Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake at 1 Utama: Restaurant Review

East Asian desserts seem destined for dominion in the weeks ahead; here’s a short-&-sweet peek at Uncle Tetsu’s Cheesecake in 1 Utama, the first Malaysian outpost of the popular Japanese chain.

Baked To Order Cakes

At Uncle Tetsu’s, you’ll find customers constantly clustered around the counter throughout the day, waiting patiently as timers count down the painful minutes until the next set of orders can be taken & the next batch of cakes will be ready. Uncle Tetsu’s upside is also its downside: Cakes are baked to order – they taste soft, warm & fresh but need at least 20 minutes to make.

Consequently, these aren’t the most convenient cheesecakes; many patrons – including those in China, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines & Thailand – might empathise: We stopped by at 3:05pm & were informed it’d be 25 minutes till our order could even be taken. We couldn’t linger, so we came back at 6:30pm, had our order taken immediately & waited 20 minutes for the cake.

Sumptuous, Sweet-Savoury Flavour

But the tale has a happy ending: These cheesecakes – reputedly made with top-flight cream cheese, eggs & milk – are (probably) worth the effort. They’re supremely fluffy, almost more of a souffle than cake, with a surprisingly sumptuous, sweet-savoury flavour considering their light texture.