza. The saltiness and milkiness of the cheese not only takes a bit of the edge off the durian, it compliments it. Somehow, it works.

The cafe features durian in the beverages as well. The recent trend of cheese foam-topped teas also shows up here, with durian milk covering black or green tea. A durian milk shake rounds up the drinks. Also, there are a couple of non-durian desserts and a selection of fairly standard tea house snack items like popcorn chicken, takoyaki, fries and Taiwanese sausage, providing options to those wishing for something else. A word of caution. If seeking the pizza, be prepared to either be disappointed or have a lengthy wait.

Just be flexible, patient, and relax. Your handy guide on where to eat from the editors at Eater LA. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.