Singapore - Fans of famed 151-year-old French patisserie Laduree and its dainty macarons, do not fret as the brand's signature tearoom is likely to open here within the next year or two.

This tearoom will add to the new chic retail boutique on the second floor and macaron takeaway counter on the first floor (in between Chanel and Louis Vuitton boutiques) of Ngee Ann City.

The brand's entry here is a partnership with luxury watch retailer The Hour Glass.

Besides having no tea salon, customers whom Life! spoke to on Laduree's opening day on Monday also commented on the small boutique and counter.

Housewife Linda Wong, 60, who spent almost $200 on Laduree macarons and chocolates, says: "I've been to the outlets in London and Paris, so I feel like the outlets here are a bit too small. Having a cafe for people to sit and dine in will also be good."

Laduree's president David Holder, 45, who is in town this week for the brand's opening, says: "Both outlets complement each other. The counter has high traffic and visibility, but it doesn't have a ceiling and walls like the boutique.

"I like to start small. I also like to see people queuing and asking when we are going to have a tearoom. I have the chefs and am ready to open a tearoom when the time is right."

The Frenchman likens this strategy to what he adopted in New York, which will get its first tearoom in Soho by the end of this year, two years after its 700 sq ft retail shop opened in 2011.

In addition to macarons that come in 18 flavours such as rose, pistachio and chocolate yuzu (at $3.80 a piece), Laduree's boutique on the second floor sells household items such as candles, as well as scents, tote bags, honey and jams.

The white wooden shelves, piled high with gift box displays, feature a special baby pink Singapore box (from $38 for a box of eight) with a "very Parisian" girl - as Mr Holder calls her - walking a poodle with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

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Macarons, of course, are the driving force of the brand. It accounts for two-thirds of the sales in its tearooms and 80 per cent of sales in its retail shops worldwide.

The macarons sold in Singapore - best consumed within three days - are flown in twice a week from its Swiss factory, which produces macarons for Laduree's international branches.

It has two other factories, one in Paris for the French market and one in Monaco for the European market.

So far, since the outlets' opening, the top seller here is the Salted Caramel flavour, like in France, leading Mr Holder to say that "Singaporeans have French taste".

He took over Laduree in 1993 in a quiet arrangement with the previous owners when he knew that there was a family conflict. He started the international expansion in 2005 and now has branches in Belgium, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan.

A trained baker himself, he had considered entering the local market seven years ago, but notes that "the market would not have been mature enough". He has plans to take the brand to Malaysia and Indonesia as well.

His sister, Elisabeth, 40, manages the Laduree operations in the United States, while his second brother, Maxime, 43, is president of French boulangerie Paul bakery, which also has an outlet in Ngee Ann City.

While the companies are run independently, MrHolder emphasises the strong family bonds. The family of five meet every two months to discuss business. His 72-year-old dad is still active in the Paul bakery business, while his mother, 70, runs an association in Paris that helps women find jobs.

Besides choosing new flavours and store locations, Mr Holder and his team also work on fashion collaborations with brands such as Lanvin, Christian Louboutin and Marni. The father of two does not rule out working with local designers here too.

For now, he is focused on more new openings, as well as expanding the brand's gourmet chocolate shop Les Marquis de Laduree, which opened its Parisian boutique in January.

And while Laduree's macarons are often compared to those by fellow French pastry chef Pierre Herme - who worked with Laduree from 1995 to 1998 - Mr Holder is unfazed.

He says: "Pierre Herme is a good chef. But it's not a matter of having a good chef; it's about a good history, brand and product. Laduree was existing 150 years before Pierre Herme and, after he is dead, Laduree will continue to exist for the next few generations. There's nothing to compare."

Photos: ST, Laduree

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