I'm not a huge fan of ultra sweet things and I do admit, I don't like all the macarons I eat. It's best consumed with a cup of tea or unsugared coffee so the sweetness can be spread out. However, I have tried a few macarons that I have taken a liking to. I loved the macarons we had at Hardware Societe and the ones at LuxBite were nice as well. However, after my recent visit to Hardware Societe, I found out they don't sell macarons anymore. I was a bit disappointed at the fact but my world didn't come tumbling down as we headed to La Belle Miette nearby for a good macaron fix.
Some people say La Belle Miette sells the best macarons in Melbourne. I wouldn't disagree. Upon entering the store, I noticed the cute pastel colours and chic decor which seemed quite fitting of this French confectionery. The store is tiny and there were only 2 tables in sight. They primarily sell macarons with I believe just tea, so don't expect to order anything else when you go there. In fact, most of their business is takeaway macarons and La Belle Miette also source macarons to many cafes around Melbourne.
Beautiful boxes lined their counters and you can get macarons either in the free paper box like I did above, or you can get them in a $3 box like my friend Racheese did, which is more sturdy and more presentable (below) and holds 6 macarons. There is also a $4 box which holds 12 macarons and other options for more special gifts.
The flavours I got were as follows (from left to right):
- Hazelnut Belle Miette
- Mariage Freres Earl Grey Chocolate
- Pimm's & Pomegranate
- Pink Grapefruit
- Cherry Blossom & Sake
- ‘Bastille’ – Moet et Chandon and Blackcurrant
My favourite was the earl grey as it had a subtle tea fragrance mixed together with the sweet outer shell which crumbled in my mouth. I loved the texture of the macarons. It wasn't as chewy as some places and was quite airy and light.
However, I did find the pomegranate and grapefruit macarons lacked flavour. I was expecting a strong fruity hit but instead I was hit more with the sweetness. Hazelnut was not bad either as it had rich hazelnut flavoured ganache in the middle.
Bastille was around 30 cents more than the others - $2.80 versus $2.50 as of course, Moet et Chandon is a renowned luxurious champagne so it made sense.
I think what I liked the most about La Belle Miette is the colours of the macarons. Most macarons I've come across have been vivid and vibrant, sometimes too intensely colourful that it hurt my eyes and looked too artificial. But La Belle Miette's pastel range are beautiful to see and eat. I think it makes a good present for those who like confectionery.
La Belle Miette
Phone: (03) 9024 4528
30 Hardware Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
http://labellemiette.com.au
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I love La Belle Miette. I think they do the best salted caramel macaron I've ever had. I could easily eat five of them.
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot about their macarons! And I must say that I like the fact that they box them for you. At Pierre Herme, it's just an acetate plastic bag and you have to pay more to get a box.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the colours. They're very soft and delicate here and will not hurt your eyes.
ReplyDelete@Choux-Fleur, I didn't try the salted caramel, I think they didn't have it the day I went. :( Gotta go and try it. :)
ReplyDelete@Lorraine, I love their boxes, even the free one! The designs on the box are beautiful.
@Miss Kimbers, they are quite delicate aren't they. Although the pinks were a bit strong in colour still - that's because of my camera, not the actual macaron. :P
For some reason, I love reading blog posts about macarons even though they don't thrill me either :P So yay to this pretty post! I like macarons with inventive, strong flavours, as otherwise find them too sweet. I'd love to try the Cherry Blossom one here!
ReplyDeleteThe packaging is so pretty and those flavors so creative. I can never pass up a good macaron, They're so delicate and airy that I con myself into thinking they're practically calorie-free. Hah. I wish! ;)
ReplyDelete@Hannah, I'm totally the same. :P Macarons aren't my favourite but I love looking at them and taking photos!
ReplyDelete@Carolyn, they are calorie-free, what are you talking about? :P
short and sweet, good post
ReplyDeletei think best macaron is still the kaya toast at luxbite
@batasan, thanks :D I agree though, I loved the kaya toast :D
ReplyDelete