Ladurée has kickstarted its foray into India with its first salon de thé (tea room) in Delhi’s upscale Khan Market by signing a master franchisee deal with Noida-based CK Israni Group. The interiors retain the Ladurèe aesthetic of soft pinks and greens –  the flowery wallpaper, marble tables and chairs in classic 19th-century French style.

If you are eager to bask in classic French settings casually peppered in French novels or cinema, then this is the place for you. The classic pink and green coloured interiors provide the perfect setting as you sip coffee or bite into a delicious macaron and leaf through the pages of a book.

Several of the ingredients for the dishes have been flown in, especially by Executive Chef Godfroy Leinekugel, who came to New Delhi after launching Ladurée in Moscow in Russia and Almaty in Kazakhstan. To begin with, he has introduced an array of 12 flavours of macarons with a hint of Indian flavours. The airy little pastries have just the right balance of crisp and chewy flavours ranging from perfume-like floral and citrus to indulgent chocolate and caramel. Besides its soft macarons, the place has a host of interesting dishes, which are definitely worth a visit.

And if you do, don’t forget to try some of these dishes!

Pistachio macarons

Macarons were first invented in the 16th century and were known to be tough sweet shells with soft insides. The macarons we know today were invented by Pierre Desfontaines in the 19th century, when he sandwiched two macaron shells around chocolate ganache.

If you are a pistachio lover, you will love this at first bite. This one has silky smooth and delicate pistachio mousseline cream garnished with crispy praline feuilletine (cookie scraps) with almonds and pistachio.

Fleur noir pastry

True to its name, the Fleur noir pastry is a dark pastry composed of a sachet biscuit, a spongy mini cake made with chocolate and almond paste, and is topped with a vanilla bourbon cream. This is covered with a chocolate mousse and finally garnished with hazelnut and cocoa nibs.

Medovik pastry

This delicious honey flavoured pastry reimagined by Chef Godfroy takes inspiration from the Russian honey cake. It is rich in butter and layered with Dulcey chocolate, a particular type of creamy and smooth chocolate. The pastry is finally topped with a honey tuile, a wafery thin honey biscuit giving the dessert a delightful crunch.

Ispahan

A Parisian tea party is incomplete without this hand-crafted sweet delight. The macarons are made with almonds along with the regular ingredients of flour and sugar syrup. These rose flavoured macarons are lined with rose petal cream, and sandwiched between these are fresh raspberries!

Vol-au-Vent

The Vol- au-Vent is a buttery puff pastry filled with chicken breast and served alongside a creamy morel mushroom sauce, making it a wholesome concoction.

Have you tried any other recipes at Ladurée? Tell us in the comment section below