Review: Opening of Laduree ~Fabricant de Douceurs~ in Singapore

Image from Laduree FB Page

Ladurée is a French luxury bakery and sweets maker house created in 1892. It is one of the top premier sellers of macarons in the world. I heard about the crazy queues that formed for this famed bakery when it opened its first store in Ngee Ann City, Singapore.

When I was planning farewell for my colleague, I remembered that she mentioned Laduree's tea collection is on her wishlist. Basically, that sounds like the best excuse for me to convince lazybum me to make a trip down to Laduree.

I went to the counter store on Level 1 of Ngee Ann City and I was captivated.

I am not a sweets person to start with, but the macarons neatly lined up by flavours beckoned. In the heat of the moment, I decided to ignore the fact that the dainty little macarons will cost me more than a plate of chicken rice, or the fact that given my appetite, it will take at least 10 macarons to fill my tummy.

A box of 8 macarons cost SGD$30.40 (the cheapo me did a quick calculation and there is no discount from the individual price of SGD$3.80 per macaron).

From left to right - Pistachio, Salted Caramel, Praline, Orange Blossom, Rose Petal:

Ok, on to the taste.

I asked the lady which flavours are their bestsellers and she recommended: 'vanilla', 'orange blossom', 'rose petal', and 'praline'.
The macarons are one of the best which I have tried so far. Though my sample size is pretty small (I have only tried Bakerzin, Antoinette, TWG), there is a distinct difference that set them apart.

These macarons are crunchy and soft at the same time, and the signature sweetness of macarons spread swiftly within as you bite into them. The rich flavours linger in my mouth and I particularly love their 'vanilla', 'rose petal', and 'praline'. 

The best thing you can have at the particular moment, is a pot of freshly brewed tea.

Speaking of tea, it was supposed to be the main focus of my Laduree trip. We bought the Tea-Tasting set (SGD$63), which consisted of Jardin Bleu Royal, Laduree, and, Marie-Antoinette.

According to the Laduree Official Webpage:
Marie - Antoinette : An dulcet marriage of Chinese black tea combined with rose petals, citrus fruit and honey. An pastoral walk at the « Petit Trianon ». An delicious afternoon tea for a sweet and romantic pause. All the spirit of Ladurée.
Ladurée : An elegant association of Chinese black tea, citrus fruit, flowers, light spices and vanilla. A tasty blending sweet and delicate. Ladurée’s signature.
Thé Jardin Bleu Royal: Non-smoked China and India tea blend with rhubarb and wild strawberry flavours, scattered with cornflower and belianthus petals.

My colleague had yet to tried the tea leaves, hence I am unable to comment much yet. Will update when I have more information.

All in all, it is worth a one-time splurge at the very least.
But wait till I get a chance to try it in Paris, then I will tell you if it is still worth the extra markup for the direct import from Europe. :D

LADURÉE SINGAPORE

Address: Takashimaya S.C., Ngee Ann City #02-09
Tel: +65-6884-7361
Opening hours: 1000hrs - 2130hrs