Restaurant Review: Uncle Tetsu

UNCLE TETSU'S JAPANESE CHEESECAKE

598 Bay Street ~ uncletetsu-ca.com Instagram: @uncletetsucanada ~ Twitter: @UncleTetsuCanad Co-Diner: Tim Golem

What's the deal with Uncle Tetsu?! I hadn't heard much about them, only that every time that they opened a location, it would be lined up down the street. People are crazy for these cheesecakes. But why?? blogTO calls them the #1 Best Cheesecake in Toronto. I had to get to the bottom of this. The shop's logo is pretty cute, it's a cartoon version of Uncle Tetsu himself. He's a real person. He's from Japan and he opened his namesake cheesecake shop back in 1985 and now has many shops all around the world. Canada's flagship location opened in Downtown Toronto, near Yonge-Dundas Square and there are now eight locations in the GTA. (There's also one in Vancouver and one in Montreal.) I visited their original shop on a Sunday afternoon with Japanese cheesecake on my mind. I needed to finally taste it for myself! The location is incredibly small and you should not expect to "eat in" because there are no tables and no seating. It's literally just a tiny counter pumping out cheesecakes to-go. It's a cute little shop though, with an open view into where all of the cheesecakes are being made and a clear, easily-understood chalkboard menu. They really don't make much else other than their signature cheesecakes - and apparently that's enough to garner major success. You can buy like one or two other kinds of cookies, but let's face it, that's not why you came. An Original Cheesecake will run you $12.00 (tax included). They've begun offering a matcha version on Mondays and a chocolate version on Thursdays... But I was really only interested in the orig.

The logo emblazoned on every cake is their signature move. The cheesecake itself is seven inches across and is certainly the type of item that one would share with others. These perfectly-baked, golden cakes are handmade fresh every day using no preservatives or additives. They use freshly harvested eggs, high quality butter, and cream cheese. Apparently Uncle Tetsu takes the cheese used so seriously that he, himself actually travels to each city where his stores are located, and after lots of tasting and testing, chooses the perfect cheese - always locally produced. (This makes me wonder if the cakes taste slightly different from place to place?) They happily boast that they use only all-natural premium local ingredients. The flavour of the cheesecake is described as; "smooth and creamy, mellow yet rich, with every bite melting in your mouth." Once your cake is ordered, it gets wrapped in a gauzy sheet, put into a signature red box, and placed inside an adorable carrier bag. I could feel that my cheesecake was still deliciously warm. (You definitely want to enjoy the cake warm. If you can't eat it right away, the box includes instructions on how to warm it up in the microwave.) I was very excited to sink my teeth into my very first taste of an Uncle Tetsu cheesecake. (I should also note that I'm not even a very big fan of cheesecake. It's certainly not my favourite and I'd almost never order it... But this cheesecake is something special and different.) My very first thought was that it was like eating a cloud! The mouthfeel is so incredibly light and fluffy that it truly does melt away. The flavour itself is actually quite light. It's not too sweet; there are no bells and whistles or crazy flavours here. It's very simple which creates something beautiful. You can taste each of the straight-forward high quality ingredients. What sets this cake apart from all others is certainly the texture. Many cheesecakes are quite dense (and can often include all sorts of toppings). Uncle Tetsu offers something so simple and light, executed perfectly every time. I'm not sure that Uncle Tetsu quite lives up to the hype, I mean, it's a lot of hype (which can sometimes be a problem in itself when it comes to managing expectations). But you've definitely gotta try one for yourself! You won't be disappointed at each light and airy bite! I would choose this cheesecake above most others any day.