Food: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Chicago Cheesecake

This, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Chicago Cheesecake, will probably be the last cheesecake that I will eat in a long while. I will be trying on a new diet for my thyroiditis and eating dairy products is a no-no. Good thing this was a good one.

The first and last time I tried this was November of last year (gives you an idea of how delayed my reviews are), so my comments on this post are fragments of how I remember the cheesecake was.

I like that the top was lighty toasted and the body was firm and dense. Texture was not airy, which is how I like it, and had that rich, smooth and velvety feel as it spreads in your tastebuds. It has a nice blend of sweetness and tanginess and cheesiness as any good cheesecake should. There was also a hint of lemon but not as much like in the The Cheesecake Factory I've reviewed here. I thought it tasted great.

I can't remember how the crust tasted though (or if it's choco or something else). But I remember liking this cheesecake. Really liking it. And someday, if I allow myself another cheesecake again, I'd surely try Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Chicago Cheesecake again to give you a more detailed review.

Just looking at this photo makes my mouth water.

Food: Bag of Beans Cheesecake

It's during one of those impromptu trips to Tagaytay when I tried Bag of Beans cheesecake. Now, because I've been in blogging hiatus (again, for the 2nd time, or was it 3rd?) and it was months ago, I already forgot which cheesecake is this:

Blueberry or Strawberry? Blueberry should be, well, blue and this is not (or should I just blame my camera phone for not getting the right color?) So I thought Strawberry. But knowing me, if there's Blueberry Cheesecake on the menu, that would be the first thing that I'll order. So maybe they didn't have Blueberry Cheesecake that day?

And forgetting what cheesecake I had is only half of the problem because I also forgot how it tasted. Well, I do remember that the topping - that luxurious chunky thick syrup dripping on the cake - was very good. But that's it, no recollection of what the cake itself taste like. I wish these photos could make my tastebuds remember.

So another trip to Bag of Beans is needed. Until then, this review is on hold.

 

UPDATED (03/10/2013)

 

Finally the mystery was solved.

 

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).

Food: The Palms Deli Blueberry Cheesecake

It was Valentines Day. We were strolling at Festival Mall in Alabang when I saw a stall selling the felicitous food for the season: cakes and chocolates. The name of the stall was The Palms Deli. I scanned past the chocolates and other baked goodies, and zeroed in on their blueberry cheesecake, the lone cheesecake inside the glass stand. A slice costs P100 and the whole cake, I think, is P720. I bought a slice only and put it inside the paper bag that my husband was carrying for me, along with the bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates that he gave me that day.

When we got home, I immediately took out the plastic box that encased my favorite dessert. The slice looked small, the whole cake itself is only about 8" in diameter and not more than 2" in height. I placed it on a small saucer plate, the one we use to serve liquid condiments (soy sauce, patis, etc). It's that small.

But the size was indirectly proportional to how good it tasted.

Food: Cheesecake Melliza Caramel Walnut and Oreo Cheesecake

I love Cheesecake. It is the only dessert that I have a craving for; the only dessert that I won't probably get tired of eating. So expect that this will be the start of the many reviews that I will make on my favorite dessert. The idea is to create a series of posts, reviewing different cheesecake brands, and maybe picking out the bests (I'm sure there won't be only one) among them. And first on the list is Cheesecake Melliza's Caramel Walnut and Oreo Cheesecake.

Cheesecake Melliza is not my first cheesecake, but it is the first that I took photos of, hence being the first to be reviewed.

During those monthly prenatal check-ups, we (husband and I) would always wind up at the nearest mall, Robinsons Place Ermita. That's where I saw a stall selling various Cheesecake Melliza baked goodies. They have different cheesecake toppings, and I remember standing in front of the booth for a long time, having a hard time choosing which to get. They all looked delish.