Mad about Macarons: Head-to-Head with Pierre Hermé and Ladurée
It was two years ago when I was introduced to the world of exquisite pastry-making in Paris where we found a huge queue waiting to head into an unassuming shopfront adorned with the golden-entwined letters of P & H.
Particularly enticing as we walked in the doorway were the different coloured pastries gleaming at us from behind the glass counters, all lovingly prepared and ready to be consumed. I am of course talking about Pierre Hermé, and these little morsels were the cakes and pastries that adorned the shopfront floor, and above all, macarons.
The whole experience was a joy from unwrapping the little boxes that these morsels were contained in, to delicately holding one in your fingers, the melt-in-the-mouth texture as it firsts hits your tongue, and lastly the satisfaction as it slides down to your belly.
Luckily, us Londoners don't need to travel so far anymore to relive that experience! Pierre Hermé now have two stores in London: a Boutique in Selfridges out on Oxford Street, as well as their Knightsbridge store on 13 Lowndes Street....
But wait! Knightsbridge?! Isn't that where ANOTHER store that sells macarons resides at Harrods?! Is there a difference?
Most people's first reactions when I talk about macarons normally revolves around Ladurée and comes recommended as the more well-known name in England. And certainly walking into Ladurée in Harrods for the first time you do feel the attractive opulence of it all.
For those of you that love intense flavours, Ladureé certainly have a great range of macarons from the Caramel with Salted Butter to the Blackcurrant Violet, and the Bitter Chocolate, and again lovingly packaged. While we did enjoy these, we found that the flavours were a little intense and definitely needed some accompaniment with tea or coffee.
Where Pierre Hermé macarons strength lies is the assortment of flavours that sound really avant-garde, but combine to make the most interesting, and very sexy flavour combinations for the palate. We loved the Jasmin (Jasmine Flower and Jasmine Tea Cream), Mosaïc (vanilla, pistachio and cinnamon cream) , Magnifique (Wasabi cream and strawberry compote) and Huile d'Olive & Vanille(olive oil cream with vanilla). We also loved the patterns that feature on each of the macaroons as well that make them look so special!
So which to choose? To paraphrase another bloggers opinion, Ladurée is definitely something worth giving as a nice gift, but Pierre Hermé macarons is all about indulgence, and something you share only with the closest of friends.
Pierre Hermé - Knightsbridge
13 Lowndes Street
SW1
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 20 7245 0317
Pierre Hermé Boutique - Selfridges
(Ground Floor)
400 Oxford Street
W1A 1ABUnited Kingdom
Ladurée @ Harrods
87-135 Brompton Road
London SW1
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 20 3155 0111
http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/maisons/londres_accueil.htm
Particularly enticing as we walked in the doorway were the different coloured pastries gleaming at us from behind the glass counters, all lovingly prepared and ready to be consumed. I am of course talking about Pierre Hermé, and these little morsels were the cakes and pastries that adorned the shopfront floor, and above all, macarons.
The whole experience was a joy from unwrapping the little boxes that these morsels were contained in, to delicately holding one in your fingers, the melt-in-the-mouth texture as it firsts hits your tongue, and lastly the satisfaction as it slides down to your belly.
Luckily, us Londoners don't need to travel so far anymore to relive that experience! Pierre Hermé now have two stores in London: a Boutique in Selfridges out on Oxford Street, as well as their Knightsbridge store on 13 Lowndes Street....
But wait! Knightsbridge?! Isn't that where ANOTHER store that sells macarons resides at Harrods?! Is there a difference?
Most people's first reactions when I talk about macarons normally revolves around Ladurée and comes recommended as the more well-known name in England. And certainly walking into Ladurée in Harrods for the first time you do feel the attractive opulence of it all.
For those of you that love intense flavours, Ladureé certainly have a great range of macarons from the Caramel with Salted Butter to the Blackcurrant Violet, and the Bitter Chocolate, and again lovingly packaged. While we did enjoy these, we found that the flavours were a little intense and definitely needed some accompaniment with tea or coffee.
Where Pierre Hermé macarons strength lies is the assortment of flavours that sound really avant-garde, but combine to make the most interesting, and very sexy flavour combinations for the palate. We loved the Jasmin (Jasmine Flower and Jasmine Tea Cream), Mosaïc (vanilla, pistachio and cinnamon cream) , Magnifique (Wasabi cream and strawberry compote) and Huile d'Olive & Vanille(olive oil cream with vanilla). We also loved the patterns that feature on each of the macaroons as well that make them look so special!
So which to choose? To paraphrase another bloggers opinion, Ladurée is definitely something worth giving as a nice gift, but Pierre Hermé macarons is all about indulgence, and something you share only with the closest of friends.
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| Pierre Hermé Macarons (Left-Right): Arabesque, Huile d'Olive, Infinite Caramel, Magnifique, Eden, Mosaic, Jasmin |
Pierre Hermé - Knightsbridge
13 Lowndes Street
SW1
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 20 7245 0317
Pierre Hermé Boutique - Selfridges
(Ground Floor)
400 Oxford Street
W1A 1ABUnited Kingdom
Ladurée @ Harrods
87-135 Brompton Road
London SW1
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 20 3155 0111
http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/maisons/londres_accueil.htm
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