[Paris] Pierre Hermé – More Recent Tastings

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[Paris] Pierre Hermé – More Recent Tastings

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Pierre Hermé

Add: 72 rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 43 54 47 77
Hours: 10am~7pm (7:30pm on Thu-Fri, 8pm on Sat)
Website: www.pierreherme.com
Price: approx €7/individual dessert
Tasted on: Aug 2013

The other day I had a piece of homemade peach tart with cumin, a rather interesting flavor apparently inspired by Pierre Hermé. Intrigued, I decided to drop by the Pierre Hermé boutique myself for a taste of  his Tarte Rose, Peche & Cumin (€7). Here it is, in a shortcrust pastry: almond-rose cream, fresh yellow peaches and sugar spiced with cumin. The flavor profile is certainly very unique as cumin is not usually associated with roses and peaches, but somehow the combination works. A pleasantly memorable piece.

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[Paris] Cafe Pouchkine (2)

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[Paris] Cafe Pouchkine (2)

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Cafe Pouchkine

Add: 64 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris
Tel: 01 42 82 43 31
Hours: [Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat] 9:30am~8pm [Thu] 9:30am~10pm (Closed on Sun)
Website: www.cafe-pouchkine.fr
Price: [pastries] €5~8
Tasted on: Aug 2013

If you’ve read my first post on Cafe Pouchkine, you know that I’m not really a huge fan of this Russian-inspired French pastry shop. The resplendent boutique and lavishly decorated pastries might appeal to the eye (or not, depending on your tolerance for gold leaves), but the taste just didn’t suit my palate. I’ve always wanted to come back though, for its duo-colored macarons. They are just a bit too cute to miss.

Here they are. Adorable, no?

I tried a macaron pistache coeur fraise (€1.95), which is pistachio macaron with a strawberry heart. The size is generous and the texture is soft and chewy, but the pistachio flavor wasn’t really quite there.

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[Paris] Sadaharu Aoki (2)

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[Paris] Sadaharu Aoki (2)

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Sadaharu Aoki

Add:  35 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris*
Tel: +33 1 45 44 48 90
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 11am~7pm [Sun] 10am~6pm (closed on Mon)
Website: www.sadaharuaoki.com
Price: €5~6/patisserie
Tasted on: Jun 2013

Some recent tastings at Sadaharu Aoki, a pastry shop famed for its integration of French pastries and Japanese sensibilities.

*Additional locations available, check website for detail.

Éclair au thé matcha (approx. €5), green tea éclair. Fine, but the matcha flavor isn’t very pronounced.

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[Paris] Des Gateaux et Du Pain (2)

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[Paris] Des Gateaux et Du Pain (2)

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Des Gateaux et Du Pain

Add: 63 boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris
Tel: 01 45 38 94 16
Hours: [Wed-Mon] 8am-8pm (closed Tue)
Website: www.desgateauxetdupain.com
Price: €5~6/pastry
Visited on: Apr 2013

Once again, back at Claire Damon’s impeccable Des Gateaux et Du Pain for a good dose of patisseries and viennoiseries.

It must be strawberry season, because all I see is fraise fraise everywhere. Tarte aux fraises à l’ eau de fleur d’oranger (€6.20) is shortcrust pastry topped with almond cream, orange flower water cream, fresh strawberries, and transparent cubes of orange flower water.

Orange flower water, a perfumed distillation of fresh orange blossoms, is traditionally used in pastries as an aromatizer for its distinctive citrus-flora scent.

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[Paris] Hugo & Victor

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[Paris] Hugo & Victor

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Hugo & Victor

Add: 40 Boulevard Raspail, 75007 Paris
Tel: +33 1 44 39 97 73
Hours: [Mon-Wed] 9am~7pm [Thu-Fri] 9am~8pm [Sat] 9am~8pm [Sun] 10am~6pm
Website: www.hugovictor.com
Price: €5.20~6.90/pastry
Visited on: Mar 2013

Haute patisserie by Hugues Pouget, formerly the pastry chef at three Michelin-starred Guy Savoy. For first time visitors who are confused by the arrangement of the pastries, here’s the basic logic: pastries are grouped by flavors, and there are three star flavors – chocolate, vanilla, and caramel – that are available in the boutique throughout the year, while five transient flavors change with the season. Pastries are also categorized as either “Hugo” – new interpretations of the classics, or “Victor” – traditional desserts done with a slight twist. Voilà.

Hugo & Victor is especially well-known for its jewelry shop-like design, with beautiful pastries to match. All patisseries are individually displayed in a glass case encrusted on the wall, each with a personal spotlight and detailed description.

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