Restaurant review: Bake Cheese Tart spreads unique, cheesy happiness across ocean
The cult favorite Bake Cheese Tart from Hokkaido, Japan, has opened its second store in the United States at the Westfield Century City mall. The brand utilizes its “double bake” method, in which the tart crust is baked once on its own, then a second time with the cheese mousse filling inside. (Courtesy of Bake Cheese Tart)
By Julie Lee
Oct. 6, 2019 11:27 p.m.
Bake Cheese Tart is a cult favorite in Hokkaido, Japan. And California is the first state that’s had a taste.
On Friday, Bake opened its second store in the United States at the Westfield Century City mall. Previously, the company originated in the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido, where the bakery has since expanded throughout the country. The grand opening of Bake in Los Angeles brings exclusivity to the mall, as the only other store in the nation is located in San Francisco.
The bakery offers cream cheese tartlets that are made with its signature “double-bake” method, in which the tart crust is baked once on its own, then a second time with the cheese mousse filling inside. Bake states that consumers can enjoy its tarts in four different ways: just as they are, chilled, frozen or warmed up in a toaster oven.
The exterior of the store features tall glass doors and windows that showcase the color scheme inside – gray metal and stone, with pops of yellow throughout. Higher up inside on the wall, there are rows of yellow “BAKE” boxes that also serve as decoration. The yellow theme extends not only to the boxes, but to the utensils, bags, employees’ shirts and posters, creating a cohesive aesthetic. Upon entering the store, the aroma of freshly baked tarts fills the room.
Behind the counter are a few ovens with numerous trays inside, and a few trays are laid out behind the glass where customers can see them. The purpose of this “in-store factory” is to give customers a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of the final product and to make for a more well-rounded experience.
The tarts come in four different flavors: original, strawberry, matcha and chocolate. However, the Los Angeles location also offers the bakery’s Hokkaido Milk Special Mix soft serve and Brazilian organic coffee. Customers can purchase one tart for $3.50, or six tarts that come in a box for $20.08. Although the prices may seem too high, considering the meticulous and time-consuming baking process, they make sense. However, it is more bang for your buck if customers buy a box of six instead of a single tart, especially because there are multiple flavors and you can save some for later.
The strawberry cheese tart was noticeably coated with a yellow glaze that had no taste, while the matcha lacked the coating. However, all the tarts are coated with egg after the cheese mousse filling is baked inside the tart crust. The thin layer of egg acts as a seal to ensure that the filling doesn’t spill out of the tart.
The strawberry cheese tart had the perfect flavor ratio of berry to cheese – it wasn’t overbearing enough to cancel out the original cheese flavor that Bake takes pride in. Considering the filling is made of cheese, expectations of it being too thick or heavy proved to be wrong. The mousse inside was light, warm and fluffy, without being too sweet. The crust wasn’t too hard to bite into – it was thin and buttery, and almost felt like it was melting in your mouth.
However, the matcha tart was dry, hard and powdery. The matcha flavor in different foods is usually added in with a powder, which would explain the disappointing texture. However, the tart didn’t taste like matcha or green tea at all. It lacked flavor and creaminess, and seemed to give the complete opposite experience of the strawberry tart.
Perhaps this tart was a rare mishap in the baking process, because when inspecting the tarts side by side, each tart seemed to look different. Some appeared darker than others, while some also appeared gooier than others. Additionally, a few of the tarts appeared to have mousse slightly spilling out of the crust, so they were carefully separated from the rest of the desserts by employees.
Overall, Bake brings to the Los Angeles food scene a dessert that feels luxurious – the portion size, ingredients and texture are all light enough to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling hefty. Additionally, Bake gives you an opportunity to taste Hokkaido and Japanese cheese without the extra cost of a plane ticket.
