Macarons in Paris [MERGED TOPIC]

[cigalechanta]

A friend recently returned from Paris and said that Mulot on Rue de Seine has closed.

[Laidback]

A friend recently returned from Paris and said that Mulot on Rue de Seine has closed.

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Would some of you Paris residents please check this out? I know that Gerard Mulot shuts down on certain days and closes for random vacations, but please say this is not permanent. The universe of tarte au citron will be diminished if this is indeed true.

[Ptipois]

Never heard any rumors about Mulot closing. I'll take a look next time I'm around Saint-Germain.

[wyf4lyf]

I'm new to this board...I hope it's OK to jump in. I returned from my first trip to Paris a couple of weeks ago. Having read about the "macaron wars" before the trip, I decided to buy an assortment from both Laduree and Herme, and do a "taste test" on the long flight home from Paris to Los Angeles. A fun way to occupy some time for sure!

I found the Herme ones to be too soft. The ones from Laduree had a bit more crunch at the outset, with a bit more of a chew in the middle of the cookie, and then the filling was thicker and creamier. I liked the combination of textures much more than the Herme ones which just seemed soft and mushy. However, some of the Herme flavors surpassed that of Laduree. I wish I'd written more details down, but I found it hard to juggle 2 boxes of macarons, plus a glass of water to cleanse my palate, and a journal and a pen all on the tray table in front of me. And of course we hit turbulence in the midst of this effort! :) But here are a few notes I wrote down:

Chocolate -- Laduree has more intense flavor.

Caramel -- Herme has more pronounced burnt sugar taste. Laduree is more caramely and I can taste the salt. (Both were plusses...would depend on what kind of caramel I was in the mood for.)

Coffee -- Herme center has more intense coffee flavor.

Mocha -- Herme seems to do coffee well. This has an intense coffee taste in the cookie. The chocolate cream inside is good.

Other flavors of Herme I recorded -- almond, rose, olive oil with vanilla (really interesting!), passionfruit and chocolate.

Others of Laduree -- rose, pistachio, raspberry (really brilliant flavor)

I appreciated that Herme provides a color guide to their macarons, complete with description of the flavors. Laduree provides just a list, but no photos or descriptions. Still, I would probably choose Laduree over Herme at gunpoint.

Now I need to go back to Paris and try macarons from some of the other places!!

Edited June 24, 2005 by wyf4lyf (log)

[John Talbott]

I'm new to this board...I hope it's OK to jump in.

Now I need to go back to Paris and try macarons from some of the other places!!

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Welcome and this is a great way to jump in.

I look forward to "Further Adventures in......"

[chuchelo]

Other flavors of Herme I recorded -- almond, rose, olive oil with vanilla (really interesting!), passionfruit and chocolate.

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Yes, isn't the olive oil with vanilla amazing!! I suppose I put the intensity of taste ahead of texture in my rankings, which is why I put Herme first. I didn't care for the caramel at Laduree, it seemed more like toffee to me. Anyway, as you say, what a marvelous occupation it is to consider the merits of each...

[zeitoun]

I found the Herme ones to be too soft. The ones from Laduree had a bit more crunch at the outset, with a bit more of a chew in the middle of the cookie, and then the filling was thicker and creamier.

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Interesting, I personally think it's the other way around. For some reason I find Herme's macarons a little more toothsome than the ones at La Duree. I actually prefer La Duree for that, less of a chew and lighter inside.

Next time you are in Paris you should try the macarons at Sadaharu Aoki, just a few blocks away from Herme's store on Rue Bonaparte.

Before he opened his own store he apprenticed under Monsieur Pierre himself.

Nice way to kill time on a long flight, never thought of that!!

[Laidback]

Never heard any rumors about Mulot closing. I'll take a look next time I'm around Saint-Germain.

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any updates available?

[Ptipois]

Sorry, not yet.

[John Talbott]

In compiling the Digest this week, I found this article in the weekend FT by Rowley Leigh on French macaroons. Unfortunately to get the “meat” of the piece, one must pay.

[Ptipois]

I checked during a walk in the sixième: Mulot is alive and kicking.

[John Talbott]

I checked during a walk in the sixième: Mulot is alive and kicking.

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Sorry, folks, I've been kipping. Yes, indeed, it's open and I purchased some bread there just last Sunday. It was full of, how shall I say it, persons residing temporarily in the area.

[Druckenbrodt]

I can't believe this thread is still alive after more than a year!! And it was my first post on egullet. Seems that there are quite a few macaron fanatics out there!

Anyway, to add to John Talbott's post regarding the FT and Rowleigh Leigh - I happened to buy the paper today and also saw his piece. He starts tantalisingly on the subject of French macarons but then veers off into the land of Italian macarons and implies they're better (to make) because they're not so high maintenance and you can get away with being a bit cheeky with them. So doesn't really shed any further light on the temperamental French (macarons.)

[John Talbott]

For those still interested in the ratings of macaroon places, Saturday/Sunday’s Le Figaro had ratings from 5.5-15 of 22 places by Alexandra Michot, Alexandra Bardini, Floriane Ravard and Francois Simon. The results:

15

Jean-Paul Hevin, Pierre Herme, Laduree

13.5

Fauchon, Paul

13

Maison du Chocolat, Lenotre, Aoki

12.5

Arnaud Laurier

11.5

Gerard Mulot, Rollet Pradier, Gregary Renard

11

Cacao et chocolat

10.5

Fouquet

10

Laurent Dichene, Kayser, Dalloyau

9.5

Boissier

8

Stroher

6.5

Le Valentin

6

Carette

5.5

Malitourne

[bleudauvergne]

I just almost bought a macaroon cookbook. This thread definitely put macaroons on the radar for me.

[Bux]

For those still interested in the ratings of macaroon places, Saturday/Sunday’s Le Figaro had ratings from 5.5-15 of 22 places by Alexandra Michot, Alexandra Bardini, Floriane Ravard and Francois Simon.  The results:

15

Jean-Paul Hevin, Pierre Herme, Laduree

. . . .

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Egads, do I feel spoiled. the last three macaron purchases I've made in Paris were from Hevin, Herme and Laduree from last to first. I don't ever recall buying them from anyone else, although I've certainly had mediocre macarons. Laduree and Herme were on recommendations. Hevin was on a whim. I am as lucky as I am branchée.

I will sleep contentedly tonight, although not as well as if there was a Hevin chocolate macaron on my plate after dinner. High maintenance is not the worst price to pay for excellence.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I will sleep contentedly tonight, although not as well as if there was a Hevin chocolate macaron on my plate after dinner. High maintenance is not the worst price to pay for excellence.

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Just so that you don't fall into a poppy induced slumber, realize that you haven't sampled the modern scents/flavors (mint, linen, wheat, and honey) from IUNX, 48-50 RUE DE L'UNIVERSITÉ, SEVENTH ARR.; 33-1/45-44-50-14.

I went chasing after a cardamom, black pepper, et al mellange, but on the day of my arrival, they offered cherry blossom and a tropical scent.

But, perfume flavored macarons? Mais, oui!

[John Talbott]

The NYT Magazine had a piece today by Maura Egan on the macaroon art done by an American artist, Will Cotton, mentioning two prominent Parisian macaroon-shops: Laduree + Fauchon and giving a recipe for Paris-type lemon ones.

[Culinista]

Has anyone else noticed a drastic downturn in the Herme macarons?

Bought one of each for the wife from Paris. Where they are usually light, crisp, and creamy, these were heavy, with stodgy centres, and over-thick crusts. I shan't be returning there in a hurry.

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Catherine Deneuve probably eats her macarons out of hand since they don't travel well or hold for longer than a few hours, especially on a humid day (they are largely meringues). They should be like snowflakes, melting delicately on the tongue on impact. Even after a few hours, they get heavier and gummier. By the next day, they aren't worth the calories. Only possibility is a ziploc bag, and even then, the macarons will probably break in transit.

Personally, I don't have a single favorite. I love the Laduree caramel and sea salt, the clear fruit flavors. I love PH's truffle, olive oil, and rose for their intriguing complexity, I adore the chocolate macaron at Gerard Mulot, the matcha and yuzu at Aoki...

[pim]

Personally, I don't have a single favorite. ....the matcha and yuzu at Aoki...

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Not the black sesame at Aoki? I adore it.

[Shira]

When I was at the rue Bonaparte shop 2 weeks ago, they said there would be new flavors this March. Any news? Any tastings? Nothing on the web site yet.

Thanks!

Shira

lespetitpois.blogspot.com

[Felice]

When I was at the rue Bonaparte shop 2 weeks ago, they said there would be new flavors this March. Any news? Any tastings? Nothing on the web site yet.

Thanks!

Shira

lespetitpois.blogspot.com

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March 20 is "Le Jour du Macaron" and according to what I've read Pierre Hermé will be offering a free tasting of his entire macaron collection. The day is meant to benefit La Federation des Maladies Orphelines, although I am not quite sure how given the tasting is "free'.

The tasting will be from 10h-19h in both boutiques in Paris.

[Shira]

Tasting everything? Here's hoping the boss is on an early train back to London... Please report if you make it.

Thanks

[Shira]

Here's the list. They limited the samples to 3/person, and I haven't tasted mine yet, but the descriptions alone are enticing:

they include

eden--creme a la peche et au safran, morceaux d'abricots moulleux

azur--chocolat, ganache au chocolat et au yuxu

menthe fraiche

inca--compote d'avocats a la banane, ganache au chocolat

chocolat au lait et noix de coco

chocolat au lait et the earl gry

americano pampelmousse--creme au Campari et pampelmousse, morceaux de pampelmousse confit

chocolat, ganache au chocolat-caramel et eclats de chocolat a la fleur de sel

mandarine et baix rose

satine-creme mousseline au cream cheese, compote d'oranges et fruits de la passion

celeste-creme mousseline au fruit de la passion, compote de rhubarbe et fraises