[CLOSED] Mao King Tavern

Caught wind of the new MAO King Tavern — a collaboration between the folks of Slake and D.Lab by Durian Edition which has taken over the premises of Slake at 15 Swan Lake Avenue; the space is interestingly decked out like a Japanese Izakaya, which is a fitting theme considering how they actually do carry an Musang King Ale (yes, durian and alcohol — try at your own risk!) brewed by the folks behind The 1925 Brewing Co., apart from serving up durian-infused desserts as well as some of the bar bites from Slake’s menu.

We were rather stuffed considering how we have hopped around a number of places and that MAO King Tavern was the last stop for the day (we visited on a weekend night), so we ended up forgoing the cakes and went for the Crispy Durian Bomb (almost a more well-executed version of KFC’s Golden Durian Mochi featuring actual durian mousse) and the Crispy Egg Tarts alongside the Fully-Loaded Chye Poh Fries and Har Jeong Chicken. Coming in a set of three, this was apt as they may be as a dessert ending to a tapas meal just like how they would be at a dim sum establishment; the crispy egg tarts do come with a flaky and buttery texture, and the egg curd does come aptly sweet so that its not overly saccharine from the addition of durian mousse within the curd. Given how the item was served warm and baked, the durian mousse had seemingly turned more custardy; carried a hint of its pungent fragrance with the sweetness sort of melded into the flavours of the egg curd. Whilst some durian purists may find this a little short of satisfying to solve their cravings for the actual fruit, this was actually an interesting item to have that may appeal to some especially when taking into account the innovative concept of infusing durian into egg tart — something that is not particularly intimidating, and in fact, pretty decent being rather “safe” for most.

Whilst MAO King Tavern is somewhat of a tapas bar with a local approach, we felt that we probably would not go for the durian-infused items alongside the tapas offerings out of Slake’s menu — perhaps it was also due to us ordering mostly fried items, but the tapas snacks and durian-infused desserts do feel somewhat overwhelming when had together, considering how they seemingly felt heavy on the palate. That being said, durian lovers would probably love what MAO King Tavern has to offer — a decent variety of durian-based desserts that are seemingly well-executed whilst also offering items to munch on; almost akin to a one-stop shop with a comfortable environment to enjoy even whole durians, which they carry if they are in season. A spot worth checking out especially for Easties who are looking for durian desserts with a hipster approach!