Richmond gets a new shop for durian, the stinkiest of fruits

A shop selling nothing but durian, the Asian fruit renowned for its rotten odor, has opened in Richmond.

Liu Shang Pin, whose sign calls it the “JQ&B Richmond CA Flagship Store,” debuted in early October in the Pacific East Mall. It appears to be the only one of its kind in the Bay Area. The store’s stock and raison d’etre is whole durian, wrapped in gold foil and presented like treasures in glass-fronted fridges.

The shop is designed like a tropical jungle inhabited by weird, durian-pomorphic characters. A leafy roof is hanging with spiky fruit, and a green couch holds throw pillows shaped like smiling durians. Overseeing it all is a massive sculpture of a boy whose head is mostly durian, wearing a crown and licking his lips.

An employee recently explained that while Malaysia has around 200 varieties of durian, Liu Shang Pin carries only 10. The whole fruits are sold by the pound, ranging from approximately $16-$30 depending on type. Some of the durians, such as the “King” variety, look upward of 5 pounds, meaning a single fruit could cost more than $100.

The durians are flash frozen and need nothing more by way of preparation than letting them sit at room temperature for a few hours. Once ready, diners can remove the spiky outer shell and get to the meat — yellowish, custardy lobes that resemble sea urchin or pancreases.

Durian is an acquired taste for some, hovering between sweet and extremely funky. Its odor has been compared to dirty socks and rotting meat. In Malaysia, it’s not uncommon to see signs forbidding it on public transit or in hotels. Still, many love the flavor of durian, which supposedly has additional health benefits.

It’s worth noting there is no durian smell in Liu Shang Pin. The fruits are meant to be taken home, not consumed on site. That makes it unlikely the store will necessitate a visit by the authorities, as has happened occasionally throughout the world.

In 2020, a dozen German postal workers received medical treatment for nausea due to some Thai durian found in a package. The University of Canberra in Australia evacuated its campus in 2019 over a suspected gas leak that turned out to be durian, and an Indonesian plane was grounded in 2019 after passengers complained about the fruit’s noxious odor.

Details: Liu Shang Pin is in the Pacific East Mall, 3288 Pierce St., Richmond.