Mad Baker

December 31, 2020

이 홈베이커는 친한 친구의 발견과 페이스북 추천이었어요. 나는 항상 그친구의 음식에 대한 리뷰에 동의하지 않지만 그녀의 부모님은 이 홈베이커의 마카롱을 좋아한다고 말했기 때문에 확신했어요. 그녀의 부모님은 음식에 대해 너무 높은 기준을 가지고 있어서 나는 음식에 대한 그들의 리뷰에 귀를 기울일 것인데.

우와 이 홈베이커 마카롱이 너무 너무 맛있다!!! 😋😋😍 조금 비싸지 만 그만한 격표의 가치가 있어요. 새해에도 뚱뚱해질 것 같아요 😰

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The local F&B landscape is, under the best of ordinary circumstances, already harsh, but Covid-19 lockdowns and the ensuing recession seriously pummeled the restaurant industry. Like I told friends, 2020 was one kind of formidable battering ram. To nobody's surprise but everyone's shock, many notable restaurants were put out of business this year. To be perfectly frank, I wasn't particularly upset at many of the closures (survival is for the fittest after-all), save for Antoinette. I'd loved their pastries and it was my go-to whenever I felt like macarons, La Durée having exited Singapore after a short foray in our city state and Pierre Hermé not looking like it was ever setting up shop on our little island. I thought, where else was I ever going to satiate a craving for macarons???

Then I saw a friend's glowing review of some loony baker whose macarons were loved by her parents. Now, I know how exacting said friend's parents are, so I DM-ed the daft baker if she had any macarons available for sale, and left it to fate. I wasn't going to be too hung up if she didn't have any; home-based businesses are a dime and dozen these days, and there are as many exceptional ones as there are mediocre ones. Providentially, she had just the one box of 12 left, so I snapped it up.

The macarons got delivered at 1.47pm on a Saturday afternoon, and they were devoured by 1.56pm. We weren't hungry, it's just that the batty baker's macarons were just that incredible.

Straightaway, I messaged the bonkers baker and placed a standing order of four boxes for her next drop, making sure to inform her that we loved her creations. I decided against informing that we probably wolfed down the entire box of sweets faster than she left the estate grounds, I didn't want to freak out and scare off a hugely-talented, newly-acquainted macaron supplier.

To be candid, I'm a smidge hesitant to post about her either, in no-small part due to my selfish hoarder tendencies, but my Singlish-Singaporean mantra of "good food must share" prevailed. Also, only my friends read this blog (and The Husband when I make him), so I wouldn't have to kick myself suffering months-long waitlists just to indulge in my now-favourite macarons.

These 48 macarons arrived Christmas Eve, and they were, in no small part, the reason we had a very merry Christmas. I brought a bunch of them scrummy babies to the office to share, (checking that there weren't any French around) proclaiming that these are the best macarons one will ever eat (for those more well-travelled, I added the caveat "this side of the world"). Even with such a pronouncement, my colleagues concurred. And no, they were not being disingenuous.

The Mad Baker lives up to her moniker: her macarons are crazy delicious. Like they're so insanely good, I wouldn't buy macarons from anywhere else. Notwithstanding their slightly premium pricetag ($48 for 12), they're totally worth it as the Mad Baker doesn't stinge and uses the most luxurious ingredients. Unsurprisingly, I've put in a permanent order for the Mad Baker's macarons. The diet can wait till next year's resolution.