IKEA’s D24 Durian Desserts pleases Durian Lovers and might interest Non-durian lovers...

Yes. Dear Durian lovers and Non-durian lovers - there's a middle ground.

Written by Y.S. Chia

To celebrate National Day, IKEA has rolled out a line of D24 Durian desserts.

Thankfully it's not here just for a week.

Rather, the Love-it-or-hate-it durian scent will waft around IKEA Restaurants islandwide till 31st August. That said, you'll be able to get your dessert fix on Mondays to Thursdays only.

Before going into this, I’m gonna level with you, I hate the smell of durians- in fact, I’ve eaten maybe 1 durian my whole life. That said, that was 10 years ago - maybe something’s changed. I’ve also heard from some that the smell really isn’t there. With my stomach feeling patriotic, I brought a durian-loving friend and checked it out at IKEA JEM. IKEA JEM opens from 10 am to 10 pm every day.

What We Ordered:

Wasting no time at all, we grabbed ourselves the D24 Durian Cream Cake, D24 Durian Cream Puff and D24 Durian Cheese Tart. Both the cream cake and the Cream puff were chilled and came in your standard Ikea Dessert packaging. Meanwhile, the cheese tart was kept warm.

Unboxing the D24 Durian Cream Cake, I immediately knew someone lied. The durian scent is definitely there(duh) just toned down. Nevertheless, I have the cakes… so I should eat them too.

The D24 Durian Cream Cake had the sweet creamy flavour - often associated with D24 durians(according to my friend) sandwiched between the fluffy layers of cake. The shredded bits on top added extra texture. Overall a pleasantly light introduction to this misadventure.

The D24 Durian Cream Puff had the strongest smell of the three. And for those who expected soft gooey puffs, you’ll be in for a big disappointment. Texture-wise, it tasted like biting into a Polo Bun without the flakiness. The sweet filling was considerably thicker than your average cream puff too. Altogether, we both found it so-so.

The last thing on our Durian adventure was the D24 Durian Cheese tart. It felt like the heaviest of the 3 and it's definitely a good option to leave it to the end. The filing melted in our mouths, with the sweet creamy Durian well contrasted with the savoury Cheese. (this also made for a muted durian smell! Yay for me!)

Service and Location:

IKEA felt like IKEA. I think you get the idea.

I will say, there is something to be said about the fact that IKEA’s pricing has remained affordable despite these times - and this extends to these desserts.

Honest Opinion:

You're not converting me- but its a good try! - 3.5/5

My friend had a good time trying the desserts and I would say the experience has been relatively pleasant. The D24 desserts are quality enough to delight most durian lovers. In fact, I’d recommend non-durian eaters to give them a try too.

If you're watching your calorie count, I would suggest just going for the D24 Durian Cream Cake. For something more guilty you can try the D24 Durian Cheese Tart.

As a matter of fact, if you feel the D24 Durian Cream Cake is something to write home about, why not bring it home? Ikea’s serves the cake as a whole cake too, so you can charm or piss off your family this national day!

You can pop by Ikea JEM from 10 am - 10 pm on Mondays to Thursdays to get yourself one of their D24 treats.

How to get there:

These are the directions to the JEM Ikea. Address:

50 Jurong Gateway Rd, #02-12/13/14 #03-15/16/17, #04-20/21/22, Singapore 608549, JEM

By Car:

Park at JEM.

By Train:

Alight at Jurong East Station and take Exit B. Enter JEM via the bridge on the left.

By Bus

Alight at Jurong East Bus Interchange and walk to Jurong East MRT Station. JEM will be on your right.

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Looking for other ways to be more patriotic this National Day? You can check out our recommendations for Singapore's My Community Festival and learn more about the different people who call our island home.

Looking to get our honest perspective on your eatery or service? Send us an email at Getahonestreview@gmail.com!

About the Writer: Y.S. Chia(he/him) is our 20-year-old Honest Agent who loves going on adventures - be it hiking nature trails or checking out Singapore's latest festivals. When he's not out and about, you can find him being a potato watching netflix or on the rare occasion - at the gym.