Food: The Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake

Being a cheesecake lover, I would sometimes browse online forums to know where fellow afficionados get their favorite cheesecakes. I found a few who mentioned that the best cheesecake they've ever tasted was the New York-style cheesecake, specifically the one from The Cheesecake Factory in the US. I was prepared to content myself with local varieties (because I'm not sure when will I, if ever I will, step on the US soil) until I found out the The Old Spaghetti House imports their cheesecake from that store.

A slice of plain cheesecake costs P220, definitely expensive by my standards but I was thinking, "it's imported, what do you expect?" and perhaps the price is only indicative of the quality. Sooo. Okay, even if it's more expensive than the actual meal that I'm having, I just had to taste what could arguably be the best cheesecake in the world .

It's just a shame that my photo isn't clear. My cellphone camera couldn't focus properly under the yellowish lighting on our table, which reminds me that I should get myself a decent point-and-shoot camera, at least, if I want to accompany my reviews with nice images.

Anyway, the slice was thick, at least 2-inch thick of what looked like a creamy and dense baked cheesecake batter bedded on a thin Graham crust. It was served cold and drizzled with strawberry sauce. I was thrilled to see the sides were smooth, a good sign of the density and firmness of the cake, which is what I like (I don't like spongy cheesecakes).



So, not wanting to wait too long and over-analyze the cheesecake, I took a bite and you know what it tasted like? It tasted like the cheesecake that I bake at home. That's totoo. I got the recipe from Ms. Coney of Casa Veneracion and tweaked it a little to suit my preference.

Maybe this cheesecake is better (of course, it is better), but the taste -- a combination of cream cheese, the right amount of sweetness, the citrus kick -- I swear, it was right up in that alley. I was sure because I baked that cheesecake twice last January (and I was the one who ate more than anyone else in the house).

I haven't perfected the baking process though. My cheesecake always come out a little too soft because I haven't figured out the correct setting for the turbo broiler (we don't have a conventional oven). Or maybe, there's just too much water in my bain-marie.

Anyway, whatever. Bottomline is, it was good. And that strawberry dressing was perfect for it. It added a nice layer of sweetness without making it too sweet. With each bite, I could feel the thick, creamy texture of the cake that glided smoothly on my tongue then broke into three distinct flavors: the cream cheese, the tang of lemon (I think), and the strawberry. Then as my tongue hit the palate, all three flavors rolled into one yummy treat.

Worth the P220 price tag? Well, hmm, I'm not so sure about that. While it was good, it's not actually my favorite cheesecake. And it's definitely not something that I'll buy regularly. But if you must try, go ahead. You won't be disappointed, I'm sure of that.