Pierre Hermé is a legend in the world of French pastry, and it’s no secret to anyone who’s seen my previous blog posts that I’m a huge fan of his. Conveniently for me, one of his many boutiques is located near Sorbonne Université, so I stopped by and tried a couple pastries on my recent trip to Paris.
The 2000 Feuilles (“2000 sheets”) (8,50 €) is one of Pierre Hermé’s classic pastries, and it’s iconic for a reason. It’s a twist on the mille feuille using Piedmont hazelnuts and chocolate instead of the traditional vanilla profile.
The 2000 Feuilles has three layers of caramelized puff pastry, alternating with praline mousseline cream and a layer of crispy hazelnut praline. The flavors and textures combined perfectly; I especially loved the crispy texture of the gavottes (Brittany-style crêpe dentelle biscuits) in the hazelnut praline. It’s a must try for texture fans, and it’s one of my favorite pastries from Pierre Hermé so far.
For the very ambitious, the recipe is published in the PH10 pâtisserie book by Agnès Viénot. But be warned: this recipe is a serious undertaking.
The Jardin Japonais (10,00 €) is a lemon, morello cherry, and tonka bean seasonal pastry that was part of a Japan-inspired collection first released last year.
As the name “Japanese garden” and the cherry blossom design indicate, this pastry was inspired by Japanese cherry blossoms in the spring. The official description reads:
To interpret the delicacy of its flavors with notes of dried herbs, [Pierre Hermé] imagines a lemon cookie in which a compote of Morello cherries highlighted by the notes of Tonka bean and lemon perfectly reproduce the flavors of the flower creating the surprise of a unique imaginary taste.
The Jardin Japonais is composed of lemon biscuit and a cherry compote with tonka bean and lemon, encased in lemon Chantilly cream and all sitting atop a lemon sablé. The pastry as as a whole had a nice light texture; the flavor was slightly on the sweeter side but balanced by the lemon and the morello cherry. It’s a very pleasant and harmonious pastry but less memorable than the 2000 Feuilles: I wasn’t blown away by it and am a bit confused by the 10,00 € price tag.
The Ispahan croissant (2,90 €) is also a classic, with the same rose, lychee, and raspberry flavor profile as Pierre Hermé’s famous Ispahan pastry. It’s filled with a rose-scented almond paste and a raspberry-lychee compote, glazed with rosewater icing, and topped with freeze dried raspberries. The croissant was soft and light, with a soft yet flaky crust, and it’s quite sweet from the filling and the glaze. While I don’t think it’s the best croissant in the city, I still thought it was good and especially recommend it for Ispahan fans.
Café Pierre Hermé Odéon
126 Boulevard Saint-Germain
+33 1 43 54 47 77
Instagram @pierrehermeofficial
https://www.pierreherme.com/
Will Travel for Snacks 