I Tried Durian Crème Brûlée (Honest Reaction)

Ask pretty much anyone back home and they’ll tell you the same thing: Bill is not a museum guy. And yet here I was outside another quirky little museum near Kuala Lumpur that even most locals haven’t visited.

The Orang Asli Craft Museum. This small museum is about Malaysia’s indigenous peoples, the Orang Asli, and it’s free. All you have to do is sign in.

Why museums? When I spent years planning this slow travel life, I pictured trying new foods, maybe learning new languages, and above all pushing myself outside my normal boundaries. Life’s short, and I don’t want to look back and say could have, would have, should have. I can’t honestly tell you I’ve become that guy yet. I doubt I’ll ever get excited about a UNESCO World Heritage site. But I keep doing these things, because my friendship with Shum, and with all the wonderful people I’ve met through him, happened only because I pushed myself to visit a museum in Melaka that I would have walked right past in the past.

Miss Ellie Tea House. Then it was time for a pre-lunch treat. The ambiance here is outstanding: quaint and very comfortable, with a friendly staff. Shum wanted me to try the durian crème brûlée, so of course I did, along with a pandan dessert and Miss Ellie’s original iced chocolate.

The verdict. Shum said I’d either love it or hate it. I was almost indifferent. It’s sweet, and it tastes about how you’d guess durian tastes from the smell. The pandan one was much more mild; you keep waiting for it to taste like something. Shum says the real fruit is even better, so the verdict is on hold until I try real Malaysian durian in season. For the record, I’ve been told that if my first real durian is from anywhere other than Malaysia, Shum will disown me.

I haven’t tried the real thing yet. I’m waiting until I can visit when it’s actually in season.

Shum drove me around that day. He’s a good friend, and he makes a point of taking me places tourists wouldn’t normally find on their own. I definitely recommend Miss Ellie’s: everything we had was good, the staff was friendly, and it’s a relaxed place to spend an afternoon.