France’s pastry king Pierre Hermé to open Singapore store — its largest in Asia — on August 1 

Famed French pastry chef Pierre Hermée will make his Southeast Asian debut in Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) on August 1. The two-storey store, which is in the integrated resort’s new Weave mall, will mark the French pastry and desserts brand’s largest presence in Asia.

Hermé, renowned for creating the iconic Ispahan — a rose, lychee, and raspberry dessert — has brought out the big guns for its Singapore store. The opening of the Singapore store will see several new concepts launched here.

Pierre Hermé Paris - Singapore, which comprises a restaurant, cafe and boutique, will house the brand’s first ice cream bar, bubble tea collection, and furoshiki stand that showcases the art of traditional Japanese fabric knotting.

The feted pastry chef, who has been dubbed as ‘the Picasso of Pastry’, has created a Trick The Eye pastry, which is exclusive to the Singapore store. The peanut butter French toast is hidden with layers of “unexpected layers and textures”.

In a nod to the perennial popularity of bubble tea, Herme has also reimagined tapioca pearls and fruit spheres in flavours such as Matcha, Ispahan, Satine (orange, passionfruit, and mango). The boutique will also house an ice cream and sorbet bar, with over 15 flavours including Isaphan (rose, lychee, and raspberry), Montbello (strawberry and pistachio), and chocolat (dark chocolate and nougat). 

Hermé’s iconic desserts, such as the Coupe Glacée (Ispahan ice cream sundae) and Tarte Infiniment Vanille (vanilla tart), are among the confections that are available at the store. A total of 18 flavours of macarons will be on display in its sleek glass counter. 

They include solento (mango and lime), chado (matcha and yuzu), salted butter caramel, and mogador macaron (milk chocolate ganache and acidic passionfruit). Most of the macarons are on sale at the Pierre Herme pop-up at Hotel Ora in RWS, which runs till the end of July.

Sweets aside, the store also houses La Table by Pierre Hermé, a full-service restaurant, and also has a chocolate section and barista area that serves coffee.  

Hermé says: “In Singapore, on Sentosa Island, it was the energy of the place, the lush nature, and the rich cultures that inspired me. This flagship store reflects this: an invitation to explore the unique world of the Maison through creations designed especially for this location.”

“Its opening marks a new stage in the international development of Maison Pierre Hermé Paris, with the same commitment as always: to bring the excellence of haute pâtisserie and the French art of living to life in the most inspiring places in the world,” he adds. 

Singapore is the fourth destination in Asia for Pierre Hermé, after Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The French brand has a significant presence in Japan, with stores and cafes in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe.

Pierre Hermé Paris - Singapore is a joint venture between the French pastry brand and RWS.

Andreas Reich, acting senior vice president, F&B General Management, RWS, says: “As part of RWS’ transformation into a world-class lifestyle destination, this partnership reflects our commitment to curating exceptional, elevated experiences that speak to today’s sophisticated and well-travelled audiences.”

Hermé, who is from a family of Alsatian bakers and pastry chefs, honed his craft under the tutelage of chef Gaston Lenôtre, who is credited as one of the creators of the opera cake, and has worked in major French dessert maisons such as Fauchon and Laudree.

He started Maison Pierre Hermé Paris in Tokyo in 1998, and has since expanded the empire to over 90 stores across 12 countries, including France, the UK, Germany, Morocco, and the UAE. 

Lifestyle cluster Weave in RWS, which is slated to open in the second half of this year, will house over 40 lifestyle, entertainment and dining brands. Paul Pairet, chef-owner of Mr & Mrs Bund in Shanghai, will open an ice cream parlour and a French restaurant that features grilled meats and a rotating carvery station.

Pairet shuttered his three-Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant Ultraviolet in Shanghai in March. Other F&B brands that will open at Weave include Peking Chamber, a brand from China that is known for its Peking ducks and local restaurant, Chatterbox.