Ladurée Revisited

It has been a week since the renowned luxury patisserie chain credited for inventing the double-decker macarons opened at Ngee Ann City, commonly referred to as its anchor tenant Takashimaya. Snaking queues could be seen at both the counter on 1st floor between Chanel and Louis Vuitton, and the boutique on 2nd floor. These are well-managed by staff despite having to split the queues so as not to block the escalators and other shops within the shopping mall. Without a tea salon for dine-in, I wondered why the queue was slow-moving. While some customers knew exactly what they wanted, others were not sure of the cost and packaging options. Hence, they could only ask the staff upon reaching the counter before deciding on the number of pieces and flavours to get. No matter how many the customers bought (a few were helping family and friends get their hands on the dainty macarons, might as well) and how fast the staff packed, there is only one cashier at each location.

Things you might want to know before joining the queue

1. For people with food allergy or dietary restrictions, egg and almond are included in macarons. At the moment, there is only one flavour at Singapore's Ladurée which contains alcohol – Marron or Chestnut.
2. Opening hours are from 10am to 9.30pm. Average waiting time is about 45 minutes and off-peak period is from opening until lunch hour (that is, before this post is published).
3. Macarons do not keep well in Singapore's hot weather so store them as soon as possible in the refrigerator if not consumed immediately, and they can last 3 days. When I 1st asked, a staff replied the macarons could last at most 3-4 hours outside. Yet another said two hours if I stayed in an air-conditioned place, and only an hour should I venture out.
4. Except for Chocolate with Gold Foil macaron which cost $7.60, all other flavours retails at $3.80 each. There is no minimum purchase but at least 8 pieces are required for the macarons to be packed in a classic box at no extra charge, or they will be placed in a paper bag. Alternatively, you can pay for assorted gift boxes (prices denoted in brackets below). Napoléon and Prestige are long boxes while Cristal is the only round one and the rest are square.
   
5. Currently, there are 19 flavours. Of which, three are not included in the brochure – Chocolate Coconut Marshmallow, Ghana Chocolate and Chocolate with Gold Foil. The five seasonal ones that vary depending on stock availability are Chestnut, Chocolate Yuzu, Marie Antoinette, Praline, and Red Fruits. And the rest are Chocolate, Coffee, Lemon, Liquorice, Orange Blossom, Pistachio, Raspberry, Rose Petal, Salted Caramel, Strawberry Candy Marshmallow and Vanilla.

Bought 2 boxes of 8 macarons to share and as I took a bite, its crisp shells crumbled to reveal airy-light insides. Just the right amount of softness and chewiness, delicately balanced by sweet ganache filling which mostly did not overwhelm. Loved the hazelnut taste and bite of Praline, and how refreshing Chocolat Yuzu was. My initial scepticism turned to pleasant surprise that the moist and soft macaron shells in yuzu flavour could go so well together with its filling of bitter chocolate. Liked that Café was not too sweet with almond bits that added texture, though would have preferred a stronger smell and taste of coffee. Chocolat Pure Origine Ghana was crisp, crumbly and moist with not-too-sweet chocolate flavour whereas Fleur d'Oranger was soft with a faint floral aroma and citrus taste of orange. I could not taste the pistachio in Pistache strangely reminiscent of pandan.

Softest of the lot was Marie Antoinette with an aroma of tea while chewiest was Fruits Rouges with fruit bits in its jam filling. L'Incroyable Guimauve Fraise Bonbon (Strawberry Candy Marshmallow), with sugar on top, was cloyingly sweet with a chewy filling of marshmallow. Could taste neither the alcohol nor chestnut in Marron with crisp shells and creamy filling, and Citron had a filling too milky for my liking. In case you are wondering, the macarons are not made locally but flown in from the factory in Switzerland which produces for its international branches. Another two in Paris and Monaco are for the French and European market respectively. Do you know that macarons account for 2/3 of Ladurée's sales in its tearooms and 80% of sales in its retail shops worldwide? Other offerings include chocolates and nougats, honey and jams as well as tea and recipe books.

You may also be interested in New Kid on the Block – Ladurée.