Men’s Kitchen, Lebuh Armenian – Tastefully Durian Delight

For durian lovers, the usual months of durian season in May – July will not be sufficient to cater for their huge cravings. I used to be one of them who will hunt for great durians everywhere and like any other durian lovers I can eat a plate of plain white rice served with fresh durians. For health reasons, I am cutting down the intake of durians. But this does not stop me from trying out food made out of fresh durians. There is a new shop at Lebuh Armenian inside Yap Kongsi which is very niche in the market as it incorporates durian into its desserts and pastries.

The shop is known as Men’s Kitchen. This is the place that focuses on food and drinks made out of durian.

The reason that this shop is called Men’s Kitchen is due to the kitchen is a “all-men show”. The ladies will be serving the customers instead.

Durian Baked Bun – RM4.50, Upon arriving we were welcomed by the sight of durian buns prepared by the men in the kitchen. It sure did look plain prior to baking.

But when they were brought out from the oven, the entire shop was filled with strong aroma of pastry and durian. The buns were baked till golden yellow and they looked so fluffy in the moulds.

For those that love durian, this is the perfect bun for you. However, those who don’t appreciate durians will feel that it smells like a leaking gas.

Durian Portuguese Tart (each) – RM4.00, from the look of it, there is not much difference from the regular Portuguese Tart. However, putting it close to your nose will give you a strong scent of durian aroma. When taking a bite you can feel the rich and thick texture with strong durian flavour. This is a great innovation that  no other place that I know of in Penang can offer this marvelous durian Portuguese tart.

Durian Ice Fire Roll (per set) – RM12, The soft filling of durian paste was covered with a thin and crispy layer of skin. The outer layer was crispy while the inner filling part was soft, making it a perfect combination. The making of the roll was done using cold water before being brought to deep fried, and thus the name “Ice Fire” roll.

Durian Creme Brulee – RM8.50, one of my favorite desserts. Most of the time I can only find vanilla creme brulee, chocolate creme brulee and green tea creme brulee. This is the first time I came across Durian Creme Brulee and without any doubt it was good.

Durian Pudding – RM8.00, besides durian brulee, they serve durian pudding as well. The texture was very smooth and soft and with a strong durian flavour in it. All the ingredients blended together perfectly.

Durian Spring Roll (per set) – RM6.00, the spring rolls that we usually encounter in market are wrapped with veggie. However the spring rolls here are wrapped with durian paste. It tasted unique and fresh especially when served hot.

Durian Wantan – RM5.00, the wantans were stuffed with durian kaya (coconut jam). Although this is a very special dish, I personally do not prefer this dish as to me deep fried wantan skin and durian kaya don’t complement each other very well.

Durian Kaya – RM8.50, coconut jam with pandan leaves and eggs are those that are commonly available in the market. But for kaya to include some durian flavour is something quite new. For durian lovers you can consider spreading this to your toasts.

For those who do not fancy durians, fear not as this shop has many other food and drinks which are made from non-durian ingredients.

Smoked Duck Ramen – RM4.50, a few slices of smoke ducks are placed on top of the ramen with soup and is served with 1/2 side of boiled egg and some spring onions. The clear soup tasted so refreshing and good.

Kimchi Ramen – RM4.50, for spicy lovers this is a great option. The taste of the kimchi was spicy and slightly sourish. The drawback is the taste of kimchi is on the saltier side.

Dry Ramen – RM5.50,  instead of wantan noodle that is commonly used, this restaurant is serving ramen as a replacement. The texture and the bite feel of the ramen is more chewy and thus making it more palatable.

Chicken Rice (per set) – RM5.50, for those looking for something that is safe, you may try their chicken rice.

Drumstick Lor Bak – RM12.00, the highlight of this dish is they use meat from the drumstick to make the meat filling.

Fire Wantan (per set) – RM5.00, the common deep fried wantan.

Fruit Konnyaku Dessert – RM5,  the dessert which is prepared using konnyaku jelly with stuffed fruit inside and served with a slice of lemon for a more appetizing taste.

The other available drinks are:

• Pandan Tea – RM3.00
• Lemon Grass Tea – RM3.00
• Butterfly Peas Tea RM3.50
• Doraemon Ice RM4.50

Bubble Ice Coffee – RM3.50, the house blend iced coffee which is served with thick foam. This is something unique and is also known as 3-tiered coffee.

Durian Latte – RM8.50, this cold and thick latte was packed with durian flavor. It is a great mixture of coffee and durian all together.

The overview of the scrumptious food served at Men’s kitchen.

Overall, the main focus of the food here is durian-infused desserts and drinks. The taste of all the food here were unique and delicious. The drawback is no other than parking as it is situated along the tourist belt of Armenian Street. But it is also a good opportunity for locals to walk along and explore the cultural and happening street. The price of the dishes here is slightly on the high side but with the authentic taste of durian in the dishes, this is something priceless for durian lovers.

Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):

Taste
Price (more stars, more reasonable)
Food Presentation
Service
Overall

Quick Facts:

Family Friendly
Parking
Pork Free
Alcohol
Credit Card
Smoking
Reservation
Private Room
WIFI Available