Bummed that they are no longer operating in the Bay Area, but glad I was able to try Basuku earlier this year before they moved away. And yes, the cheesecake is great - probably the best rendition of basque cheesecake I've had. I love that it's not too cream-cheese-y in flavor, and the texture is smooth and creamy. Of the flavors we tried, the cookies and cream was my favorite. The coffee had a very strong coffee flavor. read more

Basuku has the most decadent basque cheesecakes in the Bay Area. I've been a fan for years, and they recently posted that they'll be leaving the bay to pursue other locations (Japan/Taiwan). If you haven't tried them yet, go before it's too late! I've been lucky enough to try four of their flavors, and each one showcases their signature silky texture and deep flavor. All are not too sweet! My personal favorite is the Kyoto Matcha - the matcha is high-quality, with a vivid green color and rich flavor that balances beautifully with the creamy cheesecake base. The Original is a classic for a reason with deeply caramelized top and creamy interior. I also tried the Iribancha, a roasted green tea flavor. It's intense, smoky, and unique..maybe not one I could finish in one sitting, but definitely memorable and recommend for those who want that earthy/smoky taste. The truffle was also a standout, adding just enough umami to round out the sweetness. Preorders drop via Instagram (@basukucheesecakes) and sell out lightning-fast. Otherwise, plan to line up for slices! Wishing Basuku all the best on their next chapter. Fingers crossed for a return to the Bay someday! Until then, don't miss your chance to try what might be the best cheesecake you've ever had. read more

Basuku - Original and matcha - Desserts Near Me

basuku and charles, y'all will be missed and the bay will always welcome y'all back with open arms. i am very privileged to have had basuku 4+ times in my life and i still very much standby my initial review. however its upped to five stars this time because yes, preorders are A PAIN AND soooo competitive, BUT it makes the cake GUARANTEED (cus when i visited the first two times, they were always first come, first serve) SOOO, i am willing to risk it for the guaranteed biscuit. only sharing my latest (& hopefully not last) experience with basuku: i love strawberry. so when they only offered the strawberry mont blanc in palo alto, so i successfully scored one (on the second to last week of their basuku in the bay) and cake pick up was a breeze. on instagram, they recommended to pick up after 11:30am, so when i went at 12pm, no line/ i was in and out like THAT. charles also gave the instructions to "freeze the cake for 30-40mins to firm up the cake" before cutting. even after freezing for 30 min, it was still SO soft and smooth towards the inside. taste wise, as always, the cake is not too sweet (perfect amount of sweetness), texturally heavenly with the strawberries, where i can taste each ingredient, cream cheese, egg, and sugar, balanced so perfectly. og is the best but always and eternally grateful for the various delicious flavors that compliment the texture and taste of the cheesecake. thank you and take care basuku. see yall later. read more

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I'm the sweet tooth in our relationship so it was endearing when my carnivore bf shared with me an SF Chronicle article about Basuku; after finding success selling basque burnt cheesecake in the Bay Area during Covid times, Basuku's owner was closing up shop in a month & moving to Asia. His pop-up at corner store Dolores Deluxe in SF was one of our last chances to try his much-raved about cheesecake. At 3:15pm, we joined the line on the corner of 22nd & Dolores where slices & whole pies would sell like, excuse the pun, hotcakes at exactly 3:30pm. Within 10 minutes, all slices were sold out, & that's with a three-per-person limit. The couple ahead of us purchased the last OG (original) flavor which was my first choice. We walked away with one slice of Roasted Banana, exactly the flavor my bf was looking for, & two Hot Chocolate slices which cost ~$42. Lovely crackly exterior with a not-too-dense cheesecake base & gooey middle. Was a bit bummed that the Asian-inspired flavors -- Hojicha, Black Sesame, & Strawberry Black Sesame -- were not offered by the slice, but whatever you get your hands on, it'll be a treat. Check Basuku Cheesecake's instagram for menu & pop-up locations; it seems his last day will be June 14. That leaves a month to chase this baker around the Bay for your fix. read more

Basuku - Roasted banana & hot chocolate basque cheesecake - Desserts Near Me

I came across an article in the SF Chronicles about a super popular Japanese style basque cheesecake pop up that was going to end its bay area operations in a month because the owner decided to focus on his food consulting gigs in Asia. Naturally, I had to try it for myself before it was too late. Basuku has a website and Instagram. Instagram is where the offerings for that week is posted on Tuesdays. Then at 5pm, you need to be order the cheesecake on their online shop for pick up in either Oakland on Wednesday or Palo Alto on Saturday. I set an alarm so that I was ready for 5pm. By the time, I got to the final page for my order, there was a message that said they were no longer taking orders. Nooooo!!!! I clicked on Submit one more time, and miraculously, it went through. I went to the pick up location about 20 minutes early, and there was already a line of about 20 people. The owner came out at 2:30 and said he only had 30 slices to sell for walk-ins with a limit of 2 per person. Unfortunately, he ran out of slices before it was my turn, so I didn't get to try other flavors. Fortunately, I pre-ordered and got my OG cheesecake. The pick up went quick. I had a slice that evening, and it was so smooth and creamy. I wouldn't mind trying some of the other flavors, but the price is pretty steep ($45-65) for a 6" cake. I would definitely recommend trying to pre-order a whole cake online and try your luck with getting slices at pick up. read more

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Had a slice of the original cheesecake, and it is actually heavier than I had expected. It was creamy and delicious though, but pretty dense. read more

Basuku - Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me

I recently heard about this cheesecake and how hard it is to get one. People line up for an hour in hopes of getting one of the 15 available that day. I don't have that patience, but I followed them on Instagram anyway to see if any convenient opportunities would come up. Luckily for me, they were doing 30 email orders last Sunday, with pickup at a restaurant that is a 10 min walk from me. Perhaps beginners luck, but I got one! Apparently they had 300 emails within the first few minutes. I tried it last night and it was beautifully smooth, caramelized, and not too sweet. I didn't eat it the day of pickup (was saving to bring to my parents), and because there's no crust I don't think waiting had any adverse effects. It looks really small for $35, but it is pretty dense so the 5 of us only finished half in one sitting. Good luck everyone! Follow their Instagram for the best opportunities. read more

Basuku - Original - Desserts Near Me

COVID-19 PICKUP When I grow up, I want to be a Golden Girl and eat cheesecake every single night. Not just any cheesecake but Basuku's Japanese-inspired Basque Cheesecakes. These bad boys are so bomb it would make man hangry Blanche Devereaux forget about that meat stick... Well, temporarily, at least because she's thirsty AF. Never had a Japanese-inspired Basque Cheesecake? Virgin here too. These crustless cheesecake are cooked at a high heat producing an crackly, burnt exterior but with a deliciously rich, custardy center (the Japanese twist). Cheesecake meets caramel flan without being overly heavy and sweet. It's made with just 5 ingredients sourced from local farms (gluten-free). Simplicity at its best. Other Info: * A passion project born out of COVID from a Michelin starred industry veteran (Spruce, Hakkasan, Tartine, and Maum). * Small batch with limited quantities; check IG page for ordering details: https://www.instagram.com/basukucheesecakes/. * Price: 6 inch cheesecake (2 lbs) for $30. * Dessert with a cause: 100% of opening week proceeds goes to NAACP and Equal Justice Initiative. * Pickup at Magnolia Mini Mart (Oak) and Ferry Building (SF). * Cheesecake is good for 3 days. Wrap leftovers in saran wrap and keep refrigerated. read more

Basuku - COVID-19 Pickup: Japanese-Inspired Basque Cheesecake | 6 inch - $30 - Desserts Near Me

I have been following this cheesecake for years. Cheesecake is my death row dessert of choice. I saw an instagram post that they were selling whole cakes (they sold out quickly online the day prior) and VERY limited slices at Garden Creamery in the Mission of SF yesterday. I did not want to miss my chance - so I lined up an hour early. I was only behind 4 other people (they said on Instagram there were only going to be 20+ slices for sale - with a per person limit of 2.) I bought one slice of horchata, and one slice of banana. They are not huge slices (a slice is 1/4 of a cake). I will say a price of nearly $13 per slice is pretty steep (which is the only reason for the less than perfect score). The middle is just like the photos - loose and creamy - these were just as good as I imagined them in my head. I am going to try and make one - (on YouTube the NYT has a video of Molly Baz making one- so check it out if you are like-minded). The gal behind me in line said that the Oreo flavor blew her mind, so I will keep an eye out for other pop ups. read more

4.5 stars but rounding up since Basuku is still the king of the Basque style cheesecakes. It's getting slightly easier to find Basuku cheesecake, and Vino Enoteca in Palo Alto is a reliable spot without a crazy wait (this was the case when I went a few months ago). You can pre-purchase slices on Vina Enoteca's website (I believe it was during a specific window of time on Wednesdays) for pickup on Fridays. They also have cheesecakes available (whole and by the slice) for sale on Fridays on a first come, first served basis. Customers can only purchase a maximum of one whole cheesecake. I arrived by 10:30am to wait in line, but it really wasn't necessary. There were maybe 7 people in line when they opened at 11am. I tried: [https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=g7TKPX0yjoF1t632TSTGDQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg] -Original Cheesecake ($38, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=J8OZcgK26jUa01dzrumN9g&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=v5mXKg1Bc97hDgnZakadgA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Basuku's cheesecake manages to be dense but still creamy and fluffy. They are one of the few versions I've tried where the center is still slightly gooey. I loved that their cheesecake isn't too sweet, and has a subtle tangy note- a must try! -Cookies n' Cream Cheesecake (Slice/$12, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Eg_z_SfuVWs7tsaxwZAbOg&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Solid flavor, but not as good as their original. The texture is still great, and the center was still slightly gooey. However, the cookies n cream was a little too sweet for my preference, and I wish it had more cookies n cream flavor. Still good though, and worth trying once! I wouldn't stand in line for Basuku, but would stop by Vino Enoteca on a Friday to try more of their cheesecake flavors. Parking was easy to find in this plaza since there were plenty of spots. read more

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i was fortunate to try cookies and cream, creamsicle, and passionfruit all in one week. it was the best week ever haha. all of these flavors were amazing. wowwwwwwww. wow. wow. i wish these cheesecakes were easier to get. but taking the time to wait in line, following their insta, and having foodie friends def make it all worth it to eat these delicious cheesecakes. my fav so far is creamsicle and passionfruit. please go try and get one! or a slice. you will not have any regrets. read more

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I knew it was going to be good although I didnt know it was going to be this good. The outside was a solid texture only to have a perfectly creamy center. I have had this type of cheesecake in Europe and these folks do it right. Perfection! read more

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I've ordered online a few times. they have pickup locations in SF, Oakland and peninsula. I've tried the original, cara cara orange and lilikoi. The cheesecake is expensive and looks tiny at first but it's super dense. the original is very good and so is the cara cara orange that we enjoyed for NYE. the passion fruit was a miss for me, since I got zero fruit taste. online ordering works well but they usually sell out within 2 minutes. looking forward to trying out more seasonal flavors read more

Basuku - cara cara orange - Desserts Near Me

Placed an order for this cheesecake via shipping and received 2 of them this past Wednesday! Ate 1 cake within 1 day among 3 people. Saving the 2nd cake for a birthday this coming weekend! So delicious. :) Very expensive for the 2 original flavor cakes due to shipping but I'm treating it as "supporting a small business during covid times"! 5 stars for the cakes but 4 stars for how expensive it is for shipping ($180 for 2 cakes shipped vs $70 for 2 cakes picked up in person) read more

Pablo cheese tart, is that you?! Nope! It's Basuku and they make deliiiicious Japanese style basque cheesecakes! It's different from a cheese tart because this cheesecake has no crust! (Well... Unless you consider the "burnt" edges a crust) Oh, and it's not like your fluffy Uncle Tetsu Japanese cheese cake either! The boyfriend heard about this place by word of mouth and decided to place an order for 3 cakes. One for a friend, one for him, and of course one for me! The cheesecakes are $30 each and they're about 6 inches in diameter! I know, I feel like I can eat the entire cake in one sitting by myself!! (I probably can... but self-control!) The outside is firm and the inside is soft. The middle is almost goey! It almost tastes like creme brûlée with a slightly more cake-y mousse-y texture! (They probably share a majority of the ingredients! Cream, egg yolk, sugar...) I can't wait to eat another one! Now to figure out when they're accepting orders again... read more

Basuku - A smol slice - Desserts Near Me

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I had the pleasure of trying this cake at a birthday party. Rating is purely on the taste of the cake, yuzu cheesecake. I'll gladly forego my dinner, pay 50$ for this cake and eat it in the dark. Sounds like it is a pain to get though, which I believe is a blessing and a curse. read more

Just looking back at the picture I took of the cheesecake is making me crave it!! This is the best cheesecake I've ever had - perfect sweetness and the texture is oh so creamy. HUGE PROPS to Charles Chen for creating this basque beauty! Basuku cheesecake works with different partners to help sell the cheesecake. It's definitely by luck because the demand is high to get ahold of one! I've never been lucky enough to grab a cheesecake when I try to order one online (you're competing against everyone that's trying to reserve a cheesecake, all at the same time). They also do a lot of pop up events where you can line up to try and score a cake but a heads up that it seems like most people start lining up 1-2 hours before the event. I was able to buy one of their cheesecakes once when they were doing a first come first serve sale at the Commis restaurant. Not too much competition at that time because it was on a weekday around lunchtime so I'm sure most people had work... and I decided to take an extended lunch ;) Follow them on IG so you can get updates on upcoming pop ups or how you can get your hands on one during the week! read more

Basuku - Best cheesecake I've ever had!! - Desserts Near Me

My friend managed to order a cheesecake from Basuku and I had the privilege to go over to try it! It's one of best cheesecakes I've had, so soft and gooey in the center. I had two slices although it's deceptively filling - seems light and fluffy and also completely satisfying. read more

Basuku - Desserts Near Me

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This cheesecake is so dam good...the center is so creamy and light. It's like right on the border of uncooked and cooked. Perfection. The burnt edges balance out the soft center. You can definitely tell the products used are high quality. I was lucky enough to cop this on my first try via Instagram DMs. They were only selling 10 cheesecakes that day for next day pick up. Drove to Palo Alto the next day, and pick up was super quick and easy since there was a guy standing right outside. $35, but it's for sure a delicacy that is worth!! Can't wait for Charles to scale his business more and make these even more accessible because everyone has got to try this holyyy read more

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Geez... this Japanese inspired cheesecake is ridiculous! It is slightly firm in the beginning coming right out of the fridge but as it sits a little the center becomes such a nice soft creamy treat. We loved how light the cheesecake was reminiscent of desserts in Asia. In the moments of enjoyment, this cheesecake surely took us back to Japan... They sell in super limited quantities currently. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on one, shoot us a text. We're always happy to help... finish your Basuku Cheesecake. :) read more

Basuku - My brother and his GF dug in so fast we never quite got a proper pic... - Desserts Near Me

It didn't quite hit right for me the first try, but I just kept coming back to it. Now I'm just constantly keeping an eye out for the next drop. read more

Even though they're based out of Oakland, you can get their cheesecakes all over the Bay Area, and I've been getting Basuku from Vina Enoteca in Palo Alto. Basque cheesecakes have been in style lately, but I find many to be either too rich or too over cooked. The Basuku ones have a perfectly evenly dense (yet somewhat light) texture that's super smooth and consistent. I also like the ever evolving interesting flavor options (try the passion fruit and banana Oreo!) Next on my list is the Thai tea the next time it's available. They do flash sales and scheduled sales, so follow their Instagram for updates! read more

The cheesecake is worth the hype. I've been able to try a few flavors - original, passionfruit & coffee - and their gelato as well. The passionfruit is my favorite flavor as it adds a bit of tartness to the cheesecake. The first time I got a cheesecake & saw the size I thought it was a bit small, but this cheesecake is filling & all the ingredients used are high quality. As others have mentioned, this cheesecake is a bit hard to come by as it's not made in mass production, but it's a bit absurd that people are giving one star reviews just because they aren't able to get one. The cheesecakes are being sold at various restaurants in the Bay Area that are usually sold through an app at a certain time. Occasionally there are pop-ups or flash sales that are by first come, first serve. People will start standing in line a few hours before so right now during the pandemic I believe they may be handing out tickets/selling the cheesecake prior to the posted time to reduce people gathering in large groups - if there's a limited amount & there are already that many people standing in line, why make them wait? That's just my perspective, but definitely try this cheesecake if you're given the opportunity! read more

Basuku - Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me

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This cheesecake is quite hard to come by. As of now, you can only get it at a few participating restaurants. I ordered it from The Morris SF but it's bundled with a half duck + root vegetable meal so instead of $35 for just the cheesecake, you're paying about $115 (including tax) for the entire meal. It's really a shame because that meal was not good. I could buy 3.5 whole roast ducks from a Chinese deli for the same price and it would taste way better. As for the cheesecake itself, it's pretty darn good. The top tastes firm and caramelized but I really liked the bottom. It wasn't the traditional cheesecake's thick cookie crust but it was thin, sweet and delicious. While I do love this cheesecake, it was just too much effort for me to get. If you have the time and energy, I would highly recommend you try! read more

Basuku - Desserts Near Me

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We picked up the Original, Hot Chocolate, Cookies & Cream adn the Sakura cheesecakes in Palo Alto. We really love the hot chocolate. We got there early and the person(maybe owner) started selling a few munutes early. Which is great. The oreo amd original were great as well. The Sakura flavor still turned out good. Wondering if they would try matcha next time. read more

Finally managed to get my hands on a Basuku cheesecake after trying 2 times at Commis. This cheesecake is worth the non-stop page refreshing and alarm setting just to secure one. When I first saw the box, the first thought that went to my head was "Oh this is tiny for $35!" Couple bites in, you'll quickly realize that tiny cheesecake is super filling and they are sell them as 6 inch cakes for a reason. With 5 ingredients, my mouth was in culinary heaven. I've never had a cheesecake that was so creamy and fluffy before + the top tasted slightly creme brulee-y. 10/10 would definitely order again read more

Hotter than Jordans or Supreme drop! I don't like cheesecake BUT this one from Basuku??? OMG it is sooo soo good. we got lucky to pick up one last thanksgiving, no luck last christmas and for the new year...looking forward to get some of this beauty again read more

Amazing. One of the best cheesecakes I've had! It's like a hybrid of japanese cheesecake and american cheesecake. Fluffy on the outside and dense in the middle, the contrasting texture really adds to the flavor!! I love the creamy center, it accentuates the cheese and dairy flavor. It's also not too sweet, I could def eat at least half of it in one sitting if paired with coffee or tea. Wish it were easier to buy!! read more

Basuku - a piece of cheesecake with a bite taken out of it - Desserts Near Me

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The hype is real, y'all. Best Basque cheesecake I've ever had in my life. Oh so creamy with the perfect amount of sweetness. I ordered the original and can't wait to try other flavors. You won't be disappointed! read more

UPDATE: I went back for their second week at Vino Enoteca to give them one more chance and I had another misleading and inconsiderate experience: I got there 30 minutes earlier than I had the week before and I was the only person in line. I thought that was odd, but I waited, especially since employees inside the shop had clearly seen me waiting outside. 15 minutes later, a Vino Enoteca employee finally came outside to post a sign saying all the cheesecakes were sold out - but how was this possible? They apparently gave out tickets which allowed folks to wait in their cars because it was too cold. Really wish they would have posted a sign about this online at least in-person sooner so that I would not have waited. Also, quite frustrated that they saw me waiting and did not tell me. Extremely poor customer service. 6NOV: I was waiting in line at Vino Enote and they came out and said that they would run out of cheesecakes about 5 people behind me, but I got to the register, and they were sold out. This was frustrating and misleading. It's not difficult to count people in line and to count cheesecakes made in order to provide accurate availability for those waiting. Note that there were at least 15 people behind me too. read more

When a sale is advertised to start at 1pm, you don't start selling before that time especially with a limited amount of product. And when you complain to the company about this, and get that it's because of the times and many other came before you, that's just excuses. From another complaint on here, it seems to be their normal business model. Not a small business worth supporting. I support many of them and this one does not understand constructive criticism from customer complaints about their business model! read more

I had heard about this a few months ago, thought it was just a temporary fad, then didn't really think about it. Then Soleil Ho of the Chronicle BLEW IT UP. I set the goal of getting one of these bad boys. For 3 weeks, I came within literal seconds of getting one from Magnolia, but failed. I started to set alarms, open multiple windows- whatever. The trick is to save the URL as a favorite, and then checkout using Google Pay. When I finally got my hands on it, I carefully followed the directions- not too cold, temper it a little. You would think "oh cheesecake is cheesecake" but no my friend you are WRONG WRONG WRONG. One of the most unique aspects of this cake is the textural difference. The center is a soft cream, yet still light. As you work towards the outside, it becomes more like a traditional cheesecake, but oh so much better. The outside is perfectly carmelized. If you can get your hands on one of these badboys, DO SO. Highly recommend, 10/10 etc. etc. read more

This is the best cheesecake in town! Do yourself a favor and wait in line, invest in more broadband or hire a taskter- it lives up to the hype. read more

Believe the hype. This is the best cheesecake I've ever had (possibly even better than La Viña's!). They are totally impossible to get because it's so small production and people are understandably crazy for these things, but when you get one it's like winning the lottery! The yuzu and Passionfruit are my favorite so far. read more