Ladurée

My first and last Ladurée treat was over 1.5 years ago in Paris. As such we popped into Ladurée's not-so-new Upper East Side store (the only North American one for now) on the way home from Central Park on Sunday. 

As a child of the Commonwealth (I swear allegiance to the Queen) - I couldn't help pay the ridiculous premium for the special Diamond Jubilee box. 

Clockwise from top right: rose, pistachio, coffee, dark chocolate, violette and almond

The macarons are made in Paris daily and shipped overnight to New York. Priced at nearly $3 a pop, it was a bummer the coffee macaron tasted like it went through one helluva trans-atlantic flight.

The rest were fabulous though, with the standout being the rose-flavoured one. I LOVE the smell of roses and it was heavenly being able to catch a whiff of the sweet delicate floral scent seconds before I bit into it. As cliched as it sounds, for that moment, I was transported back to my first Ladurée experience that cool February evening in the City of Light.  

P.s. my other NYC macaron favourites are (in order of preference): La Maison Du Macaron (Flatiron), Ciao Bisous (LES) and La Maison Du Chocolat (Rockefeller Plaza, UES and Wall Street)

P.p.s I missed out on Pierre Herme the last time I was in Paris. NOT going to let that slip me by when I am there next month!