When it comes to macarons, buying is often always better than baking. Anyone who has ever tried their hand at making macarons for themselves can testify to the challenge of nailing a batch just so.
Leave it to the experts, because the experts get it so right. At their hands, this sweet Parisian staple is rendered into a rainbow of flavours, each of them sandwiched between delicate rounds that crunch upon the first bite, and second, and third, and fourth… because who stops at just one?
Trust us and hold off trying to get almond flour and meringue to cooperate. The next time you crave this treat, let this be your guide to the best macarons in Singapore.
The Dark Gallery
The Dark Gallery may be known as a chocolatier, but the treasure trove of confectioneries it produces include macarons too. True to its nature, The Dark Gallery makes macarons that all involve chocolate in some way, from pure 85 percent chocolate ganache sandwiching black macaron shells to a light and airy macaron that houses lapsang souchong chocolate caramel at its centre.
The Dark Gallery, #01-K5 Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039596, tel: 6255 0368
Macarons SG
Dubbing itself as the “home of the best-tasting macarons in Singapore”, this online bakery is not one to shy away from claims as bold as the flavours it offers. Based online, this halal-certified business is dedicated to creating inventive macarons that appeal to a local palate, so expect flavours like chilli chocolate, bandung, ondeh ondeh and Thai iced tea.
TWG
TWG is famed for its tea, but anyone who has visited its brick-and-mortar salons will know that its pastries are equally worth the reckoning, especially its macarons. Always neatly displayed in eye-catching rows, these macarons typically incorporate the house’s signature teas in its recipe or have seasonal flavours.
TWG Tea, #02-21 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801, +65 6735 1837
Chiak Patisserie
French-trained chef, Chiak, has an Instagram-based dessert business where he makes a selection of macarons you won’t find amiss in a Parisian patisserie. Flavour combinations like vanilla mascarpone with raspberry confiture and peppermint-chocolate are bite-sized testimonies that simple is always best, so be sure to keep your eye out for his pre-orders.
www.instagram.com/chiak.patisserie
Antoinette
Tea salon and restaurant, Antoinette, prides itself on fusion that bridges the best of French food with Asian influences and is often right on trend with its desserts (take its soufflé pancakes, for one). Still, its classics are where an endless appeal lies, and Antoinette knows how to do macarons right. Aside from a classic range of flavours, Antoinette also releases inventive seasonal treats — sweet potato and cheese as well as cold brew caramel macarons are just some right off the top of our heads.
Antoinette, 30 Penhas Road, Singapore 208188, +65 6293 3121
Bonheur Patisserie
Another online-based macaron maker is Bonheur Patisserie. Though it has expanded to a flagship outlet in Raffles City, orders are still taken through its social media channels, and it is on those platforms that you can browse through the 25 flavours Boheur has to offer, all erring on the side of tradition. From banana milk chocolate to peanut butter and jelly macarons, this patisserie’s menu reads like a childhood dream come true.
www.facebook.com/bonheurpatisseriesg
This story first appeared in Lifestyle Asia Singapore.