#navbar-iframe { display: none; }

« Home | Hana Ju-Rin Japanese Restaurant, Crows Nest » | Rising Sun Workshop, Newtown » | i-Creamy Artisan Gelato, Sydney » | Casa do Benfica Portuguese Restaurant at Marrickvi... » | Canterbury Foodies and Farmers Market, Canterbury » | Down-N-Out at the Sir John Young Hotel, Sydney » | Ramadan Food Festival, Lakemba » | Mercado, Sydney » | Marrickville Food Tour: Open Marrickville and Comm... » | Eat Fuh, Marrickville »

Sunday, August 07, 2016

Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake, Sydney

Fluffy texture inside Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake Sydney

There's no shopping bag more de rigeur right now than the red and white carry bag from Uncle Tetsu's. Forget your fancy designer labels. The hottest accessory in Sydney will set you back just $18. This Japanese cheesecake shop has been inundated with queues as soon as it opened. For a cheesecake that has built its reputation in Japan on its use of Australian cream cheese, it's a neat circle of life that has finally seen it open up shop in Sydney over twenty years later.

Queues outside Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake at Regent Place Sydney
Daily queues outside Uncle Tetsu's

Timing your visit is the trickiest part. The queues outside Uncle Tetsu have been non-stop. The good news is that after three weeks of production, the kitchen team is a picture of efficiency. At 9pm on a Saturday night, I was about 80th in the queue and only had to wait about 15 minutes until a carefully boxed cheesecake was in my hands.

Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake first opened on Oyafuko Street in Fukuoka, Japan
Uncle Tetsu's first opened on Oyafuko Street in Fukuoka, Japan 

Uncle Tetsu is Tetsushi Mizokami. He opened his first Uncle Tetsu shop in Fukuoka, Japan. Today there are more than 70 outlets around the world, including Taiwan, Canada and the United States.

Staff making cheesecakes in the open kitchen at Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake at Regent Place Sydney
View of staff preparing cheesecakes in the open kitchen

Sydney's store takes up prime street frontage along George Street within the Regent Place complex. As the snaking queue shuffles forward, the final stretch yields a tantalising view into the open kitchen, jammed with staff working at breakneck speed. Everyone has a specific job - folding boxes, tearing off baking paper from freshly baked cheesecakes, or branding the Uncle Tetsu logo onto the surface of each cheescake.

Japanese cheesecakes in the oven at Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake at Regent Place Sydney
Japanese cheesecakes in the oven

The smell is incredible, like an enveloping hug of sugar, butter and eggs.

Sieving the honey madeleine batter at Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake at Regent Place Sydney
Sieving the honey madeleine batter

In addition to cheesecakes, you can also order honey madeleines, all made from scratch for your viewing pleasure.

Filling patty cases with honey madeleine batter at Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake at Regent Place Sydney
Filling patty cases with honey madeleine batter

The honey madeleines aren't baked in the traditional French clamshell shape, but their patty pan shape does guarantee a larger serve than normal. And the signature bump is included.

Honey madeleines at Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake at Regent Place Sydney
Honey madeleines $15 for four

Fifteen dollars will net you a box of four honey madeleines. They're a little softer than traditional madeleines but they do warm up a treat in the microwave. The madeleines are distinctly soft and buttery, with a faint hint of honey sweetness.

Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake box at Regent Place Sydney
Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake box

Let's be honest though. Everyone is here for the cheesecake. Demand has been so high that each customer is restricted to a single purchase. If you need more than one, you'll have to rope in a compliant - and patient - friend or two.

Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake from Regent Place Sydney
Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake $17.99

Each cheesecake is sheathed in protective paper. Unwrapping it feels like revealing a rare and fragile treasure. Even the holes in the box has been designed so the warm cheesecake doesn't create condensation within the box.

Cotton cheesecake texture inside Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake from Regent Place Sydney
Inside Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake

Don't expect an American cheesecake flavour when you buy this. The classic Japanese cheesecake is a distinct variant, often known as cotton cheesecake because of its light and cotton-soft texture. Like many Japanese dishes, the flavour is subtle and elegant, and far removed from any concept of gluttonous excess.

Light and fluffy texture inside Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake from Regent Place Sydney
Light and fluffy

Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake can be eaten either warm or cold. I refrigerated mine overnight and then tried a slice cold from the fridge and one warmed slightly in the microwave. When warmed, the cheesecake feels more like a souffle, with an eggy-ness that overtakes the flavour of cream cheese.

At 4C, the cheesecake takes on stronger vanilla notes, with a more noticeable - but still subtle - taste of cream cheese.

The texture is everything. It's like eating a fluffy cloud.

Uncle Tetsu's will be expanding its menu soon to include the rest of its signature products: the angel hat (a domed cheesecake), honey and cheese madeleines and honey cheesecakes.

Entrance to Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake at Regent Place Sydney


Uncle Tetsu’s Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake
501 George Street, Sydney (Regent Place)
Open daily 11am-10pm
14 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 8/07/2016 03:44:00 pm


14 Comments:

  • At 8/07/2016 4:47 pm, Blogger Ramen Raff said…

    So fluffeh yet tastes so creamy! I gotta try the honey madeleines next time

     
  • At 8/07/2016 6:32 pm, Anonymous Berny @ I Only Eat Desserts said…

    Yummmmm! I love me a good Japanese cheesecake and Uncle Tetsu's looks so beautiful and perfect. So jelly over here :D

     
  • At 8/08/2016 12:39 am, Anonymous chocolatesuze said…

    How incredibly fluffy is the cheesecake! Will definitely have to go back and try those madeleines next time too

     
  • At 8/08/2016 9:40 am, Anonymous Bianca@forfoodssake said…

    The lines have turned me off till now but just looking at that cheesecake!! I need it!

     
  • At 8/08/2016 12:38 pm, Anonymous http://almostitalian.wordpress.com said…

    The cheese cake looks light and lovely but I was hoping to see the BAG. Francesca

     
  • At 8/08/2016 4:50 pm, Anonymous Isaac said…

    Great write up, Helen! Can't wait to try the full menu once they're ready to unveil everything.

     
  • At 8/08/2016 8:32 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    They are quite nice, but I find the prices hard to swallow. They are less than $10 in Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Canada. So why is it $18 here????

     
  • At 8/08/2016 8:45 pm, Blogger Unknown said…

    I've actually been looking at the line up & I'm yet to be brave enough to wait it out. Looking at your yummy snaps & reading through the delicious description, I'm pumped to finally give it a try! :)

     
  • At 8/11/2016 11:39 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Rikuro Osaka is much better - frankly I was disappointed at Tetsu. A bit too eggy, and not enough browning all the way to the edge.

     
  • At 8/16/2016 10:17 pm, Blogger Sarah said…

    WOW! This looks amazing! The cheesecake looks great, but I must say the madeleines are really catching my eye! I hope they bring them to Melbourne! Or I'll just have to fly to Sydney ;)

     
  • At 8/18/2016 11:11 am, Blogger Vivian - vxdollface said…

    Ooh I've never had it warm, have always had it cold but I do like it cold! Love that it's so smooth and creamy

     
  • At 8/23/2016 12:05 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Welcome to Australia!, land of price gouging.

     
  • At 9/03/2016 2:38 pm, Anonymous Nelson said…

    I love Cheesecake! I'm going to grab a few friends and head over there and get some!

     
  • At 11/08/2016 2:32 pm, Anonymous Amy said…

    Been to there once, i love japanese cheesecake!!

     

Post a Comment

<< Home


      << Read Older Posts       |       >> Read Newer Posts