Taste Test: Chocolate Macarons
Le15 Patisserie’s chocolate macaron.
The pride of Parisian patisseries, the macaron is a sublime treat of almond powder, powdered sugar, buttercream, or (in the case of chocolate ones) ganache. Pastry chefs will tell you that the bite-sized delicacy is not the easiest to tackle in the kitchen because it requires the right balance of patience, precision and technique. We tried chocolate macarons at four Mumbai patisseries to find the one that struck a balance of another kind—a perfect shell with a filling to match.
YAUATCHA
Raheja Tower, Bandra Kurla Complex, near the IL&FS Building, Bandra (East). Tel: 2644 8888.
Price: Rs65
In Yauatcha’s chocolate macaron, delectably smooth ganache was sandwiched between a disappointingly dense shell that was also a tad sweeter than it should have been. ★★★☆☆
THEOBROMA
Shop 24
, Cusrow Baug
, Colaba Causeway. Tel: 2288 0101. 29/30 Link Square Mall
, off Linking Road, near KFC,
Bandra (West). Tel: 2646 9010.
Price: Rs40
The texture of Theobroma’s chocolate macaron shells was just right the degree of crumbly; the filling however was cloyingly sweet. ★★☆☆☆
LE15 PATISSERIE WINNER
Ground Floor, Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel. Tel: 97692 86544. First Floor, Palladium, opposite Indigo Deli, near T. G. I. Friday’s, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel. Tel: 97692 86544.
Price: Rs60
Owing to their deceptively pink shells, Le15’s chocolate macarons are often mistaken for raspberry or strawberry. This is a shame because the colour is the only thing that’s amiss in an otherwise perfect macaron. Silken ganache was enclosed within two judiciously sweetened shells that were firm to the touch and yet collapsed with ease on the tongue. ★★★★★
ARTISAN, THE SOFITEL WINNER
C-57, opposite Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East). Tel: 6117 5000.
Price: Rs40
It’s a pity that the chocolate macarons are not a daily offering at the Sofitel’s patisserie Artisan. However, they’re well worth the effort of telephoning the hotel to check if the chef has baked a fresh batch. The chocolate fudge-like filling was nothing short of decadent in its richness, while the soft and moist light-brown shells, like those of Le15, melted in the mouth. ★★★★★
Comments (4)
Leave a comment
Featured Articles
Which Gig Will You Go For Tonight?
May 22, 2013 by Editors
Nido Slated To Open In June
May 22, 2013 by Editors
The Vigil Idiot: Aurangzeb
May 20, 2013 by Sahil Rizwan
MB Recommends: ‘Dharavi The City Within’
May 20, 2013 by Nayantara KilachandYou Might Also Like...
THEOBROMA chocolate macaron was just yummmmm awesome and with it being priced at 40 bucks its a steal i feel in comparison to the rest of the places. but the size is like a little small id still have to taste the others to compare but it is just yummmmmm
yes, macarons need heaps of patience! I recommend The Macaron Master http://www.themacaronmaster.com/ for those wanting to learn how to bake bakery-quality macarons at home the easy way!
The Le15 macaroons remains a hit and miss. Last time they were only good enought to be returned untouched- hard shell and “oh-so-sweet” insides (not in a good way, in a way that you want to check your blood sugar level and fast).
However, there have been some good times initially…
Even Oven Fresh has some decent Macarons for a dirt cheap price. 24 rupees if I remember !