I am late to the Japanese cheesecake craze. My very first Yelp in-person event was at a Japanese cheesecake place in Unionville that has since switched names and ownership. I loved the two samples that I got, but never went back to get a full Japanese cheesecake anywhere.
Well, all that changed last Friday. A week earlier, I saw my friend post photos of this beautiful rose valentine soufflé cheesecake for Valentine's Day. It looked so pretty and scrumptious that I immediately ordered one online through Cheese Garden's site for pickup from this location in North York. I couldn't get pickup immediately and chose Lunar New Year because I was off from work that day.
I haven't hung out in this part of North York for a long time. I used to meet a friend for a movie and dinner often years ago, as it was close to his workplace. The area still has loads of eateries, but I don't recognize a lot of them.
I drove over here and parked on Yonge Street. I parked in front of Upper East Food Club, which was a block over from Cheese Garden. It wasn't planned. I had no idea where it was, but knew where I'd be getting takeout for lunch.
I paid using my Green P app, which I am digging these days. I don't need to touch a parking machine and I don't need to carry change with me. It's awesome!
Some businesses either didn't make the effort to shovel their storefront, or perhaps a thaw and freeze happened, and the sidewalk became icy. I took caution walking on it. It would be horrible to wipe out on a busy street.
I walked into the store. There was one woman ahead of me who had what seemed like a complicated order. I stood in line for perhaps seven minutes. It was perfect, as it allowed me to take photos.
She finally left with her stuff. It was my turn. I had my eight-digit order number handy, which is what the man and woman behind the counter needed. It felt like a tag team effort in which they finally found my order.
The man confirmed my two items:
- Rose valentine soufflé cheesecake
- Baked cheese tart
I had already paid online, so I got both boxes in a rectangular bag. I thanked both folks and wished them a good day. They were so friendly and nice, and reciprocated.
I headed to my car to put my goodies away. Many folks parked by me were risking paying for parking. I'm not the gambling type and I'm glad that I didn't. As I was putting my bag away to fetch my lunch takeout next, the parking patrol had arrived. He was two cars away from mine. He was starting to write a ticket when a man bolted out of Upper East Food Club, apologized, jumped in his vehicle, and drove off. I was impressed with his dash-and-go technique!
I eventually got home with my takeout and chowed down. For dessert, I went for the rose valentine soufflé cheesecake.
My mistake was cutting the cheesecake immediately without putting it in the fridge. It was delicate that cutting a wedge looked like I had grabbed some cheesecake with my fingers. Even though my slice didn't look pretty, it tasted fantastic!
The base has Oreo crumbs. On top of them is soufflé cheesecake, and then rose milk pudding. It's topped with rose chocolate wide shavings. Around the cake is rose strawberry mascarpone cheese. Insanely delicious and decadent!
I have since had a few more slices. They cut a lot better when the cheesecake has been chilling in the fridge.
The baked cheese tart is fantastic. The crust is so buttery and flaky. It's recommended to tear off the crust and dip it into the cheesecake. It's fun! The cheesecake is creamy and divine. Both items aren't overly sweet, which I appreciate.
I had an excellent experience. I'm eyeing getting the matcha tiramisu next. I thought that it would be overkill to get that with the rose valentine soufflé cheesecake, so I'll be back for more.
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