Tag Archives: macaron

Oct 06 2013
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Food

Pierre Hermé Macarons, Paris

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Thanks to a kind friend of a family member, I’ve finally tried the legendary macarons from Pierre Herme, exclusively from Paris. My previous, one and only physical visit to The City of Light feels like eons ago already. I knew nothing about food then, much less about macarons.

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Having tried the macarons from Laduree earlier this year (read about it here), it was definitely a bonus to taste Pierre Herme’s ones that soon. Now, I shall proclaim that the number 1 rank for my favorite macaron has been taken over by Pierre Herme.

Compared to Laduree and several other favorites like Antoinette and TWG, Pierre Herme’s macarons are relatively less sweet. I think that’s a good thing,especially for someone like me who eats them all at one go. I love that the ganaches are so much thicker and that the overall texture of the macarons are more consistent at the same time. Talk about that perfect ratio between the macaron shell and ganache. If you’ve always grumbled about meagre macaron fillings, it’s time to get some from Pierre Herme. I don’t think I’m in the best position to comment on their macaron shells though. They were comparably harder than the usuals out there but that’s without factoring in the time taken for them to be air-flown back.

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The flavors I had were more traditional but there are really exciting ones on their flavour list. Yaourt & Rose and Yaourt & Framboise both had the flavor of yogurt in them – interesting match of sour and sweetness. Another popular choice by many would be the Rose. It emits a slight tinge of fragrance and when put into the mouth, a subtle sweetness. My favorite flavor (among those I tried) has got to be the pure dark Chocolate. As simple as it is, the filling is of rich, pure dark chocolate. Despite that, it is not overly bitter.

Of course, all these come at a price. Pierre Herme’s macarons are slightly more expensive than Laduree. But definitely worth every buck paid.

I will probably not be satisfied with macarons from elsewhere now. All I can do now is hope for Pierre Herme to set up a store on this sunny island.

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4 Rue Cambon

75001 Paris, France ‎

 Tel: +33 1 43 54 47 77
 ‎
10am – 8pm daily
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May 17 2013
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Food

Ladurée Boutique Singapore

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The macaron craze is back. Thanks to the much awaited Laduree which set up operations not long ago in Singapore, of course. Moreover, other than the permanent boutique fixture, there is yet another takeaway counter. To add a cherry  macaron on top of the ice cream, both are conveniently located in the heart of Singapore in Takashimaya shopping centre. The former is at level 2 while the latter is at level 1. Oddly enough, the queues at both counters are of about the same length so I would definitely recommend to peek in at the classier, bigger boutique. 

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It starts off with a wallpapered ceiling of a picturesque sky and classic chandeliers against the backdrop. Then are the rows of shelves of boxes, tote bags, jars of soft caramel and scented candles exclusive to the boutique.

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A minimum of 8 macarons are needed to get you a box to fit them all in, otherwise it’s just a scrawny paper bag. I decided to go ahead with the Singapore Limited Edition box (8 macarons) despite the $38 price tag which can make hearts skip a beat. A macaron costs $3.80 but there are only 8 of them, so essentially you’re paying about $8 for the box. That was hefty but I took it anyway.

The Strawberry Candy Marshmallow was one of my favorites. The marshmallow bit in the filling was a surprise and gave the macaron some different mouth feel compared to usual, creamy fillings.

However, the Chocolate Coconut Marshmallow did not meet my expectations – what I felt was an incompatible taste of chocolate with coconut.

I’ve had tons of really sweet pistachios which I liked a lot. The rendition of Laduree’s Pistachio was not overly sweet yet it did not fail to amaze me.

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The Salted Caramel is another hot favorite. It was more substantial than those from other macaron places.

An interesting macaron would be the Marie-Antoinette Tea. It has a bubblegum feel to it which was refreshing.

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The Liquorice (black) was average.

The Coffee flavor had a lingering aftertaste of – well, coffee.

As aforementioned, macarons here cost $3.8 each. Except for the 24K Gold Chocolate which costs $7.8. Basically it’s a chocolate macaron coated with “24K gold”. You can see that I actually bought it – for the pure reason of curiosity and tempt. Tastewise… yup it’s just a chocolate macaron.

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The overall feeling speaks of classiness and it’s not hard to understand why: simple ganache fillings but made more than ordinary and macaron shells of the right texture (at least for me). What’s next for Laduree in Singapore? A tea salon – coming soon.

 

391 Orchard Road

#02-09 (boutique)

#01-24A (counter)

Takashimaya Shopping Centre

Ngee Ann City

10am – 9.30pm daily

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Apr 05 2012
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Food

Canele Patisserie II: Sw-weet

I was hungover from my last visit to Canele. Since then, new chef Christophe Grilo has taken over the helms of Canele Patisserie in Singapore. A few new creations have been added and everything seems bright.

I see that macarons have become an “in” thing recently. Whoever has the privilege of enjoying macarons anywhere has the same privilege to give a statement to the world with just a click. It is certainly claimed that Canele is one of the best places in Singapore for its macarons, and I’ll like to declare that as well. This time I went for the fat Oreo Cookie macaron ($2.35). Surprisingly, it does not totally taste like an oreo, maybe just half an oreo. The sweetness does not settle in instantaneously, but through it you’ll love it.
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Such lemon-y stuff would be pushed away by me, but at that moment it just so happened I called out its name. The Tarte Citron ($6) was a massive burst of citrus infused with buttery and crust sweetness. The peels topped on the tart gave me a sour shock, they were nothing but zesty and very zesty. How massive a burst is too massive for a burst? Love or hate? Call the judges over.
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Among the three, I enjoyed the St. Marc ($6.50) the most. I love its glistening, marble-like yellow top which just captures the attention. The surrounding plain layers of sponge cake were rather plain, but they served a greater purpose: it brought out the taste of the dominant layer of mild dark chocolate in the center very well. This seemingly ordinary slice may just fool your eyes.

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Wherever I go, it appears that Canele is making big waves here in Singapore. I wouldn’t deny that. With their classy display panels of colorful cakes, macarons, cookies and chocolates, plus all day dining treats, there’s no reason why you would miss such a deal. For me, I feel that the outlet at Shaw Centre has the best location compared to the rest. It is probably the best alternative to retreat into the air-conditioned patisserie and watch the Orchard crowd while pouring bits of sweetness into your mouth.

Shaw Centre

1 Scotts Road

#01-01A

Singapore 228208

Sundays : 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Mondays to Thursdays : 8.30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fridays : 8.30 a.m to 11 p.m.
Saturdays : 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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