Hermé comes from a lineage of Alsatian bakers and actually apprenticed with Ladurée before venturing on his own. Known for his wildly creative and bold flavour combinations, it's no surprise that Vogue gifted him with the title "Picasso of Pastry". I arrived at his boutique within ten minutes of opening time and already a giant queue was formed. Like myself, everyone was wondering if his macarons are really THAT good or it's simply a hype.
The interior of the store was sleek and stylish and the atmosphere resembled more of an upscale designer boutique than a pâtisserie. Whereas Ladurée has a traditional ambience, Pierre Hermé sports a futuristic/modern elegance. When it came to my turn, I chose one of each as his flavours change depending on seasonality. In addition, I also chose the large Isaphan macaron that was adorned with rose petals. So what's the verdict after the long awaited anticipation?
Pierre Hermé's Rating Results
*Appearance: smaller in diameter and meringue shells were more puffed up
*Texture: outer meringue shell was crisp followed with a very light cotton candy texture
*Filling to Meringue Ratio: generous with the filling
*Flavour: nice contrast of flavours in both savoury and sweet macarons
I'm trying to remain unbiased, but it's evident that Pierre Hermé is the clear winner. Although I enjoyed all of his macarons, his signature ones certainly deserve an honourable mention; Isaphan, olive oil & vanilla, and Mogador. The Isaphan also comes in the regular size sans the fresh raspberries.
To be honest, I was quite hesitant to try the olive oil vanilla macaron even though it's one of the best sellers. After trying it, I was shocked that it was actually... quite pleasant. The olive oil was emulsified into a cream and scented with Madagascar vanilla. There were also bits of green olives inside the macaron shells. Although the idea initially sounded odd, it was actually a successful blend of sweet and savoury flavours.
Last but not least, I present the Mogador. Upon the initial bite, I was hit with the rich chocolate ganache. Once the ganache started to melt the fragrance of the passionfruit started to come through and in the end note the tartness started to become very apparent.
I think I found the best macarons in the world. read more