Ladurée

When it comes to desserts, I don't normally like to pick favourites but I'm pretty sure macarons just skyrocketed to the top spot in my dessert pyramid after my 1.5 hour wait at Ladurée. 

 Renowned as the inventor of the featherlight double-decker macaron and of which fifteen thousand are apparently sold everyday, Macaron Royalty has officially arrived in Westifled, Sydney!


I had first tried these amazing French delicacies when I travelled to Paris a few years ago and from Macaron Noob, I turned into Macaron Addict. Hence you can imagine my reaction to the news of Ladurée opening in Sydney! The joy and excitement was hard to contain, and yes, I am oh so dramatic when it comes to dessert.

Here, I would like to thank M sincerely for patiently lining up 45 minutes for me by himself as I finished work late that night. Upon reaching Westfield, I was shocked to see that he was no where near the finish line to Macaron Heaven. Apparently there was at least another 45 minutes to go. Poor M had to wait a full 1.5 hour!!! Thank you so much! :D

Had I maintained some logic and reasoning, I perhaps would have chose to leave the line and come back at a better time, preferably not Thursday Shopping Night peak hour. However, irrationality washed over me and I became ever so determined to reach the finish line. Yes, the hype got to me. 

 Much to M's disappointment I'm sure :P He muttered: "These better be the best damn macarons ever". I assured him so.

The Ladurée store in Sydney is not actually a store - it's more like an island stand/shop in the open space of Westfield Level 3 near Hugo Boss and Mulberry. Nevertheless, the area was decorated with lavish marble cabinets and beautiful hedges, exuding the air of elegance and plush atmosphere you'd expect naturally from the French. 

There's even a small seating area whereby customers can choose to dine in, with a cup of tea and macarons. However, I think they charge extra for the macarons when you choose to do so! On the night, there were two lines: one for dining in and one for take-away! 

As we lined up and moved like snails, we came into sight, ever so slowly, the beautiful displays of Ladurée sweets, boxes, candles, bags, fragrances and macaron towers...etc. 




For what seemed like hours - but in reality 1.5 hours - we reached the counter!!! God, it felt more exhilarating and satisfying than winning a race at the sports carnival during High School. Not that I ever really won much...

A large frame sits on top of the counter, detailing the 14 flavours on offer. 
I eliminated Liquorice immediately. $3.20 for one luscious Ladurée Macaron each!

Having lined up for so long, both M & I decided to purchase more than we had originally planned. It was only right to splurge for both our families and ourselves. 

I decided to get two boxes of 8 with pretty much the same flavours. The staff were so patient and amazing with every customer's choices that I was seriously impressed. I mean, maybe that's why the line took so long but then again once you're at the counter, you realise how hard it can be to choose which flavours :P

My two boxes came to a price of $51.20 - which is essentially $25.60 per box of 8. 
Yes, they are quite expensive but this is one of the most famous Patisseries in France, known for making the best macarons in the world!

The flavours I chose were:













M was even more determined than me! He decided to get a box of 18!!! A box of 18 comes to $57.60. Unfortunately, he accidently asked for the Gift Box Option which incured an extra cost of $10.40! On the positive side, he got a beautiful box that he could use in the future I guess :P 

M got an overload of the two Chocolate options as well as Strawberry Poppy, Strawberry Marshmallow, Vanilla and Coffee. He absolutely loved the Vanilla as the ganache filling was extra rich and decadant. Coffee was, as the name suggests, full of coffee flavour yet surprisingly quite delicious as well.

Ladurée can be a great gift option for friends and family, in my opinion. There is a wide range of extravagant and beautiful gift box and packaging options you can choose from (you have to pay extra of course) to house the equally beautiful macarons. 




Tip: Choose the macarons individually with the colours in mind, so that you achieve the ultimate presentation look! I had purposely asked the staff to first give me the coffee and then the chocolate, strawberry, followed by the lime...so that the colours would contrast against each other. 

Each macaron was perfectly crisp on the outside yet soft and smooth in the centre. The macaron shells brreaks delicately upon each bite and immediately the sensational ganache filling overcomes your tastebuds and melts in your mouth.

 My favourite was definitely the Chocolate Ghana as the filling was so creamy and chocolatey rich that it really made for an absolute stunner!

The Lemon Lime Marshmallow also stood out for me, as the flavours were fresh and vibrant. My Grandma adored the Pistachio whilst I thought Strawberry Marshmallow was the most unique. There was literally a marshmallow-like texture in the middle and the sugar sprinkles on top of the macaron shell made it so much fun! Too bad Salted Caramel had sold out on the day!

I demolished my box within 2 days and was pleased with all the flavours. Although the size of the macaron is a tad bit small, it does make for the perfect treat without feeling overwhelmed with sugar. Each macaron is made to be distinctively exquisite and absolutely divine. 

YES, I'm totally biased and so my review may hype things up for those of you who are reading this. After all, you may say, they're just macarons!

 And I shall reply, they're Ladurée Macarons.
Ladurée
100 Market Street
Level 3 Westfield
Sydney 2000
(Pitt St Mall)
Ladurée on Urbanspoon

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