Obtaining one of Uncle Tetsu's unofficially-released matcha cheesecakes was actually a mission in itself.
When images of the highly-anticipated green tea concoction surfaced, I took to Front St. Foods at Union Station the moment I debarked. At 7:15 AM, only a few vendors had lifted the heavy white curtains from their stall; among them were: Hula Girl Espresso, Miche Bakery, Bacon Nation, and other coffee-/breakfast-serving stalls. The staff at Uncle Tetsu were also still making their morning preparations
I approached the girl weighing ingredients behind the counter to inquire about the matcha cheesecake, and the method to obtain an entire cake (as opposed to the halves, quarters, and eighths the original Cheesecake was being sold in). She informed me that they had been selling the matcha cheesecake only to test the market on Friday, so some users may have been able to take advantage of that. She had also replied "no" when I asked her if the matcha cheesecake would ever be sold at Front St. Foods.
I walked away in defeat, accepting the fact that I would taste no matcha cheesecake until later on in August.
That same night, I came across something of vast interest to me as I browsed my feeds. Lo and behold - the matcha cheesecake had been obtained in its entirety by another user, whom had also managed to purchase an entire original cheesecake at Front St.
This was the last straw.
I reappeared at the booth the next morning, at the exact same time. The girl that had previously spoken to me was there once again, but was occupied by preparing ingredients in the back. A younger staff member greeted me with a smile, and told me something revolutionary: Uncle Tetsu actually has two stalls at Front St. Foods, one of them being "Uncle Tetsu Japanese Cheesecake", and the other being "Uncle Tetsu Japanese Matcha Cafe".
The confusion dissolved in an instant.
The matcha cheesecake was being sold at the Matcha Cafe stall, which would open at 11:00 AM instead of 7:00 AM.
Needless to say, I made it a mission to arrive before 11:00 AM, becoming the first customer of the day to grab one of these highly coveted green tea cheesecakes.
When images of the highly-anticipated green tea concoction surfaced, I took to Front St. Foods at Union Station the moment I debarked. At 7:15 AM, only a few vendors had lifted the heavy white curtains from their stall; among them were: Hula Girl Espresso, Miche Bakery, Bacon Nation, and other coffee-/breakfast-serving stalls. The staff at Uncle Tetsu were also still making their morning preparations
I approached the girl weighing ingredients behind the counter to inquire about the matcha cheesecake, and the method to obtain an entire cake (as opposed to the halves, quarters, and eighths the original Cheesecake was being sold in). She informed me that they had been selling the matcha cheesecake only to test the market on Friday, so some users may have been able to take advantage of that. She had also replied "no" when I asked her if the matcha cheesecake would ever be sold at Front St. Foods.
I walked away in defeat, accepting the fact that I would taste no matcha cheesecake until later on in August.
That same night, I came across something of vast interest to me as I browsed my feeds. Lo and behold - the matcha cheesecake had been obtained in its entirety by another user, whom had also managed to purchase an entire original cheesecake at Front St.
This was the last straw.
I reappeared at the booth the next morning, at the exact same time. The girl that had previously spoken to me was there once again, but was occupied by preparing ingredients in the back. A younger staff member greeted me with a smile, and told me something revolutionary: Uncle Tetsu actually has two stalls at Front St. Foods, one of them being "Uncle Tetsu Japanese Cheesecake", and the other being "Uncle Tetsu Japanese Matcha Cafe".
The confusion dissolved in an instant.
The matcha cheesecake was being sold at the Matcha Cafe stall, which would open at 11:00 AM instead of 7:00 AM.
Needless to say, I made it a mission to arrive before 11:00 AM, becoming the first customer of the day to grab one of these highly coveted green tea cheesecakes.
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In fact, I ended up purchasing two cheesecakes. Initially, it was a decision made purely out of convenience (heading to Bay & Dundas for a cheesecake would mean investing in TTC services again), but a part of me also anticipated the cake to be good enough to justify the purchase.
The cake was revealed to be a small, very porous cake with a yellow-green tint. Its high moisture content was also made evident by slicing.
The original cheesecake was great! - the ideal combination of fluffiness, creaminess, and cheesiness. Its matcha-flavoured counterpart, strangely enough, does not boast the same ideal ratio.
This cake is more moist, almost to the point where it can be described as "soggy", and includes the addition of subtly sweet azuki beans to the bottom of the cake in generous amounts. But the star of the show - the matcha flavour - is essentially indiscernible. It tastes just like the original, but wetter and with red beans.
This cake is more moist, almost to the point where it can be described as "soggy", and includes the addition of subtly sweet azuki beans to the bottom of the cake in generous amounts. But the star of the show - the matcha flavour - is essentially indiscernible. It tastes just like the original, but wetter and with red beans.
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The second cake proved to be a better experience than the first, though. It was, surprisingly, less crumbly, but still retained the same degree of moistness. The distinct matcha flavour of the Green Tea Madeleines was a tad more evident in this cake, but not strong enough to clearly distinguish between the original cheesecake if one were to conduct a taste test both while blindfolded.
Though there was no lineup, I must sadly conclude that the Matcha Cheesecake did not create the same impact as the original. Unless you happen to be a red bean fanatic, or simply love the taste of a moister cheesecake, I'd recommend sticking with the Green Tea Madeleines for a firmer punch of matcha.
This is, of course, not to say that I would definitely not re-purchase (oops, that's a double negative) - it simply means that I probably wouldn't go out of the my way for this particular product variation.
This is, of course, not to say that I would definitely not re-purchase (oops, that's a double negative) - it simply means that I probably wouldn't go out of the my way for this particular product variation.
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