| rev:text
| - Macaron Day TO - extended cut
I evaluated macarons from the following establishments: Petit Thuet, Bobbette and Belle, Daniel et Daniel, Butter Avenue, Nadege, Moroco Chocolat and Ruelo Patisserie. Today, I'm adding La Bamboche to the mix. Please note that I did NOT visit LaBamboche ON Macaron Day, it was a few days after. Each location was graded on their atmosphere, service, selection, packaging, and of course, macarons. Please check out my profile for reviews of the other locations.
La Bamboche
Location: 1712 Avenue Road (Just south of Hwy 401. Street parking available for about $2/hour.
Atmosphere: "Homey" cafe feel, slightly outdated but it's not an eyesore. Very very quiet when we came. Not a lot of seating available.
Service: Only one staff member was behind the counter. She was pleasent. Nothing above and beyond.
Packaging: $2.50 per macaron. 6 or more is tax free. 3 macarons packaged in a small see-through plastic baggie. 6 - 12 macarons are presenting in a small cube box with a see-through top window. It's fairly basic.
Selection: When we went, there were only about 7/10 flavors available (3 sold out) and only about 5 of each left. We arrived in the afternoon (around 3 pm). Knowing La Bamboche was the origin of Macaron Day, I was very disappointed in the selection when I arrived at their location. It was overall, very underwhelming. I tried their 4 flowers tea which was nice, although I'm not sure it was worth the price. Basically a bagged tea in hot water.
Macaron: La Bamboche's macaron shells are a little too crumbly and dry. I prefer something with a pinch more moisture to give just the right resistence to the shell. However, their ganache filling was very light and fluffy. A welcome and flavourful delight. La Bamboche's macaraon is a little "taller" than wide, and the ganache to cookie ratio is just about even. The choice of colours were very nice, nothing too bright and artificial. Some of them even had a lovely "garnish" on top (i.e. crushed nuts on top of the hazelnut, or some lavender on top of the lavender macaron).
Conclusion: I was very underwhelmed by the experience. Although LaBamboche's macarons were nice, I expected more from the service and atmosphere. I tried the Lavender, Hazelnut and Salt and Caramel macarons and couldn't recommend one over the other. I suppose "nice" is just the right word for the entire experience. Not sure I would return unless it was convenient.
I give La Bamboche a B-.
My final thoughts: Out of all the macarons and locations I've tried (and ensuring to cleanse my palette with water after each bite), the top two contenders have to be Ruelo and Butter Avenue. Both establishments made macaroons their specialty and both execute them incredibly well. You honestly cannot go wrong with either of them.
Nadege is a good alternative and if you're looking for a dine-in experience to try other nibblets. La Bamboche is nice on the go. Moroco Chocolate and Bobbette and Belle are also both worthy choices. I would avoid Daniel et Daniel or Petit Thuet though I heard good things about their other ventures and products (macarons are definitely not their forte).
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