Ladurée, Sydney

 A dream of mine is to someday travel to Paris and sample all the gastronomic treasures it has to offer. I am a huge macaron lover and Paris is like the Mecca of macarons. One place that I am really keen to visit is the patisserie giant known to the world as Ladurée.

 Part of that dream has come true! A piece of Paris has landed in Sydney in the form of none other than Ladurée. It is located in Westfield Sydney (near the Glasshouse and Castlereagh Street entrance). The store looks so elegant and refined. The displayed macaron towers are so enticing that it is almost impossible not to pop by to check out the store.  Pierre Desfontaines was the brilliant mind and pastry chef of Ladurée responsible for the creation of these glorious morsels during the 1930s.

My first attempt to purchase macarons was a complete failure as the line was too massive! On my second attempt, I was lucky! A super early lunch was the key. This is what I came across:

Cafe latte

I decided to dine in and have a latte with my macarons just to beat the long takeaway queue.

Liquorice, pistachio, and salted caramel macarons

I opted to have the salted caramel, pistachio and liquorice macarons ($3.20 each). The salted caramel filling had a tiny hint of salt and was not overly sweet. The pistachio tasted exactly just like a pistachio nut. I'm not a big fan of liquorice lollies but the only form of liquorice I'll ever have is in the form of Ladurée's macaron version of it.

Another thing I loved about the macarons is that the shells are perfect! A slight crisp as you bite into it and the rest of the shell has a very delicate chewy texture that melts in your mouth.

My takeaway macarons (day 1) - Liquorice, ghana chocolate, salted caramel and pistachio

My takeaway macarons (day 2) - top to bottom: strawberry marshmallow, vanilla, coffee, and violet marshmallow

All the macarons are imported from Switzerland. I guess it's to make sure that they keep a consistent quality across all stores worldwide. One thing is for sure, Ladurée has won my heart! Their macarons are nothing short of excellent. Can't wait until they start selling cakes and other pastries.

Ladurée, Sydney

Level 3

Westfield Sydney

Corner Pitt and Market Streets