What To Try At Ladurée Manila—And Why The Flagship Is An Experience, According To The Global CEO And Filipina Executive Chef

Could there be an ube, mango, or calamansi macaron in the works? 🤔

Published on Jul 14, 2025

PHOTO: Instagram/ladureephilippines

Macaron lovers, assemble! Iconic French patisserie brand Ladurée has officially opened its very first Southeast Asian flagship store—and they picked none other than Manila to make it happen. Located at One Bonifacio High Street in BGC, the new Ladurée boutique is set to become the go-to destination for pastry aficionados and anyone who wants to live out their Emily in Paris fantasies (baguette and beret optional, but highly encouraged *wink*).

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Photo: Instagram/ladureephilippines

From the moment you step inside Maison Ladurée, it's like you're immediately transported to a dreamy French tea room. Think: high ceilings painted with swirling, psychedelic patterns, elegant chandeliers with white blooms, arched mirrors framed in traditional solihiya weaving, and wallpapers etched with palm trees. The interiors are so maximalist that it just perfectly contrasts with the heritage brand's delicate menu of pastries, drinks, and savory food. It truly is *chef's kiss*.

@cosmopolitanph
We got a first look at Ladurée Philippines—the very first Ladurée Grand Flagship in Southeast Asia—before its official opening. Home to their world-famous macarons and all things Parisian chic, the store opens tomorrow, July 5, at One Bonifacio High Street Mall in BGC. More soon on cosmo.ph! #CosmoGoesTo #cosmophstudios
♬ Sweet desserts - COZY CLOU:D

Of course, the menu is the pièce de résistance. While the cult-favorite macarons (P145 per piece) are displayed like jewels behind glass that you can see when you first walk in, the tearoom invites you to sit down and stay a while. And trust us: there's plenty to indulge in.

For breakfast or a sweet midday pick-me-up, you'll find all the buttery French classics: flaky croissants (starting at P220), pain au chocolat (P280), and eugénies (P155 per piece). They also offer ice cream (vanilla, coffee, caramel, and rose) and sorbet (chocolate strawberry) at P300 for two scoops if you want something a little sweeter.

You can also order your coffee and tea fix in there as well. There's the Latte Signature (Ispahan – P300; Plaisir Sucré – P320), but if you're craving matcha, you'll be glad to know they have their own take too—for P280. For something to warm your stomach, there's also Chocolat chaud Ladurée (P290), the brand's own take on hot chocolate with vanilla whipped cream.

PHOTOS: Cheska Santiago; Instagram/ladureephilippines

Cosmo got to visit the flagship store a day before its official grand opening, and had the chance to have an exclusive chat with Ladurée's Global CEO, Mélanie Carron, and Ladurée Philippines' Executive Chef, Katrina Torres.

Mélanie Carron, Ladurée Global CEO

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Photo: Instagram/ladureephilippines

Why was the Philippines the perfect place for Ladurée's Southeast Asian flagship?

Mélanie: The overall region is part of our development strategy because we believe the brand has a lot of potential in the region. The Philippines was part of the countries that we were very interested in to open a flagship [store] because the economy is very fast-growing and blooming with a lot of dynamics, and I think that it's a very good moment for the brand to enter the market right now, so we are very, very happy to be entering the Philippines at that stage.

When it came to launching in Manila, what were your non-negotiables—from the interiors to the menu to the overall vibe?

Mélanie: What is very important with Ladurée is that it's a brand. So beautiful decor, very high standard of quality, very high standard of service, and of course, the star product, which is the macaron.

So when we open a new store in a country, there are many things that we need to respect, because we are a brand, right? We need to have the macarons, we need to have the core products. And we design [the shop] with a partner. So this is the same designer who does all the decoration of all our shops in the world. So these are non-negotiable things.

When a client enters a Ladurée [store], they need to know that they are at Ladurée and that there is a family flair in all the Ladurées of the world, even if you do not have two identical Ladurée in the world. Not two are identical; they are all different. So it's always a challenge to create a new destination, a new Ladurée.

How do you make a heritage brand like Ladurée feel timeless and of-the-moment in 2025?

Mélanie: What's very interesting about this brand is that it was born in 1862—almost 170 years ago. And so I am so proud to be respecting and enhancing this heritage.

Ladurée is first about heritage. But at the same time, my mission is to make sure that the brand remains vibrant, connected to what's going on in the world. And so we work a lot on the decors that always boast a traditional but with a very specific flair or very strong vibe, like here [in the Manila flagship]. You see here, it's kind of traditional because you have the marble, but at the same time, it's very vibrant because you will have pieces of decor like the ceiling, that makes it very different. And in terms of product, we keep innovating all the time. So, of course, you have the macaron, which is the star of the brand.

But for example, we created a couple of years ago, the Eugénie, which is a biscuit with chocolate. In terms of pastry, we are innovating all the time. You also have a range of biscuits, which is always a reason to innovate.

And last but not least, we have all the boxes of macarons, and these boxes are also used to make collaborations with brands, so that allows us to always be up to date...always in connection with our time.

Filipinos love to celebrate—from birthdays to casual catch-ups. How do you see Ladurée becoming part of those everyday indulgences and big milestones?

Mélanie: Ladurée is the perfect brand for gifting, and the perfect brand for celebrating. You know, we were born as a brand you share with others. When you bring to a dinner or a birthday party, and you bring a big box of macarons, you put it in the center of the table, all of a sudden, everyone will talk about it. It's a playful product. You know, [with] macarons, you have different colors and different flavors, and Ladurée is a luxury brand, so when you receive Ladurée as a gift, it's fantastic. It's really a brand that was done for gifting. So it would be a perfect fit for Filipinos.

Younger audiences are redefining luxury—it's now about meaning, not just exclusivity. And they're driven by instant gratification, too. How is Ladurée adapting to this shift in mindset and behavior?

Mélanie: The instant gratification, we can see it every day in our stores because people take a lot of pictures of themselves in our stores. There is something about feeling proud of being able to engage with Ladurée, to be able to buy something from Ladurée, and you can see it's instant gratification from this younger generation. And what I strongly believe is that luxury is probably also shifting a little bit from owning to experiencing. People are willing to invest more in experiences, and this is where our brand proposition is perfect, because we have been more on the experiential side for so many years now.

Ladurée is, of course, about buying macarons, but it's also very much about giving an experience that is unique. And when you see the flagship here, it's totally unique. It's one-of-a-kind. I strongly believe that experience is the key to the new luxury, and especially with the new generation, so I think by DNA, we are already very compatible with this.

Social media plays a huge role in how people discover and experience brands today. How do you craft a Ladurée experience that’s not just photogenic, but truly memorable?

Mélanie: The specific thing about pastry is you see it before you buy it. And it's very different from when you'd go to a restaurant, you know, you see a menu and you don't choose between some meals that are made in front of you. When you enter a pastry shop, it's very different. It's what you see that gives you the possibility of if you'll buy the product. So visual for pastry is super important.

So, of course, we work a lot on what our products and shops will look like. What makes an experience memorable is the taste and quality of service, the experience you will have. If the pastry looks great but tastes bad, you will not buy it again. If you come to the shop and it looks wonderful, but the service is not good, you will not come again. It needs to be perfect in any touchpoint—the service, the quality, and of course, the ambience and everything you see. That's why it's so difficult, and that's why I'm so proud to be part of this brand that's an "old lady" but the brand has been able to maintain its quality for so many years. It's really a great asset.

If you could describe the new Ladurée Manila in just three words, what would they be—and why?

Mélanie: I would say, very classy, a little bit extravagant, and a good mix of France and Philippines.

The F&B world—especially at the luxury level—is still quite male-dominated. What has your journey been like as a woman leading a global heritage brand like Ladurée?

Mélanie: I have a management style that's very much around collaboration. I like that each person on my team speaks up and exchanges opinions. And in the beginning, when I joined the company, they were not used to that kind of leadership style.

In F&B, the culture is very much like the kitchen culture. So it's very top-down. So they were not used to a very female-like style of leadership. I say to the employees, I would love to have your point of view, I want you to have a point of view, so what's your view on this and that? And I get much better once I have the input of all my team.

What would you say to young women here in the Philippines who dream of making it in food, hospitality, or luxury?

Mélanie: I think that as women, sometimes we create some barriers in our minds, and the first thing that we need to be sure about is that everything is possible. If you believe in your dream, if you believe in what you want to do, just keep pushing. You know, I have a daughter, and I always tell her, "You will be good because you're passionate about what you do. And if you're passionate, you will be good, and if you're good, you will be successful." Don't look for success; success is the end of the game. The first step is asking yourself, what are you passionate about?

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Katrina Torres (first from left). Photo: Instagram/ladureephilippines

Katrina Torres, Ladurée Philippines Executive Chef

Walk us through the moment you learned you'd be leading the kitchen of a brand like Ladurée. What went through your head?

Katrina: So from the very beginning, I've met Mr. Karan [Gopwani], our CEO and President, back when I was working for another restaurant. And then, he started being my regular client. He loved what I was doing, and I mainly cook French food, so basically, once I transferred to another restaurant, he still followed me there, and after a year or so, he told me he wanted to open Ladurée. He came up to me because he knew from the very beginning that I love cooking French food. So that's how it started.

Who was the first person you told about being in the brand?

Katrina: Honestly, it was my parents. 'Cause the funny thing is, from the very beginning also, like the start of my career, I graduated here in the Philippines and I started off my career in France also. So for me, it was like a full-circle moment.

Bringing Ladurée to the Philippines is such a huge moment. What was the most exciting part of that process for you as a chef?

Katrina: You know, having a classic brand here in Manila or in the Philippines is such a big thing. What we're doing here is, we're not changing it—we're bringing the entire Ladurée here. So even the pastries that you see are all from Ladurée, and we make them here in Manila. But of course, every base and everything is coming from the French chefs.

And then our Salon de Thé menu, the good thing about that is we can insert a little bit of our own, but of course, they're still in line with the brand as well. And their classics will always be there. I have a couple of favorites there, and you know, it's still there, because it's our traditional menu. So we incorporated that here in the Philippines, so Filipinos can try what Ladurée offers in Paris.

The world of fine dining and patisserie is still heavily male-led. What has your experience been like carving space as a Filipina chef in such a prestigious global brand?

Katrina: Before, I really noticed the difference between male and female chefs. But as time passes by, it doesn't matter if you're a male or a female. I think for me, as long as you have the passion and love for cooking, I think you can go a very, very long way. 'Cause for me, cooking is not just a job—it's something that I really love to do. And I'm very proud to say that I'm Filipina, and that I'm leading the kitchen of Ladurée.

We know you're representing the country in a big way—how do you put a Pinoy flair into such a French, heritage brand?

Katrina: So what I normally use—especially for our savory side—we use local produce. So if you've also seen our Salon de Thé menu, you'll find there some sauces with calamansi, and then we have a little bit of pickling there. So, still French but with just a little bit of a Filipino touch. And all our produce, we get from Filipino suppliers here in Manila.

The dishes that I placed in for our Salon de Thé menu, I actually cooked those in Paris for them [the French chefs] to try out. So it was approved by them before we could put it in the menu. So we cannot just put something out of the blue there. I was very happy that they approved almost all of the dishes.

If you could recommend a "starter pack" of Ladurée treats for someone trying it for the first time in Manila, what would be in it?

Katrina: One of my favorite dishes from Ladurée is actually the vol au vent. So you have the puff pastry, the mushrooms, then you have the French chicken, and then the creamy sauce. So it just balances out everything. So that's one of my favorite dishes from our savory menu here.

For dessert, you can never go wrong with the classic macarons. But apart from that, we have pastries as well. So we have the ispahan, one of the iconic desserts—it has fresh raspberries, lychee, and then a rose buttercream.

Are there any other Filipino ingredients you’re planning to incorporate into Ladurée’s menu? Ube is definitely having a global moment right now.

Katrina: The funny thing about ube is that our pastry chefs wanted to try it because it’s something different and unique. So, we had them sample different types—like fresh ube and various jams—with the hope of creating our own special macaron flavor. We’re thinking of interesting options like ube, calamansi, or mango macarons. Maybe not just macarons—perhaps other desserts too. These are the key flavors I want to introduce because mangoes in the Philippines are really good—honestly, one of my favorites—and you can get them here anytime.

Cheska is the Lifestyle Editor + resident beauty girl of Cosmo. She loves hoarding blushes, oversharing in drafts, and pretending impulse buys are "for work."