Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart

by Reductio ad absurdum (subscribe)

If I were a food writer reviewing this item I might write about how a warm (comfortingly, not disturbingly) crumbly, buttery, fragile shortcrust cradles a dollop of silky cheesy custard. I would describe how the filling is a study in contrasts; both light and decadent, with definite salty notes against tangy cheese and sweet creaminess. I would also concentrate on the interplay between the crunch and yielding crumble of the crust, the smooth consistency of the miraculous cheesy custard and the faintly yeasty, sweet aroma of the steaming pastry.



I'm not a food writer, so I'll just comment that the tart was delicious, which was why I decided to write a quick article on it.



Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tarts is a Malaysian fast food chain specialising in two such tarts; for $3.90 a regular variety and $4.20 for a chocolate offering with hazelnuts. It's an interesting experience compared to other custard tart offerings. A traditional Hong Kong daahn tāat (egg tart) has a more firm, glistening egg flavoured custard and flaky pastry, and a the familiar Balfours style custard tart has more in the way of cinnamon flavour with an even thicker custard and toothsome, floury crust. Portugese tarts seem to span the breadth of tartdom, being sometimes near crustless and at other times with dense, crispy, chewy crusts.



The shop landed in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and The Gold Coast a while back but has only relative recently opened in Adelaide. It's situated near the Coles in Rundle Mall in Rundle Place. If you're on a lunch break, window shopping or just find yourself in the area, Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart provides an interesting balance of sweet and salty flavours in a bite sized vehicle that may just hit the spot perfectly.

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Why? For a quick bite, a snack or a fancy treat

When: Business hours

Website: www.hbctaus.com.au

Where: Rundle Place in Rundle Mall, Adelaide City

Cost: Around 4 dollars a tart

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