Pierre Hermé

Before tasting anything, Pierre Herme is a visual feast; a small rectangular shop with an austere décor lined with cakes, chocolate, and pastries that can be mistaken for sculptures and macarons stare right back at you via magnifying lenses on the glass wall. And what pastry Pierre Herme makes. The biscuit macaron rose shells with rose petal cream, raspberries, and chunks of lychee have amazing flavor combinations and a perfect balance between texture, intensity, and pure indulgence. With pureness of ingredients, superb execution, and sheer creativity, there is no mistaking that you are in the presence of a true master.



(A feast for the eyes)

But macarons are the raison d'etre for visiting Pierre Herme. For starter, they are made in perfectly uniform shape without looking machine-made. When you bite into a Pierre Herme macaron, the texture of crumbly yet chewy shells, the balance of the shells and fillings, and the unmistakable intent of the filling with clearly articulated intense flavors are awe inspiring. The creativity of flavor combination is mind boggling – caramel with fleur de sel, olive oil with vanilla, white truffle with roasted piemont hazelnuts, chocolate and yuzu. As a matter of a fact, the Herme house has transformed products along the fashion haute couture traditions with seasons, themes, and runway shows where the Autumn-Winter 2004/2005 season stirred up a bit of controversy under the title of "Retrospective Perspectives" featuring yuzu, Japanese citron peel. And you thought these treats are just for good for eatin'. The pastry work alone is worth a visit.

Tasting Notes
To be unfairly harsh, the same level of creativity does not always work for chocolate. The overall score at 3.83 is same as Christian Constant, but the individual dimensions are rated slightly lower at texture - 4.00, aroma - 3.80, balance - 3.83, and intensity - 3.50.

The texture and aromatic elements of the praline are angular and fun while the couverture asserts its characters with a touch of acidity. However, the intensity is not able to stand up to other components and the bonbon appears a bit out of balance as a result.

The ganache is well balanced between filling and couverture for texture. The combination of aromatic and intensity followed by lingering tannic and acidic notes make for a satisfying work.




Details
Pierre Hermé
72 rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
T: 01 43 54 47 77
F: 01-43-54-94-90
Open: Tue-Sun 10am - 7pm

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