With the freak ice storm in April wreaking havoc on the weekend of the grand opening of the new Cheese Garden that opened up in Pacific Mall, I did not get a chance to avail myself of the grand opening special of 50% off the uji matcha tiramisu. However since I was in Pacific mall anyway getting a haircut, I opted to stop by to see what the hype was about.
Cheese Garden is located on one of the last rows in Pacific Mall. It is literally intended for takeout as there is no seating whatsoever. When I visited there was no lineup. The store itself was cleanly decorated with succulents on a table showcasing the matcha tiramisu dessert. I was drawn to the cute bamboo container bearing the Cheese Garden logo visible in all of the matcha tiramisu advertisements, but was disappointed to learn that the actual product was sold in half pint cardboard containers. Even more disappointing, they were all out of the matcha tiramisu!
Gooey fresh baked cheese tarts and original cheesecake are also available for sale. Having tried the baked cheese tart at the Midland location, I was not a huge fan of the gooey texture as I prefer my cheesecake to have a firm/dense texture.
I was offered a sample of the matcha cheesecake which I'm told is ideally kept in the freezer until just before intended consumption. It was rich in cheesecake texture and had a noticeable matcha flavour. At $20.75 plus tax, it is rather pricey but I was convinced enough by the texture and flavour to purchase one.
I saw on the Yelp photos posted by the owner that they may be coming out with a black sesame looking cheesecake and would return to try that. 3.5 stars