Mc-A-Ron Part 2

Pain de Sucre

So yesterday I gave you a few insights on how you would go about making your own Macaron, but sometimes we really are not up to it.  And we happen to be in Paris.  And what would you say, we have a craving.  But you really don´t have the time, inclination or knowledge of where to get your Macaron “fix”.  So that´s where one of my latest scientific explorations took me, a journey to discover the best Macaron in Paris; had a few in Lyon, but not worth talking about them.  The quest started at Hugo & Victor, on Blvd Raspail 6th arrondissement where I found them very consistent in size, excellent flavor (Mango, Combawa, Vanilla) and nice colors, although they could have been more intense.  I continued to Pain de Sucre, in the Marais.  These had the most intense colors, nice flavor, and excellent flavor combinations (Chocolate Mint, Cherry Pistachio, Goat cheese, Angelique).  My next stop was Lemoine, whose specialty are Canelé, but had some decent Macaron with very exciting flavor combinations (Foie Gras and Fig, Ginger).  This store on Rue Saint Dominique is not far from Jean Millet which was my next destination.  Very famous for being one of the first french pastry shops to open stores in Japan (Tokyo and Yokohama), unfortunately they have let the quality of their product go down the gutter, at least in the Macaron department.  It´s a shame their flavor combinations (Strawberry-Basil, Yuzu, Blackberry-Lavender) did not deliver the expected bang.

A few days later, I got to Pascal Pinaud, a small Patisserie-Boulangerie on Rue Monge, owned and operated by its namesake.  Ex Chef Patissiere at Le Cordon Bleu, who trained and inspired me (And a few others, he has his own chocolate from Vosges chocolates).  The Macaron here, are very traditional, you can tell they are piped individually (Not very consistent in size).  The flavors are intense, though they lack imagination.  The journey continued all the way across Paris to the 18th arrondissement, here Arnaud Larher MOF (More on MOF later), surprised me with brilliant colors, excellent flavor combinations (Champagne-Orange, Strawberry-Lychee, Green Apple, Pain D´epice) and magnificent packaging.

I hope you are not bored yet, ´cause the best is yet to come!

Sadaharu Aoki

One of Paris´s best kept secrets, Sadaharu Aoki, is no longer that secret.  They currently have four stores in Paris, three in Tokyo and two in Taipei.  I’m sure this master of fusion patissier has come to make Pierre Hermé a bit nervous!  With brilliant flavor combinations: Genmaicha (Green Tea with popped rice), Ume (Salty Prune), Macha (Green Tea), Saye (Strawberry-Pistachio), Yuzu and Black Sesame; and the precision craftmanship of a japanese sword maker, this is probably one of the top three Macaron purveyors in Paris.

Lenotre

Almost ending the tour I arrive at Laduree creators of what we know today as Macaron.  As one might expect they are very conservative with their flavors (Except for the seasonal flavors), but make up for this with impeccable quality.  With one last stop before ending at the temple of modern Macaron, I stopped at Lenotre, pound for pound (Given the amount of stores, variety of products, and impeccable quality of their products) the best patisserie in Paris, and probably the best pastry school in the world.

Enter the temple, no not Indiana Jones, Pierre Hermé… For the last ten years or so, he has caused a shock to the system.  He was the revolutionary patissier who decided that Macaron deserved more than chocolate and vanilla.  And the best part, even though he has had a stratospheric rise, quality continues to be non plus ultra.  His boutiques, packed on weekends with lines that go out on to the streets, are a feast to the eyes on their own; but when you are put to choose, it is a task that would have driven Pavlov´s dog crazy.  A few of the flavors I like: Passion Fruit-Chocolate, Olive oil-Mandarin, Mango-Coconut-Caramel, Vanilla-Caramel…

So the next time you are in Paris, you have the definitive guide to the Macaron Experience, enjoy!!!

Note:  Some of you who might be savvy on Paris, will be wondering why I did not mention Gerard Mulot, simple, he deserves a post of his own.