Gudang Durian Mas Andri | Durian Lokal Karanganyar

What is a Gudang Durian?

If you durian hunt on Google Maps, you may one day find yourself winding through narrow village alleyways, trying not to scrape your car against the cement walls, searching for a Gudang Durian.

Gudang Durians are popular places to eat durian in Java. They sprout up all in all the residential and neighborhood areas.

A Gudang is like a garage, or a shed, or a warehouse, or some other storage part of someone’s house that they’ve cleared out and transformed into an eating area or durian restaurant.

Mas Andri’s gudang bulges with durian and with durian munchers.

They’ve added couches and eating mats to where cars might have been previously parked.

The driveway has patio furniture shaded by umbrellas.

The patio has heavy wooden tables perfect for large groups gathering to go crazy on a durian feast.

The durian itself arrives on heavily laden motorbikes that park in the backyard, behind the house, ready for unloading and as a temporary prompt for self-taking 🤳🏻

Here the durians are brushed clean of dirt in the backyard, and then bundled inside for sorting.

Inside, living room furniture and wardrobes have been shoved into corners to make way for the seasonal influx of fruit.

The floor is one massive sea of durian, and in the middle is Mas Andri, picking through them for the best choice for his customers.

It’s a chaotic and slightly overwhelming scene, and if you’re a Westerner, it may be astonishing to imagine a business model where so many strangers wander through the halls of your home.

Who is Mas Andri?

Andri is the namesake and owner of the house and durian gardens.

People in Indonesia rarely call each other by their name without some kind of polite title, but the title depends on the age, gender, and relation to the person speaking.

“Mas” is sort of a generic title for a man under about 40 years old, so most people would call Andri “Mas Andri” rather than just “Andri” – even if they are good friends.

Mas Andri’s garden was planted by his parents in 1974. The family sold durian at the local markets for a number of years until 2002, when they were discovered by the local Regent of Surakarta.

That’s when people started finding their house, and gathering in their gudang to eat durian. So in 2015 Mas Andri opened his house to the general public.

Since then, he’s had practice sorting through and selecting his durians. We noticed that he smelled each and every durian before serving to his customers 👍🏻

The Durians We Ate at Mas Andri’s

Andri’s Matahari

We started with my request, Matahari.

Unlike the rest of the durians on the table, Matahari is a registered variety in Indonesia. I like to collect!

Mas Andri confirmed that this tree was grafted, not grown from seed, but said unfortunately the rain had affected its color so it wasn’t as dark yellow as usual.

We found it to be a plain, sweet durian with smooth and somewhat watery flesh, although with a size and fleshiness that is definitely desirable.

After comparing photos of Andri’s Matahari with the registered Matahari, we think Andri’s Matahari is not true to the variety but something else.

No Name Durian Lokal

Next Mas Andri served up an amazing durian with no name.

This one was very fresh, with a fat, plump skin that was still sticky at the end. There was some debate over whether or not it had fallen off the tree early and needed more time to ripen, but the smell was so alluring we couldn’t resist and plunged through the thick shell to a flesh that was so soft and tender it was like a whipped cream.

The flavor of this one was the honey sensation of Jakarta. I wish it had a name, so I could tell you how to ask for it. But maybe if you show Mas Andri this photo, he can find it for you again.

If you do find it, please give it a name and let us know what it is!

No Name Lokal #2

This one we pulled from a newly arrived motorbike, after catching a whiff of Numb. Once you smell Numb, you have to find it!

We knew it was in there somewhere, and after digging through the pile we were able to locate it. Ecstatic dance party ensued.

Finding a durian that overwhelms your nasal cavities with a cool sensation almost like menthol is rare. No one really knows what causes it – definitely something to do with minerals – but when you find it, it’s the most addicting thing in the world.

Mentega

Mas Andri didn’t serve this one at first, probably because he knew we prefer more powerful and bitter durians. But when I asked him for his most special durian, he disappeared into the living room and popped out with this.

I’m unclear if Andri’s Mentega is also a clone or if it’s just a stand-alone tree, but his Mentega fits the bill for the Indonesian tastebuds — hugely fleshy, very smooth, not too rich, and sweet and buttery. It’s name literally means butter.

Susu Ketan

This one was so good we recomend giving it a real name.

A name that is a unique isn’t going to repeated all over the place until it has no meaning. Susu Ketan translates as “Sticky rice with milk.” It is one of the most common names given to Lokal Durian.

It was numbing, bitter, sticky, and just absolutely delicious. The kind of durian that sticks in your mind for long after, and which Richard and I will talk about for years to come.

We recommend the name Cinta Putih – “White Love.”

Where we Stayed in Karanganyar

We stayed at the Sukuh Cottages, around a 25-minute drive from Mas Andri’s, on the steep foothills of Mt. Lawu.

From our window right at the plummeting edge of the hill, we had a dramatic vista over the valley toward Gempolan Village and the volcanic silhuettes of Mt. Merbabu and Mt. Sumbing beyond.

The hotel is simple but clean and for us very comfortable. We found the staff to be super nice, helpful, and easy to communicate with even though they do not speak English.

From the hotel, we had many activities within walking distance, including Candi Sukuh Temple complex and two waterfalls: Air Terjun Jumog and Air Terjun Parang Ijo.

Of course, after a large durian feast at Mas Andri’s we were grateful for the chance to walk it off in the brisk air of the mountain. Keep in mind that the hillsides here are VERY steep.

Air Terjun Jumog

This is the larger of the two waterfalls and a further walk from the Sukuh Cottage. To walk here, you basically descend straight down the hill into the crevice of a river valley. It’s a challenging return!

We were surprised (as usual) how developed the complex around the waterfall is. There were many restaurants and river-side eating areas set up, and we imagine that if we had visited during non-Covid times this would be quite a tourist zoo.

Air Terjun Parang Ijo

The walk to this waterfall. isa pleasant 1.5km meander through the highland vegetable gardens and a small village. The terrain is more altitude-friendly than the Jumog Waterfall walk.

This waterfall is obviously less popular, and while it still had a concreted pathway to the base, there are no restaurants or souvenir shops along the way.

The pool is shallow and extremely cold 🥶, better for wading than swimming.

Visiting Candi Sukuh Temple

If you’re in the area for durian, this trip can definitely be paired with a little cultural adventures to Candi Sukuh Temple. Our hotel, the Sukuh Cottages, was actually just a 10-minute walk away, so we definitely went to check it out!

This unusually graphic temple was one of the last Hindu temples built before Islam became widespread in Java in the 15th and 16th centuries.

If you come in the morning, you’ll be treated to panoramic view and cool breezes, although it turns misty in the afternoons.

It’s smaller than Borobudor, but with fewer visitors, a cool vista over the valley and even cooler breezes

Conclusion

Karanganyar has some of the best durian that we have tasted. Paired with a scenic place to stay with lovely walks through vegetable gardens and tea plantations, plenty of waterfalls, and several ancient temples to explore, we rank Karanganyar as one of the best Durian Destinations we have found so far in Java.

Just make sure to come under power of your own transportation (motorbike or car) and make a booking ahead of time with Mas Andri.

How to Find Gudang Durian Mas Andri

Luckily, Andri has been careful to put up large and clear signs on the main road (Jalan Ngargoyoso) so it’s easy to find his house.

Use the map below to navigate to Gempolan Village, or use our Durian App to check if it’s in season.