My first visit to Uncle Tetsu & to the Hillsdale Mall since the start of the pandemic. Upon approaching the counter, the COVID-19 safety protocols were in place, staff was gloved and masked. The cakes were no longer openly displayed but already pre-packed in individual boxes. It's been more than a year since my last visit, pre-pandemic, I noticed new flavors in particular an Oreo and Ube flavor in addition to a burnt Basque cheesecake. I stuck with the regular versions and got the Oreo and original cheesecakes. The price is still not bad for under $12 since it's opening on my visit. Note that the Basque cheesecakes were almost double the price. I was pleased with both my selections, however I thought the Oreo one didn't taste much like Oreo--it was kind of tasteless; baked with crumbled Oreo cookies and came decorated with a big Oreo cookie. My favorites are still their original and the chocolate cheesecakes. I prefer the airy, light fluffiness rather than the heavy and dense NY style cheesecake. read more

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If you are fan of Japanese cheesecake, which is smaller and lighter than American cheesecake, this place is for you. THey have a normal, matcha, and taro flavor and occasionally a seasonal flavor. They also have some flavors in smaller sizes. My favorite is the cookies and cream, and the basque cheesecakes cost more as they are baked and slightly larger. I recommend ordering online ahead of time to avoid having to wait and worry about items selling out. read more

First timer at Uncle Testu! Uncle Tetsu is located in the food area of the San Mateo mall. The customer service was quick and friendly! I went on a Saturday late afternoon and it wasn't as busy. My boyfriend and I ultimately agreed on getting the Oreo cheesecake (mainly because he wasn't a fan of the other flavors). The oreo cheesecake had a perfect balance of not too sweet, but sweet enough. There's Oreo bits within the cheesecake which make it a nice surprise. The texture was airy! I would recommend uncle Tetsu for those who want to try something new! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Oreo cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

September 2020 - Just heard that Hillsdale Mall have reopened and we can now enter the mall again to order/pick up our cheesecake. However, if you are worried about a certain flavor selling out, make sure to preorder on their Tock website. As many of you may know already, there's been a huge burnt basque cheesecake craze. Everyone is getting on the wagon on either learning how to make it or trying to stalk websites as to when they are being released each week. I'm happy to say that Uncle Tetsu is now offering their version of the basque cheesecake as well. Yay, thank you!! While they are selling out of them pretty quick too, at least you are able to get your hands on one + it is a little less than what others are selling theirs for. This is a definitely a great new option that Uncle Tetsu is offering on top of their original Japanese cheesecake and various flavors offering. Thank you for staying open during such uncertain times. Our family definitely missed your cheesecakes during the few months that you guys were closed. Keep up the great work! read more

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SO FLUFFY! I've tried a couple Japanese cheesecakes when I was in Japan and though this doesn't taste the same, still enjoyed it. Not to be confused with American cheesecakes, these are much lighter and are more cloud like and similar to a sponge cake but much softer and melts in your mouth. They have a variety of flavors (original, chocolate, strawberry) and a couple rotating seasonal flavors. At the time I went there was ube and burnt basque. The cakes are lightly flavored and sweetened which makes it easy to eat a lot (or potentially to just finish the cake all by yourself)! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Strawberry cheesecake (with Halloween stamp) ! - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I've heard so much about Uncle Tetsu from my friends through social media and I have always wanted to go try. My brother was around the area with his friends and he bought 3 different Japanese cheesecake. I was so happy when I got home and seen that he got Uncle Tetsu! He bought the original flavor, Matcha, and Chocolate. The cheesecake was so light and fluffy. I love how it's not overly sweet. It was everything I could've dreamed of in a cheesecake. I love dessert and I love it even more when it's not overly sweet, and that is just what Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake is! I love each one of them. The flavor wasn't so overwhelming, but it wasn't bland. It was just delicious. I have no words. I honestly cannot wait to get cheesecake from here again, because it was just fluffy, light and just the right amount of sweetness to it. I believe they have other flavors as well and I cannot wait to try them! I wish there was one closer by, maybe one day a Uncle Tetsu will open up in the East Bay. read more

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Ube Japanese cheesecake = yumm!!! I've been to Japan twice and I didn't try these when I was there. What the heck was I thinking!? I'm glad they have this in San Mateo!! I thought the ube one was the best one. One cheesecake I'd say is good for 2 people to share. Great customer service too! I placed my order a few days ahead and my email had detailed instructions on how to pick up the order. As soon as I arrived at the zone location on where I was instructed to park, I called, told them my name and which one was my car. My bag of cheesecake was immediately brought out without any wait. read more

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There was no wait at all as we stopped by after getting dim sum. We opted to go for the original flavor and it was so light and fluffy! It's easily shared between 2-3 people as it's so light and fluffy. The cheese foam matcha was really good too! Not too sweet or heavy. I wish there was one closer to where we live! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Original cheesecake and cheese foam matcha - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

Finally a closer location to the east bay. Located inside the main mall's food court. Many different flavors. Coffee, ube, regular, matcha, burnt oreo, regular and burnt. $13 for regular cheesecakes, $25 for burnt cheesecakes. I bought both! None of them have graham cracker crust. Very soft, sometimes airy, but not heavy. Burnt or browned cheesecake has more structure on the top surface. Not crunchy but not as fluffy as the regular cheesecakes. Good for those who don't want only fluff. Heard matcha does not have much flavor, it's just very green. I bought the oreo cheesecake. Middle was softer than normal. Highly recommend the coffee flavor regular cheesecake. Taste just as good as the one from southern California. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Sign inside mall - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

Picked up an original and matcha flavor cheesecake ($11.80 each) along with four packs of their biscotti cookies (original, chocolate, matcha, and ube - $4.50 each). We tasted everything when we got home and came to the following agreement: Cheesecake - these are good, airy, and fluffy but very light on taste. It does state that when the cake is at room temperature, it's more like a sponge cake with an eggy essence and hints of cheese. When stored in the refrigerator though if becomes more dense with a cream cheese flavor (good for 3 days in fridge) and if frozen, it becomes very dense and tastes/feels more like a traditional cheesecake (good for 7 days frozen). I personally like more of tangy cheese flavor so we'll see how these are after we refrigerate and/or freeze them. Biscotti - these are also very light, crispy, and a little sweet although it was hard to distinguish the specific flavors - they kind of all tasted the same. They are good but will probably pass on these next time. As others have said, the cheesecakes would make great gifts or to get a few different flavors to bring to a party/potluck (post covid) where they can be cut up into small slices for everyone to try. read more

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Unpopular opinion: these are just regular sponge cakes. To be fair, they're really good sponge cakes, but I really didn't get much of the tang from the cheese that I would expect from cheesecake. I'm not sure if this is characteristic of Japanese cheesecakes, but to me it really wasn't a cheesecake. I will say that eating them again after leaving them in the fridge for a day really helped the cheese flavor shine through, so I definitely better enjoyed these cakes as time went on rather than fresh on the day of purchase. I did find the little Christmas stamp on the cakes really festive and cute. The price is very reasonable, each cake is a little over $10 which is very affordable. I got the matcha and original cheesecakes. The matcha taste wasn't too strong but was still present, which I liked. Overall I agree with the other reviews that these cakes would make great gifts. I am a little curious to try their other flavors, but I am not in a rush to buy their cakes again for myself. They just didn't live up to their hype for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

Uncle Tetsu - matcha cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Been coming for years since they opened. Seems the prices go up $0.50 to $1 every time i come here. If you're looking to bring dessert or a little something to a get-together then an Uncle Tetsu cheesecake is a good something. May need one or two depending on how many people. Cheesecakes are light and fluffy. Not heavy at all like traditional American cheesecakes. Wish they were a little bigger. read more

Fluffy, airy, delicate, just the right amount of sweetness. All of these words describe the reasons why I have a love affair with Japanese cheesecake. I mean, you're not gaining any weight if you're just eating air, right? After playing the VR game in Hillsdale mall, we headed to the nearby food court, which housed lots of Asian culinary delights. After chowing down at the ramen spot, we figured we could fit one more indulgence in. We each ordered our own original flavored cheesecake and after imagining a limit of a few bites, ended up eating 3/4 of the cake. It's so easy to eat the whole thing. Throughout the light, soft texture, I tasted the notes of delicious dairy packed in - I'm sure there are eggs, cream cheese, butter, milk in the recipe. I ended up getting another one to-go for a friend - I tried not to eat it on the way home. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Original is the best - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I don't like cakes too sweet or too heavy. Uncle Tetsu is a good choice for me. Their drinks are good as well. Better than the sharetea next to them. The cheese cake is only good at original flavor. The coffee one and the chocolate one are not as good as the original Come here again, I got two original cakes, one green tea Salted cheese and one matcha with cheese foam. The cheese foam for matcha and green tea are different. The one used for matcha has the cream cheese flavor, and the one on green tea is just salted whipping cream I guess. I love the one on matcha. But when I mix the green tea with the salted cheese, I think it taste good as well. Their Matcha is always good! They only sell the drinks for $4 and all of them are large read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

Old review at beginning of covid! First time at uncle tetsu and I will forever love my friend to introducing me to it. I love the packaging, as a present its very straight off presentable- something that can be hard for reasonably priced desserts. Appearance wise, its pretty rare to get a non cracked cake but I assure you the texture is the same moist and fluffy as it consistently is. The matcha was very mild and overall the cake was eaten for the soft creaminess and texture like a cloud. The original is the one that blew me away with the perfect background note of sweetened cheesecake but incredibly fluffiness! read more

The line wasn't long at all. I ordered the original and pumpkin cheese cake. The cakes were already pre boxed so I was able to order, pay for my purchase, and be on my way in less than 5 minutes. This is not your average cheesecake. It has a sponge like texture, it is much lighter and fluffier and not as sweet like the standard cheesecake. This was my first time trying the Japanese cheesecake and I loved it. Can't wait to come back and try the other flavors! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Original cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

Uncle tetsu definitely meets the hype. It's a buttery and dense Japanese cheesecake, and it tastes unlike any other Asian cheesecakes that I've had before (and I've had plenty). I've had this cake twice and would say that their quality is pretty consistent. I went to get it myself the second time and was lucky enough not to experience a long line. The line extended pretty quickly after my friend and I got there though. I've tried the original and coffee, and to be honest, they taste pretty similar. The coffee taste wasn't strong at all. Somehow, I feel like the original tastes slightly better too. Overall, I would recommend coming here. They have a online ordering system with COVID, so I'd recommend trying instead of waiting in the line. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Coffee - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Upon more frequent visits to this Uncle Tetsu location, I've added another star since my last review to give this place a 5/5! Customer service has improved and there are no longer crazy long lines. :) Aside from the classic cheesecake, they have seasonal flavors and I was astounded to find pandan coconut and lychee rose cheesecake flavors for this month! I would highly recommend the pandan coconut as it's very aromatic and delicious! The coconut flavor comes through and compliments the pandan cheesecake very well without being too overwhelming. I've also started buying their drinks here and am a huge fan of their green milk tea and matcha tea with cheese foam. I would recommend any of their drinks at 50% sweetness. When I went to the location in Valley Fair, they didn't sell drinks so this location has a one up to other locations! read more

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When it comes to desserts, I'm not big on overly sweet ones like: pies (ugh cooked fruit in sugar), nor cakes (sugar-frosting overload) but do love cheesecakes! Creamy, rich, decadent, flavored or plain...love them! Firsbite and thoughts of this Japanese-style cheesecake: airy, spongy, light, not too sweet, nor a lot of flavor of the original...almost like an angel food cake (which I love) and fat-free cheesecake hybrid that's been steamed vs baked. I'm not sure it meets the requirement of what I love in cheesecake (mainly the creaminess) but it was something different and grew on me with each bite. Oddly, I don't like it when it's still fresh out of oven (I know, I know!) and prefer the next day as it seems to get a little denser and not as airy ...just a preference as I want some texture and feel like I'm eating something calorie worthy. The original flavor is very subtle (for me) but have to say the coffee is my favorite as it has more depth..unfortunately, only had the sample as it was still baking and not yet available...so I had 3-4 samples of the coffee (thank you very much!) and left with an original :) I'll definitely return for the coffee and the original and.... 'zhuhz' it a bit :) Pricing for cakes (all flavors) runs $11 for 6" cake read more

Uncle Tetsu - Trying the Coffee cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I am not a cheese cake fan but this Japanese cheese cake is delish. Not super sweet - the slight sweetness is very tempting. The cake is airy and puffy and tastes really good. Do not miss their signature cheesecake! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Japanese cheese cake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love Japanese food. From sushi and yakitori, to Ramen and tempura...I love it all. So it's no surprise that I would fall in love with their cheesecake. Unlike the German--which is dense and has some bite to go it--and the American version (definitely more creamy and sweeter), the cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu is light, fluffy and just enough sweetness to be considered dessert. The texture is amazing. So it's no wonder the line at the store is long. Folks know what's good. read more

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Uncle Tetsu welcome home to the USA and more specifically San Mateo's newest hotspot the Hillsdale Shopping Mall. Wait did I say that correctly? Yes, you heard that correctly Hillsdale has now become the epicenter of what's trending and hot in terms of hip cuisine from East Asia. Nothing solidifies this notion more than Uncle Tetsu opening their first location in the newly expanded Food Court that opens all the way out to an expanded outdoor courtyard featuring a luxury cinema, a bowling alley and even more restaurants and stores. But on this day we came to Hillsdale for one thing and one thing only and that would be one of Uncle Tetsu's world famous Japanese Cheesecakes! I had heard about these wondrous soft and fluffy cheesecakes that weren't too sweet and easy to digest that they hope everyone would love for quite some time, on both local food blogs and on social media. When we arrived at about 1pm there was a flurry of activity in the mall's food court but thankfully there wasn't a huge line at Uncle Tetsu. While in line, you get the chance to see them through a pane window making their signature cheesecakes made with cream cheese, butter, milk, sugar, white flour and eggs. On this day, after looking at the all of the flavors they offer from regular to coffee to strawberry to chocolate and at 11 dollars per cheesecake they were at a decent price point. I decided to order two cheesecakes, after much thought, I decided to go with two strawberry cakes one as a gift for a friend and one for myself! And my friend who came with me, she decided to order a coffee cheesecake for us to split right there in the mall's food court. They also serve drinks at Uncle Tetsu, and instead serving traditional boba drinks, they refreshingly serve tea drinks, four in fact to select from, and I went with the Sea Salt Green Tea, anything with Sea Salt and I am sold and at 4 dollars was a reasonable price. When we sat down our cheesecake was unlike anything I had tasted before, light and fluffy like they say as a "cloud" and since it was served room temperature it was more soft and brought out more of the cream cheese flavor. My drink was also nicely flavored with the green tea not too overpowering and the sea salt foam providing an extra punch but I would recommend that you mix your foam and tea before all of the tea is gone! Uncle Tetsu's is a fun addition to the mall food court landscape, with a second location planned for Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco, they are well on their way for world domination. Cheesecakes that are fluffy like a cloud that may jiggle and dance when you eat them that just make you jiggle and dance when you'e finished! read more

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I bought a tart that was not cooked enough. It was runny and broke in half when I bit into it. NOT something you could eat with your hands. The tarts are supposed to have a firm texture. I brought the runny half that had not fallen on the table to repeatedly be told it was still hot and had not firmed up yet, NOPE! It was cold and raw inside. These are expensive, just make it right and let me have a fully cooked one. Three people gave me a hard time and bullshit excuses. Way too expensive for horribly customer service. read more

Love this place! The Japanese cheesecake is super moist and yummy. Something this light can't be bad for you right? They have the default flavors like regular, chocolate and strawberry but also have seasonal flavors like pumpkin and cookies and cream. Also recently they came out with basque cheesecake which is my fav! So flavorful! Also it's relatively cheap for the size of cheeses cake you get. Lasts forever! And you don't feel super guilty about eating it since it feels lighter than normal cheesecake read more

Uncle Tetsu - Oreo cookies - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I am not a huge fan of their cheesecake, I like regular, standard American cheesecake, but I love their little mini-tarts, they are SOOOO GOOOD, please don't sell them any more, am trying to lose pandemic pounds. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Super easy online ordering system if you want to skip the lines, just need to order at least a day in advance. I ordered the original and ube cheesecake ($12.30 each) and it only cost $1 extra for the convenience of ordering online ahead of time. Pick up was super easy. Park in the parking structure and then go upstairs to the food court area to the storefront. Each cheesecake is a decent portion size for 3-4 people. They were both light and fluffy, but I liked the ube one a bit more as it had a bit more flavor and was more moist. Overall it was a nice treat, not too expensive, and made a good contrast to dense American cheesecakes. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Ube cheesecake ($12.30) - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I have a natural soft spot for this company - a close family member is also a "Tetsu;" the branding for Uncle Tetsu is super endearing (gahhh their emblem looks like every balding Japanese uncle/grandpa ever). They back up the cuteness with tasty treats: pretty much in only two varieties - traditional, fluffy "soufflé"-style cheesecake (in the original plain flavor, and sometimes others - chocolate...) and the cheese tarts. The cheese tarts are available in the plain/original variety, and they usually have some alternative flavors as well (chocolate, matcha and Ube today). I say stick with the classics and order plain everything - the cheese flavor just comes through better in the plain formats. Other reviewers have complained about the cost of the cheese tarts, but each one is pretty generous, and I do think 4 for $16 is reasonable for the portion size. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Cheese tarts - go with the traditional plain ones - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I gave it another go around. This time with chocolate cheesecake... I love it now! I think they made some improvements and the cake is now moist, the chocolate was just enough sweetness and the cheese was very subtle but added to the moistness. I came on a Saturday evening and the line was about 8 feet deep and manageable. There were more waiting behind me but when the cashier announced that it would be another 15-20 minutes for the regular flavor cheesecake, a bunch of them scattered away. But not me! Chocolate is now my favorite :) read more

This place is so interesting. I love the fluffy cheesecakes and milk tea drinks. I'm usually not a fan of cheesecakes because of how dense they are, but these ones are so light. The classic or strawberry are my favorites. The staff here keeps things moving quickly. It makes for a nice dessert or treat! read more

I LOVE UNCLE TETSU. Yes, it's a chain. Yes it gets crazy, but the ube cheese cake. OMG. Don't get me wrong, original is good, but UBE???? Definitely get the Ube. It's a seasonal flavor, and they don't always have it. I have tried all of the other flavors, strawberry, matcha etc. Surprisingly, while I love matcha, I don't love the matcha flavored cheesecake here. However, can we go back to Ube for a second. Yes. You must get this if its on the menu, its literally one of the best and most heavenly things I've tasted. I'm not that into dessert, so its not too sweet and it's not too artificial tasting. It's delicious and the staff here is so efficient for how busy they are. Definitely order online, so you can just go to pick up! read more

Kind of Hype. I've heard about Uncle Tetsu all around instagram. When my friends and I wanted to go to Shake Shack in this Mall, we discovered this spot and figured we had to try it! Price Point: $11 Serving size for about 8 people. I think it's worth it! They don't sell by the slice, but they have samples of different flavors. Some flavors they offer are: Original, Strawberry, Chocolate, Coffee and Matcha. We got the original and my friends have tried the one from Japan and said this particular one tasted more cheesecake like. Don't expect this "cake" to taste more like "cheesecake" it has the texture of soft cake but moreso the flavor of cheesecake! This place also serves a selection of Boba Drinks. I'd recommend it, it's worth it! read more

Love this place. Conveniently located in the mall and the staff are always super nice. Love that they have seasonal flavors, especially since it's coconut pandan right now. The cakes are always super fluffy and moist. Love the flavor options and even the plain ones are delicious. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Coconut pandan - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

It's one of those places that I had bookmarked for a special occasion for a time that I needed cake. My brother and I were super excited to finally come here and get the cake for a party of ours. Unfortunately Uncle Tetsu's disappointed. I felt that the cheesecake was definitely lacking flavor, and after a couple of bites it really gets rather boring. It's just so bland and foamy that we just didn't want to eat anymore. It's one of those desserts that sound good on paper, and taste good for the first two bites, but if I had to eat a whole slice or more the flavor palette is so boring that I wouldn't want to continue. Three stars for decent price and quick service. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Meh, I don't understand the hype - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

The first ever location that opened in the San Francisco Bay Area!! The hype is still real, and the best thing about it lately - no more long lines or sold out cheesecakes! They first made their debut when the new Dining Terrace opened up around 2019 in the always evolving & aesthetically-pleasing Hillsdale Shopping Center complex! Who doesn't love a warm, jiggly Japanese Cheesecake? Made-from-scratch using only the highest quality ingredients, Uncle Tetsu Japanese Cheesecakes combines the richness of American cheesecakes with the lightness of French soufflés. The cheesecake is very different from most as they are very light, airy, and interestingly enough flimsy. The original cheesecake is your introductory product, for the first-timers out there - and there are also different flavors (Matcha, Oreo, Ube, Strawberry, Chocolate, to name a few) - and seasonal ones throughout the year as each season changes! In addition, the best times to pick one up is when they first open up - as they will be freshly-baked and ready for you to indulge! Just make sure to cover of finish it asap or it does get dry out, and get hard! If I may add, their cheesecakes goes perfectly with some hot tea or coffee. They also serve mini cheese tarts, matcha tea with cheese foam, salty green tea, and green milk tea. Definitely will be back again for my Japanese Cheesecake fixes! Watch for the seasonal limited edition items too that change often! My favorites are still the original and ube, though. Highly recommended for ya'll to try check out & try this place out! You'll need dessert some time after a scrumptious meal at the many dining establishments found within the sprawling complex that the Peninsula & beyond enjoys going to! read more

Finally got to try Uncle Tetsu's basque cheesecake! Delicious, rich and light, not too sweet. It's $10 more than the regular cheesecakes so more of a special treat. Please open a store in East Bay! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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As many other Yelpers here have mentioned, Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake is NOTHING like the super jiggly cheesecake you've seen people have in Japan and all over social media. However for what it is, it is still a very delicious cheesecake! Located on the 2nd floor of Hillsdale Mall inside the newly remodeled Food Court area. We arrived around 4:30pm in the evening on a weekend so there wasn't much of a line at that point. They have some samples out to try, but unfortunately the sample tray is located near the cashier so you have to wait till your turn to pay is about to come up to quickly grab a sample or two, and wolf it down, before making a decision on which flavor you'd like to buy. Uncle Tetsu has 4 cheesecake flavors to choose from: Chocolate, Strawberry, Original, or Coffee. We went with the chocolate this time, and it was not too sweet, but still fluffy and delicious. The cheesecake itself is not very big, and it's pretty easily to guiltily eat the entire cheesecake if you lack self-control like I do. Each cheesecake is $11.00 so it's still fairly affordable. Uncle Tetsu also sells tea drinks if you need something to wash down the cheesecake with. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Uncle Tetsu originated in Japan in 1985 - this is their first location in the Bay Area (there other USA locations are in Hawaii and SoCal). It is located in the food court in Hillsdale Mall. The hype is real, so there is frequently a long line, but it does move quickly because they crank these cakes out like clockwork. I came on a busy Sunday and waited no more then 10-minutes. I opted for the "original" flavor. Very good! If you've ever had Japanese pancakes before, this cake tasted like a denser version. It's fluffy, light, soft, and airy. Be careful - because the cake is so light - it's EASY to over-indulged... Compared to American cheesecake, the "cheese" flavor on Uncle Tetsu's cake is very minimal. Just a hint of cheese. I would go as far as saying it's not entirely cheesecake but more of a sponge cake. Each cake is priced at $11. Unfortunately, you cannot buy by the slice or buy half-cakes. I wish they offered these options (what if I go alone or with someone else and don't want a whole cake?). But I get it - they want people to throw down the full $11. Good business. Make sure to ask for forks and knives, especially if you're sharing. It appears they don't give them out automatically and I go back and ask for mine. I would be willing to come back to try their matcha flavor! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Original flavor ($11) - wish they offered by the slice/half cake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Definitely not the same "Jiggly Cheesecake" as the ones I've tried at Uncle Rikuro's in Osaka, Japan but a close second! Rikuro's cheesecake had a lot more height and jiggle to it in comparison to the cheesecakes sold here. Nevertheless the cheesecakes here were still just as light , airy, and delicious. Personally, I prefer Japanese style cheesecakes much more than their American counterparts. American cheesecakes are very dense and too decadent for my liking while Japanese cheesecakes are super fluffy, it's as if you're biting into a cloud. I've seen other Yelpers complain about the long waits here but luckily I've never had to experience a wait longer than 5 minutes. I highly suggest coming on a Monday-Thursday in order to avoid long queue times! At a mere $11 a cake, this is definitely a steal! Although it was definitely cheaper in Japan, it's understandable that the price would be higher here since the cost of living in the Bay Area is much higher. They offer four different flavors here; original, coffee, chocolate, and strawberry. My personal favorite is the original while my boyfriend's is the coffee. The coffee one is very reminiscent of a light tiramisu while the original tastes like a very soft and creamy sponge cake. They also sell cheese foam teas here and they're very similar if not better than the one's served at Happy Lemon! I definitely recommend stopping by Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake if you're already at Hillsdale mall! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Gave my dog a little piece of the original cheesecake and she absolutely loved it! Follow her on IG @Silvia_Inu :) - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Yummy yummy yummy... this place speaks for itself! Yummy different flavors of cheesecakes at a good rate... delicately soft and not overly sweet! Honestly not much more to say! I just can't give it a full 5 stars because I don't find myself craving it enough to buy one consistently... I have to be in the mood to buy and eat some. read more

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To be entirely transparent, I never got to try Japanese-style cheesecakes when I was in in Japan, so I can't speak to how authentic Uncle Tetsu's truly is. However, I cannot understate how much I wish I had during my last trip to Japan. Not just so that I'd know what the real deal tastes like, but because it's just another item on my list of things I missed out on trying! Oh how I wish I Yelp had made its way into Japan back then...my time there would've been so different! Given all of that, I was stoked when I heard that Uncle Tetsu was finally making its way to the Bay Area. Even more so, I was super stoked that they were opening in such a convenient location - the newly revamped food court/pavilion inside Hillsdale. Can't argue with not having to drive all of the way down to the South Bay or having to fight for parking in the city somewhere! While I couldn't see what other varieties they had to offer, it didn't really matter since I already knew I was getting their ORIGINAL JAPANESE CHEESECAKE ($11). Now, when people say these things are "jiggly", they truly mean it. Before I even took it out of the box, my cheesecake was already shaking it like a polaroid picture. Biting into it, I liked how fluffy and airy the texture was, but it just tasted like a cheese-flavored cake to me. Not bad by any means; I think I'm just too used to the rich decadence of "traditional" cheesecakes. Considering how unique these cakes are (there aren't exactly a ton of places in the Bay Area that offer it, as far as I know of), Uncle Tetsu is definitely worth a visit, especially if you've never experienced Japanese-style cheesecakes before. For me, I thought it was more good than great, but it's more just a matter of taste. Plus, I might be able to appreciate it more when (not if) I get this again since I'll know what to expect. I definitely want to try some of their other flavors as well, like their coffee and green tea matcha! Until I do though, THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Original Japanese Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California