World's largest Pierre Herme debuts at RWS; launches bubble tea inspired by iconic macaron flavours

Straits Times

2 days ago

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SINGAPORE – Macaron fans, the wait is finally over.
French pastry chef Pierre Herme's eponymous patisserie opens on Aug 1 at Resorts World Sentosa's new lifestyle enclave Weave.
At 3,500 sq ft, the impressive two-storey boutique not only marks the brand's debut in South-east Asia, but is also its largest flagship in the world.
The Pierre Herme empire spans more than 90 outlets across 13 countries and is run by almost 1,000 employees. The company – established in Paris in 1998 – opened its first store in Tokyo in the same year. The first Parisian store opened in 2001.
This Singapore outpost has been two years in the making, says its France-based founder and renowned chocolatier Pierre Herme, 63, who is in town for the grand opening.
He has been here a few times to oversee the project's construction, which houses a retail area on the first floor and a 70-seat restaurant on the second.
A curved display counter takes centre stage on level one, featuring its signature macarons, cakes, pastries and chocolates.
There are 10 permanent macaron flavours, such as the classic chocolate, vanilla and iconic Ispahan, which is a fruity and floral combination of rose, lychee and raspberry.
Eight other flavours will feature on a rotational basis. More unique ones include Olea, a combination of tomato leaf and black olive, and Indulgence, made with fresh mint and peas.
Prices start at $4 for a macaron, up to $138 for a box of 40 pieces.
There are no special flavours yet, although chef Herme does not rule out making them once inspiration hits. So far, some local delights he has savoured here include chicken rice, chendol and putu piring.
To ensure consistency, the macarons sold here, along with the chocolates, are made in France, flash frozen and flown over.
For 2025, he is on track to produce a whopping 30 million macarons worldwide. Over the years, he has made thousands of macaron flavours, of which 25 to 30 are launched in a year.
Other products, such as the pastries, cakes and ice cream, are made in Singapore.
The coffee and tea counter features his interpretation of bubble tea ($9 each), which is a first for the brand. The bubble tea flavours, which take inspiration from its macarons, include Ispahan, Matcha Cappuccino and Jardin de Pierre. The drinks are made with the brand's own black tea flavoured with citrus fruits, spices and rose perfumes.
While this is not quite your typical bubble milk tea, the drinks do include tapioca pearls infused with tea.
Bubble tea has been in the works for two years, says Herme, who was waiting for the right time and location to launch it without the use of plastic straws. The straws used here are made of sugarcane.
The store also houses another first – an ice-cream and sorbet bar – introduced here to suit Singapore's weather, he adds.
Ispahan is one of the macaron-inspired ice-cream flavours, along with Mogador, a milk chocolate and passionfruit sorbet; and Montebello, which pairs pistachio ice cream with strawberry sorbet. Prices start at $6 for a single scoop in a cup.
For a more leisurely sit-down experience, the restaurant on the second floor offers savoury items and plated desserts.
Breakfast (from 9 to 11am) includes dishes such as Eggs Benedict ($18); scrambled eggs and beef bacon ($12); and avocado toast, candied egg yolk and pistachio vinaigrette ($16).
From 11am to 5.30pm, menu highlights include an Ispahan-inspired sea bream ceviche ($18) with lychee raspberry jelly, candied and fresh lemon, and rose petals; curry and turmeric French toast ($22) with avocado, quinoa and corn salad; and Croque-Monsieur Pierre Herme Paris ($21), a toasted sandwich layered with melted Comte cheese, bechamel and turkey ham. A teatime set menu is available from $88++ for two people.
Do not miss the Singapore-exclusive Tartine Infiniment Cacahuete ($9), a toast-shaped cake with peanut praline, peanut cream and caramel.
Helming this outpost is Singapore-based Peruvian chef Antonio Benites, who worked with Herme in Paris for four years from 2006 to 2010.
It was Herme who introduced chef Benites to the late French chef Joel Robuchon, whom he worked for at the now-defunct Joel Robuchon Restaurant in RWS from 2010 to 2018.
Chef Benites also previously helmed Origin+Bloom patisserie at Marina Bay Sands.
After launching the Singapore store, Herme has another Paris opening on July 31.
His other launches for 2025 include Jakarta, Zurich and Uzbekistan.
And while RWS will remain home to the flagship, Herme does not rule out opening another store in the city area.
When asked about the future of his brand, he says: 'I don't have a crystal ball, but I would like people to know Pierre Herme as the best in the world of pastry.
'I hope that people will leave (the shop) with a smile. It's the most important and most beautiful.'