New Kid on the Block – Ladurée

You might have already heard that renowned luxury patisserie chain Ladurée has opened today in Singapore. With a counter on the 1st floor of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City, between Chanel and Louis Vuitton and a boutique on the 2nd floor (will mostly be closed on 16-17 April for a private event). The former sells macarons while the latter, not a dine-in café, also carries non-food items such as home fragrances, tote bags and trinkets. Founded in 1862 and bought over in 1993 by French company Holder Group who also owns Paul bakery, it already has presence in Asia – Japan, South Korea and most recently Hong Kong. So this, in collaboration with luxury watch retailer The Hour Glass, marks its 1st foray into South-east Asia. Paul is on the 3rd floor of the same shopping mall while The Hour Glass has a shop on the 1st floor.

Having seen hordes of people descent upon Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan from Hong Kong when it opened last week, the queue here on its opening day was considerably more reasonable. Better crowd control and faster moving perhaps because customers could not sit down to savour the famed macarons. I overheard someone saying that the waiting time is about 45 minutes in Paris. Tempted as I was by the dainty macarons beckoning me from the display, I did not buy any as they need to be refrigerated within three hours if not consumed immediately. Would be back to try Ladurée, credited for inventing the double-decker macaron, another day. While friendly staff was patient in answering my questions, I am not sure if quality of the sweets will be as good as their Parisian counterparts.

16 of the 19 flavours currently available are included in the brochure, of which five – Chestnut, Chocolate Yuzu, Marie Antoinette, Praline, and Red Fruits, are seasonal and may vary depending on stock. Others are Chocolate Coconut Marshmallow and Ghana Chocolate as well as Chocolate with Gold Foil macarons that is costlier than the rest, which retails at $3.80 each and require a minimum purchase of 8 pieces for them to come in a box at no extra charge. Otherwise, they will be placed in paper bag or you can purchase a box of 6 pieces at $32 (I'll leave the Maths for you to calculate how much the box cost). There is also a Singapore Limited Edition box for 8 pieces. This is definitely more expensive than other brands in Singapore that vary from $1.95 at Bakerzin to $2.50 at Antoinette, Canelé and Pique Nique.

See Ladurée Revisited for packaging options and reviews on macarons.