Serious Eats
How To Open a Durian
If the infamously stinky odor of the durian weren't already enough to keep people from eating it, there's also the task of splitting open the spiny shell to reach the creamy pods within. Durian newbies, be not afraid; Kathryn Hill at The Kitchn has documented the process of opening a durian. All you need is a big knife and adequate arm strength.
If you want to try durian without opening it yourself, a fruit vendor may do it for you. In Manhattan's Chinatown my friends and I bought a durian from a vendor on Mott Street and Grand Street who scooped out the flesh and neatly packed the "pods" in a container, probably in much less time than if one of us went at the durian with a knife. Still, it's good to know how to open one yourself!