I’ve recently fallen in love with macarons and have been slowly trying out the “best” bakeries in Toronto whenever I happen to be in the area (also checkout blogTO’s pictures, much better quality and full reviews). My personal preference for macarons is an airy shell with a lighter filling, which means ganachs and caramels taste a bit heavy when used as fillings. So far I’ve been able to visit La Bambouche and Moroco Chocolat (as well as Laduree and Pierre Herme in Paris).
Moroco Chocolat
- Address: 99 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto
- Visited: 04/21/2011, Dessert
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Rating: C* [$]
- Website: http://morocochocolat.com/
Bite-Size Review
I visited Moroco Chocolat in April specifically to taste their Macarons as I had heard quite a bit about the dessert boutique and entered with high expectations. We arrived close to the end of the day and had to wait for the last batch of macarons to arrive from the kitchen. 10 flavours are offered in total, so we opted for the package of a dozen. The flavours were strong, almost overpowering, and didn’t leave your taste buds confused. However, nothing was a standout for me.
The classic pistachio macaron was good, but not earth-shatteringly amazing. The amount of filling used was a good ratio to the size of the shell, which were on the chewy, denser side. Since I do prefer a lighter shell, Moroco didn’t live up to the hype and I was a little disappointed.
~$35 for a dozen macarons, this was on the pricier side and because the quality of the macarons was nothing to write home about, Toronto has better macarons to offer.
La Bambouche
- Address: 4 Manor Road East, Toronto
- Visited: 07/06/2011, Dessert
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Rating: A* [$]
- Website: http://labamboche.ca/
Bite-Size Review
The macarons at La Bambouche suit my taste pretty much perfectly. The flavours have an Asian twist (with flavours such as yuzu lemon, ume and green tea) and the shells are delicately light and crunchy. The yuzu macaron is delightful with a hint of sourness. The caramel sea salt macaron smartly uses caramel buttercream filling, not actual caramel, which would be hard to eat and too thick for the light shell.
I have tried all of the flavours offered, but am always surprised with their “mystery” macaron that changes daily (so far I’ve tasted strawberry and vanilla). I also love that their pistachio macaron isn’t comically green. In general, I love how subtle, yet distinct the flavours are. These are the best macarons I’ve had in Toronto so far.
Lucky for me (or not), La Bambouche is within a 5 minute walk from work. Their macarons have now become my go to for an afternoon pick me up.$2.50 each, buy 6 or more to waive the sales tax.
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