Out & About #154 | Revisiting Uncle Tetsu

After learning that Uncle Tetsu's most recent release, the Angel Hat Cake, was now in stores, I immediately set out on the next day in hopes of getting my hands on one.

My initial plan was to call beforehand to ensure that I would not be making a aimless trip to Bay and Dundas, but as management would have it, the listed telephone number was "currently not in service". Brilliant business strategy if you ask me. (Do you sense the sarcasm?)

As I made my way to the entrance, I was both surprised and impressed to find that only five people were spotted dwelling in the lineup outside. A sign, which was evidently a whiteboard decorated to resemble a ladybug, was propped up on a chair at the foot of the door ledge; it notified customers that the current wait time ranged between ten and fifteen minutes, and that today's batch of cheesecakes would be stamp-less (for whatever reason).

As the goal of the day was not to purchase a cheesecake, I paid the sign no more attention and approached the end of the line. A member of staff was present to control the lineup; I took to asking about the remaining quantities of Cheese Zuccotto (another term for the Angel Hat Cake). She dove into the shop to check, and re-emerged some two minutes later to inform me that they were unfortunately sold out. As only forty cakes were made daily, their morning batch had already been depleted.
She suggested that I return after 3:00 PM, as that was when their second batch would be produced.

Having to follow a strict commuter schedule meant that obtaining the Angel Hat Cake was just not in the cards for that day, so I headed next door to the Matcha Cafe. There was no lineup whatsoever, so I was able to take my time and select three items to make the trip seem a little more worthy.

A box of Green Tea Madeleines with Red Beans was purchased, along with a Matcha Soft Serve in a cup and a Matcha Latte.

Having tasted the extremely melty Matcha/Milk Soft Serve before, I hadn't expected the texture to vary too greatly with the single flavour. It may have been due to the chillier temperatures, but I found that soft serve to maintain its shape much better than before. The matcha flavour was also a bit more prevalent this time; if I remember correctly, I could barely distinguish between the matcha and milk flavours in the summer.

With the changing of seasons, a new array of hot beverages has been added to Uncle Tetsu's menu board. Espresso-based drinks, including Americano, Cappuccino, etc., are now offered, but the Matcha Latte was the only drink option that piqued my interest.
When the source of the matcha powder was brought up, the girl at the cashier informed me that the latte was brewed using a green tea powder that already contained sugar, thus making it impossible to reduce the sweetness. It was incredibly challenging to prevent myself from exhibiting an expression of complete disgust upon hearing this.

"So basically, it's not authentic." were my exact thoughts.

I decided to try the drink anyways, as I had already braved the frigid temperatures to make my way there. Honestly, it was more pleasant than it appeared. Creamy and piping hot, the sugar wasn't exact subtle - I would have preferred an unsweetened version any day - but the green tea flavour was also more pronounced to compensate for this addition. I'd say that the latte actually tasted more of matcha than the Matcha Cheesecake, which, in all truth, indicates a failed product for Uncle Tetsu.


Unwilling to admit defeat, I gritted my teeth and headed back to Uncle Tetsu the next day for another attempt. I joined the line at 3:21 PM and started my stopwatch.

Interestingly enough, the sign read a 50-minute wait, but I was inside of the shop within fifteen minutes. The line only moved quicker from that point on.

Un-obstruent Halloween decorations filled the interior, along with the sweet, buttery fragrance with cheesecakes in production.

I suppose few customers even knew that the Angel Hat Cake had been released, as majority were still blindly in line for the Original Cheesecake. Overhead behind me in line was an inquisitive voice that uttered, "What's that?" as a pale yellow box was placed into my bag.
But quite honestly, even the girl at the cashier was taken back when I hadn't purchased a cheesecake as well.

"No cheesecake?"
"Nope."
​

Much to my own surprise, the deed had been done just short of 20 minutes! As the lineup began to grow steadily, I took snapping a few shots of the iconic red-and-white bag and Green Tea-flavoured Rusk cookies that had been packaged in a slushie cup with only a sticker to prevent crumbs from falling out.

As I had attained my goal of the day in a shorter period of time than anticipated, I took to finding shelter (and Wi-Fi) at Sharetea until the next train was scheduled to depart.

The bubble tea shop was as colourful as always, but this time also elaborately decked out in Halloween-themed flourishes. And as always, the service was extremely friendly - effectively dissimilar from the condescending attitude of the girl at the Markham location.

I took to ordering a Wintermelon Tea Crema to sip on as I examined my new purchases.

Crafted from cardboard as opposed to paper, the box used to store/carry the Angel Hat Cake was much sturdier than that of the Original Cheesecake's; I also found the overall design to be more visually appealing as well.

The Green Tea Rusk was, ultimately, just leftover pieces of cheesecake that had been formed into thin slices, baked at a low temperature for a long duration of time to ensure crunchiness, and then rolled in granulated sugar in excess. Oddly enough, though, these cookies contained a stronger green tea flavour than the Matcha Cheesecake itself.

However, economically-speaking, these cookies would probably be considered the biggest rip-off ever. For a hefty price tag of $6.00, customers will only receive a half cup-full of sugar-rolled leftover cheesecake cookies (approximately 15 pieces?), while the remainder is stuffed with parchment paper.
And did I mention that it doesn't come with a proper box either? Had anyone bumped into me while boarding public transit (and that's something exceedingly hard to prevent while travelling during rush hour), it's highly likely that the flimsy sticker would have detached and left me spilling the cookies for all ground-ridden organisms to enjoy.

The highlight product was unveiled later on after returning home; I can't deny that my first impressions of the cake was that it was quite small - its diameter no greater than the standard bowling ball, if not even less - and very round. Its appearance could be likened to a cheeseball, specifically one of the Mozzarella family.

The cake was unthinkably soft, and even fluffier than the cheesecake. Instead of a buttery, yet airy spongecake-cheesecake hybrid with a somewhat firm surface, the Angel Hat was an extremely delicate piece showing no signs of firmness.

It did not have a distinct surface, nor any outstanding edges; the cake combined a very subtle cheesy flavour and high degree of moisture, without the denseness of a Japanese cheesecake.

View the full album HERE !

Given the fragility of the cake, I was considerably puzzled at how it had been able to endure the hectic train ride back while maintaining its shape and flawlessly smooth surface. "How did they even make it?!" was another question of concern. Difficulties were experienced even in ensuring that clean slices were being cut.

In order to provide the cake with a hint of colour, I took to applying a thin layer of agave before blasting with a blowtorch from a distance. Spreading the liquid sweetener was a demanding task in itself, as the surface would begin to lift even as areas were being covered using a gentle hand. Ultimately, the charring had little to no effect on the overall taste of the cake, except rendering small, sweet patches of texture.

The cake was enjoyed with several oolong-lychee-mojito shots, which were great complements to the feathery zuccotto.

Without there being any vast differences in taste between the Angel Hat and the Original Cheesecake, I'm uncertain why Uncle Tetsu is releasing the new product altogether. The sole factor of distinction would be the cake textures: the Cheese Zuccotto has a soft, all-around airy consistency even babies or weak-toothed citizens could swallow without chewing, whereas the Japanese Cheesecake is richer, firmer and provides a noticeable sense of satisfaction.
Mixed feelings have been derived about the Angel Hat - I would probably only re-purchase if I happened to be strolling around the area, given that the lineup would not exceed fifteen minutes. In general, I find its texture to be more suitable for smaller-sized cakes/pastries, as a larger size indicates a higher risk for destruction during transit