Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake

I do not get it what the line is all about. I heard people wait for an hour or more to get it. It wasn’t a big line for me so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s not bad but not great either. Just soft cheese cake which I don’t think I’ll buy again.

OMG I love their cheesecake. I am a person who loves cakes but I’ve always hated cheesecakes. But just a after a single bite, I couldn’t resist eating more of uncle tetsu’s cheesecake. Do expect a lineup sometimes a long lineup but I guess it’s worth the wait.
Highly recommend to try some!

I’m glad the hype isn’t as strong anymore. I remember trying to line up and giving up within 5 minutes multiple times last autumn and January ’16. I went this morning (Monday) at 10:30am and there was only one customer in front of me! Success at last! I ordered two original cheesecakes. Tax is already calculated in the $ 10/​cheesecake.
Like everyone says, light and fluffy. It reminded me of chinese egg cakes, but a lot fluffier, with more cheese, and less sweetness. I really liked it and will definitely come back for more, so long as I don’t have to wait too long.

Oh uncle tetsu… u have stolen the hearts of many… and disappointed the hearts of many more. The hype train was strong with this one with lines spanning 45 mins to an Hour. But now you can only wait 15 mins for their cheesecake… and even that is still too long
Small and cramped. As you wait for the line you feel like your face is gonna melt. Judging by some of the girls in line they already did.
The cakes themselves are alright. It’s more of a if I didn’t have to wait in line maybe I’d buy it once in a while. Basically tasted like a blended egg tart with hints of cheese. The texture itself is enjoyable. Super light and fluffy bordering jelly like. However overall there was a distinct lack off cheese taste. For a cheesecake that’s what I need. If I’m gonna be shitting brick because of the dairy I better be able to taste it.
Overall it’s a meh. If u pass by and don’t see a line I wouldn’t say don’t go in. It’s just not worth the effort to make time for.

Big fan of the cheesecake. Granted, I didn’t have to wait in line like everyone else, even though I showed up on a Saturday at noon. It was nearly empty.
I’m not even a bakery fan all like that but I really enjoyed their cheesecake. Moist, fluffy, mildly sweet. I’ve had Love Me Sweet’s cheesecake, and it’s pretty good in its own right, but the texture of Tetsu’s cake won me over. It’s just slightly more moist and eggy, and LMS is slightly more dense and more ‘sponge cakey’.
Sucks that they limit it to one per person, but maybe I can twist their arm a bit next time because I intend to take a bunch with me back over the border.

After seeing the video of the jiggly bread from Japan, I was curious if this place was the same as the hype from Japan so my friends and I decided to stop by and check it out. After being open for about a year already, I guess the hype for this place has died down because there was no line when we arrived on a Friday afternoon. We just got 1 cheesecake for $ 10.
Note: there are two stores that are next to each other, this one only sells the regular flavor cheesecake while next door offers the green tea/​matcha flavored baked goods. Choose wisely before you go to the respective store to order your food.
Like all the other posts, this description of this Japanese style cheesecake is pretty accurate by saying that is soft, fluffy, and eggy. From the look of it, you would not imagine how soft it is until you touch it or actually eat it. But in my opinion, it is way too eggy so if you do not like the eggy taste, then avoid!
It was a good experience to try but I do not think I would get it again, especially if there is a long line for it.

I’m not a cheesecake fan, so i can’t speak for the cheesecake, but I am a fan of the honey madeleines!
This is a small, tiny bakery. When I went (~11 AM on a Tuesday), there was no line. The honey madeleines are light and spongy without being overwhelmingly sweet (or as Scott Conant in Chopped says — «cloyingly sweet», ha!). Yummy and worth a stop if you’re in the neighborhood!

Line up is kinda better now. Kinda…
From what I remember, there are set times when the bakery will bake the angel hat cake. I was quite surprised to see how small it was! Honestly the texture taste the same as the original cheese cake for me, maybe a bit spongy-​ier. Order it if you want something. cute :).

I don’t understand the hype.
I waited in line because I had nothing better to do and was really in the mood for cheesecake. They are very inefficient in baking cheesecakes. Get another oven maybe? Bake during the night like other bakeries?
Finally got a hot and fluffy golden cheesecake fresh out of the oven. Absolutely no taste. I thought I was eating an egg soufflé. Where’s the cheese?
I refrigerated it overnight and tried it the next day. The consistency is much better when cold — creamier and more dense. Still not cheesecake though.

***Review is for the Café, the place next-​door to the longass Cheesecake line.***
I’ve tried UT’s cheesecake, at a party, and it was awh-​ight. Would I stand in a line to wait, only to be limited to 1 cheesecake? Hell no!
Anyway, over the weekend, I finally got to try some Green Tea Soft serve over at that other longass line perpendicular to UT, Tsujiri! It was pretty good, at ~$ 5 in a cone. Uncle Tetsu’s version is marginally cheaper which is appreciated.
Taste-​wise, they’re pretty much interchangeable in colour, texture, & taste, but I found the UT version much sweeter.
Soft serve was served in a cup. And when I asked about whether or not it came in a cone, she said, yes, but they were out of cones. :(((It’s the same price, btw, so I would’ve definitley preferred it in an eco-​friendly, edible vessel.
No line on this one, folks!

It is soooooooo good and amazing… this is probably the best Japanese cheesecake I have ever tasted… it is so fluffy and soft… This location has two stores one sells original cheesecake and the other store adjacent to this store sells GREEN TEA cheesecake/​green tea everything (latte, Madeleine, ice cream)…you have to wait in line during afternoon or late at night. I personally think this place can much more efficient if they hire one more person take care of making latte and getting soft serve green tea ice cream… one person who is at the cashier service has to do everything such as making latte, getting ice cream, grabbing cheesecake, process order…
We tried original Madeline, green tea Madeline, green tea latte, and green tea cheesecake. If you are a Japanese Matcha lover. you have to try ALL their items. the green tea latte is so good… green tea matcha flavor is so strong. that i really enjoy drinking it. not too sweet or not too bitter… I like green tea Madeleine better than the original one maybe bc i am a green tea matcha lover. the green tea cheesecake is so GOOD… you can only purchase one cheesecake per customer (what a bummer) .the cheesecake is just so good… not too sweet. it is so fluffy and fresh!.. they make it everyday in the morning. when i got my cheesecake. it was still warm… it just melt in my mouth. b/​c it is so soft… i could really taste the green tea matcha flavor. I LOVE IT!
I will definitely come back again.

After my early exam on a rainy day, I decided to check out Uncle Tetsu’s in hopes that there wasn’t going to be any line up because it was about 10−11AM on a Thursday morning. Uncle Tetsu’s was relatively close by, so it wasn’t too far of a trek. It was raining pretty hard that day too, and there was no line up! I was a happy girl.
With chalkboard signs at the entrance, it’s not hard to miss their store information! Though it is hard to wash off previously written stuff sometimes. The store itself is pretty small for customers to lounge around as half the space had been taken by up machines to make these desserts. It was more of a get-​in, get-​out type of restaurant.
They had samples of their rusk cookie, and it was more of a hard textured cookie rather than soft… Not my cup of tea. I prefer soft and chewy type of cookies.
They usually limit one cheesecake per person because of their stock and long lineups, but since there was no one behind me, I was able to grab more than one. Service was quick and fast as the cakes were already pre-​boxed beforehand. I also managed to go to the Matcha Café next door too!
So!!! My purchases after this entire cheesecake run…
– The madeleines were buy 3, get 1 free — which I took an advantage of! I didn’t get the chance to eat the madeleine because it was all gone by then): !! My dad mentioned that it was good though, very flavourful.
– Uncle Tetsu’s cheesecake were indeed fluffy as well (it’s a Japanese cheesecake thing I guess). Although the pieces are more starchy (?) and of a heavier cheese flavour. Making me feel like I’ve just had a heavy meal, heavy in terms of stuff like very rich in carbs or fatty foods, like burgers or pasta. But I meant more on the «rich» side, so more of the feeling after you eat pasta.
No doubt that Uncle Tetsu was the first in the Japanese cheesecake game, assuring the fluffiness of the cakes and consistency of the branding everywhere. Even though the regular cheesecake broke more than the matcha cheesecake, both have the same sticky texture when you put your fork in it and when you eat it — it lingers in your mouth longer because of the texture.

Three words: Sponge cake cheesecake. It’s good however I would never line up for it. There’s other places that also offer Japanese cheesecake (before Uncle Tetsu came to Toronto) so one can try branching out to try other options too.
Uncle Tetsu prides themselves for providing a strict QA process and selling only «perfect» ones. Mine came without a logo branded on it and less fluffy than other ones I see on Unilocal — what happened Uncle Tetsu?!

If a Cheesecake and Sponge Cake from Japan immigrated to Toronto, Canada to make a baby, it would be Uncle Tetsu’s Cheesecakes.
I was drawn to these Japanese-​style cheesecakes from this bouncy gif:
. and knew I had to check it out on my recent trip to Toronto!
— You’re not purchasing a slice, you are receiving a full (on the smaller side) cheesecake.
— $ 10 Canadian — debit or cash only
— Go on off-​times (preferably near opening time or afternoon). You will wait an hour to purchase a cheesecake if you go in the evening, and possibly receive a notice that cheesecakes are sold out.
— There’s a café side that sells only matcha-​flavored treats. That line is much shorter (or no line at all), but go to the store side for the original cheesecake.
— 1 cheesecake per person
The cheesecake is really not even remotely close to a traditional cheesecake. It’s subtly sweet, eggy, and fluffy (like a sponge cake or pancake). This emulsification technique makes the texture totally different.
There’s a food court across the street where Red Lobster is and have your cheesecake there, since there are no seats. This Cheesecake is To-​Go only!
My cheesecake line-​waiting date hates cheesecakes and he loved this. That’s all I have to say!

This review is for the matcha green tea cheesecake and not the original.
The line for the original was too long and only about 10 mins for the matcha so went for that. The matcha cheesecake was soggy, gooey and disgusting. I couldn’t even eat it. It was like someone poured water into the middle and I was eating a wet sponge. I ate the edges and tossed the middle. I’m hoping that was a one off and someone made a mistake but I won’t be trying it again to figure it out. We also ordered the matcha Madelaine with red bean and that was OK… nothing special. At least it was edible.

FINALLY! It’s about time I tried these cheesecakes, especially after all that hype. I casually walked by the shop around 5pm on a Tuesday evening and was surprised there wasn’t really a lineup. I didn’t plan going here so I really wasn’t expecting much, afterall people say it’s not worth the wait. I waited less than 5 minutes and was pretty happy about that! And even in those five minutes suspense was building up lol.
They were pretty good! I have never tried anything like it and would say they were worth the wait (under 10 minutes for sure). They were so fluffy and were melt in your mouth. Great balance of cheesiness/​creaminess/​egginess (totally made that up). I’m not a fan of overly sweet desserts and these cheesecakes were the perfect sweetness.
$ 10 is fair and it’s best if you share it (or indulge it all if you want). If you still haven’t tried these things, what are you waiting for? There’s no lineups anymore :)

I’ve had the regular uncle tetsu cheesecake before, but I really wanted to try the matcha one. I love the cheesecake here because its texture is light and fluffy. There is still a strong cheese flavour without it being too heavy. I also like that they include a cheesecloth. I wonder if that is to hold the cake together because they’re often used to keep cheese curds from falling apart.
The matcha cheesecake can be purchased as the original matcha or you can have red bean added to it for the same price. I got the regular because I personally don’t like red bean. The texture remains consistent for an uncle tetsu cheesecake — light and fluffy and cheesy — but the matcha flavour disappointed. It did not come through strongly at all, so it was almost like having the regular cheesecake, except that it’s green. I hoped maybe the soft serve would provide the matcha flavour; unfortunately, that fell short as well. The soft serve tasted like artificial green tea powder rather than the strong matcha flavour that I was expecting.
Overall, if the line is too long on the original side, I would definitely go to the matcha store to grab a cake since it is still delicious, but I had to take stars away because the matcha was a true let down. If you’re looking for an authentic matcha taste, you won’t find it here :(

I walked by here a couple times, trying to see if there’s ever a small line up. Finally, on one day, There was only 3 people outside. So I decided to jump into the line. Still waited about 15 minutes or so.
The cheese cake itself was good, but I’m not sure if I’d ever line up 1 – 2 hours like some other people do for the cheese cake. I’d probably come here a bit more often if it weren’t for the line up (I’m impatient. 15 minutes is about the max I’d wait).
Quality: 8.5÷10. Value: 7.5÷10. Service: ⁷⁄₁₀. Overall: 7.5÷10 (Not an average).

If you’re a Filipino and know what a mamon is, the texture of their Japanese cheesecake reminds me of a really good mamon.
If you’ve not a Filipino and you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s like a sponge cake, that’s airy, not fluffy, and has a smooth texture of cream cheese. I’d say it’s like a hybrid between a Cheesecake and a sponge cake. I don’t know if that makes any sense actually lol. It’s good to try, just to try, but not something I’d line up for for two hours.
There’s actually a twitter feed on their line up, /​tetsulineup. Check it out if you’re bored and maybe you can pick up a pattern as to what hours are their busiest.
You can only purchase one cake for yourself, so if your friends want a whole cake, they have to go through the line up adventure with you.
I went to the shop beside it and got this matcha red bean madeleines. It’s like a yummy green tea cupcake.
The cost is $ 2.65 each, but if you get three, you get the forth one for free. My friend and I got 4, paid $ 9 in total and split it between the two of us.
The cheesecake is good, but I really don’t know what that line up hype is all about. Maybe it’s just something people get to remind them of a place they once have visited or lived in?
If you’re with friends and want to kill some time, drop by and try it.

Cheesecake to die for but not ur usual recipe fluffy like a regular white cake
Anticipate a line up
Portions small

Not a huge sweet tooth but this a good cheesecake. It’s not as dense as regular cheesecake, and kind of tastes like a fluffy and airy vanilla cake with a slightly cream cheese flavour. I think it’s a good price point for what you get and I think the packaging is really nice.
Not worth waiting too long for but really good if there was no line. When I went there was no line at all, and I’d definitely go back to get this cake for someone as a gift or if I’m in the area and theres no line.

I don’t know what the hype is all about.
It taste like a normal Japanese cheesecake that you can get in Japan. Not to mention that T&T sells one that tastes the same, and the best part about it is that you don’t have to wait hours to buy it! This place is overrated.

This review will sound more like a PSA than a review, but the worst thing about this place is not really the line, it’s the other customers. Some of these people lack common sense, or are just outright selfish. I once had a guy who just cut me in line and completely ignored me when I told him that I was in line. Thankfully the worker saw this and told him that I should be served first. Anyway, here are some things to keep in mind when you’re standing in line:
First, KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED. I don’t care how cold it is outside, we all had to wait out there at some point. By you opening the door to feel a bit of the heat, you end up bringing in a gust of chilly wind into the entire bakery making everyone inside cold in the process. Don’t be selfish, wait patiently like everyone else, and stand outside with the door closed. The store definitely should have a «KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED» sign at the front.
Second, MOVE IN. The entire bakery can fit about 10 people, so move all the way to the back and make a loop to the cash register so that more people can wait inside. Be mindful of all the people waiting outside in the cold, try to comfortably fit as many people as you can. You don’t need that much space around you.
Third, KNOW YOUR ORDER before you get to the register. Honestly, it’s not that hard — they only have three things on the menu. Their cheesecake is what they’re famous for and what everyone is in line for, so yes, you probably should just get it. No, you cannot get items from the Matcha store in the original Uncle Tetsu, it’s right next door and there’s never a line there so walk over after. Google what each item is, read the description, don’t ask what the ingredients are for god sakes, there are so many people behind you waiting. Just use Google, they are a fairly popular chain worldwide, you will probably find any information about them there. Or just ask another person in line, you’re going to be standing with them for a while anyway, so why not befriend a stranger in the process.
Ok so now I got that out of the way, here’s my actual review:
I avoided this place for a while because of the ridiculous lines, but coincidentally I had a trip booked to Japan over the summer and went to the Uncle Testu in Fukuoka to see what the fuss was about. No one there seem to know what I was talking about and once I found it in an underground train station, there was no line. In fact, there wasn’t even one customer aside from me. I was still excited regardless, and after taking a bite, I think I would have to agree with the other reviewers that, «it’s not worth the wait».
That’s probably the most common response you’ll hear from people. But the question is not really about whether it’s worth the wait (because what kind of Japanese cheesecake is worth a one-​hour wait), what if there wasn’t a wait? Then would you still go get one? Then I would say yes. Japanese cheesecake is more like a sweet cheese soufflé than a New York style cheesecake that most people are used to — They’re actually quite different. If you don’t like the cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu, it just means you don’t like Japanese cheesecake, because they’re all going to more-​or-​less taste the same. If you do like Japanese cheesecake, then this place won’t disappoint.
The line can be frustrating, but I actually think it’s part of the experience. The whole absurdity of a collective group of people wasting their time lining up for a $ 10 cheesecake is quite a rare event. The hype likely isn’t going to last forever (looking at how they’re currently doing in Japan), so I don’t see the problem in joining in on the hysteria to come out of it and say, «this is it?», to go home and write some snarky review on Unilocal telling people it’s not worth the wait. That whole process is the Uncle Tetsu of Toronto experience — even if it’s not worth the wait, you STILL did it even after reading all the reviews telling you not to. Maybe we all want a piece of the experience more so than the cake itself.
You might think it’s a good idea for them to expand to meet the demands, but the demands only exist because the supplies are low. If they expand too quickly, they’ll follow the same fate as Krispy Kreme did about 10 years ago with their aggressive expansion in the GTA. That line you see is what creates the hype, so they’d want to create a line for as long as they can.
Now, it’s actually possible to come at a time when there isn’t a line. I live fairly close by and I’ve come at multiple times when I was actually the only person in the store! I’ve noticed that the line becomes long during the school-​year, where students from Ryerson and U of T tend to conglomerate here when they have time to kill. The line was surprisingly dead during the winter holidays. But then, the cake just doesn’t taste as good when you don’t work for it. So just think of it this way; the longer you wait in line, the more delicious (or more disappointing) that cake is going to taste.

Uncle Tetsu! Wow it’s as fluffy as a cloud. This cake isn’t flooded with piles of sugar or loads of icing. Soft as a feather just the way I like cakes.
We walked all the way from Spadina and Queen on foot hoping there wasn’t a big line tonight and got lucky, only a few patrons standing outside. $ 10 for each cheesecake and the limit is one per customer (sorry you can only pig out with one).

Came back to pick up their original cheesecake and honey Madeleines for my BF’s friend! As I was in line I noticed the Angel Hat was still available but in limited quantities… Around 5 left well 4 after I bought one! I’ve never tried the Angel Hat since they were always sold out every since it was added to the menu. I’ve had their original cheesecake and honey Madeleines many times and even their matcha cheesecake but never the Angel Hat!
It looks like a fluffy dome! My first bite into it and you can tell the cake was so fluffy and light! When it enters your mouth it magically disappears! It’s so light that it melts away! My friends and I were amazed! It’s like airy and cheesier compared to the cheesecake! Definitely something to try if you’ve never had it!
I was glad I didn’t have to wait for more than 10 minutes to get one! I guess I was lucky!

We arrived at Uncle Tetsu and found an enormous line (as per usual) in front of the store… However, to my surprise there was one with a lesser line next to it, the difference? This one is uncle Tetsu matcha! Instead of the original cheesecake it is Japanese cheesecake with an extra Japanese twist, adding matcha +/​-​red bean to the cheesecake. Personally I love matcha, so it was an easy decision to make. And I am extremely happy with this decision. We bought one matcha ice cream and one matcha cheesecake ($ 10 for the cheesecake), and they were both awesome! The cheesecake was moist, just the right texture, and even after a day it was still great tasting, without losing a bit of the freshness. The matcha flavor wasn’t overpowering either, which sometimes can be a concern. So that was also good.
All in all, a solid cheesecake. I would definitely recommend it, but if you don’t want to wait in line, lol, then don’t go

Best part of coming to Toronto is spending time with my BFF! He always takes me to try new desserts since I have the biggest sweet tooth ever.
First there’s no parking… we paid $ 10 to park in a private lot and walked a block. The line didn’t seem long but it took us 45 minutes to get our cheesecake. 45 minutes in the freezing cold seems more like an eternity! Plus only ONE cheesecake per person. Have some games on your phone and time will pass by more quickly. PS wifi sucks.
The cheesecake is light and fluffy. Not too sweet. Our cheesecake was still hot when we got it. First bite it didn’t taste cheesy at all… it was more egg flavour and had the texture of cake not quite fully cooked. The next day the cheesecake taste way better… More cheese flavour and a bit more dense texture. A cheesecake cost $ 10 and 4 Madeline’s was $ 6.36. Reasonably priced.
Overall it’s the closest to Japanese cheesecake you’ll get here in Canada. Oh there’s a separate lines for regular cheesecake and matcha cheesecake.

The infamous japanese cheesecake store that was suppose to be a must try; so I did, and boy was I a little disappointed.
I wouldnt say this is a must try place. It’s different and unique but that’s about all there is to it. There are 2 shops, located right next to each other, matcha on the left and original on the right. It’s $ 10 per cake and limit one per person (or you can re-​line up). The matcha cake is smaller than the original one but it’s still the same price.
I personally enjoyed the matcha cake more than the original when hot. But the original tastes much better when it has been chilled in the fridge! I’d say the original japanese cheesecake has a stronger taste of egg while the matcha is definitely sweeter and tastes like strong green tea. They were both fluffy but it’s no different from other japanese cheesecake you can get at stores. Probably just average japanese cheesecake.
There is usually a line up for the original but there are times when there’s less people. You’d think the line would go fairly fast because there’s a limit to one per person but it’s unusually slow since it’s such a small shop with so little room inside to stand. The matcha shop doesnt usually have a line so I suppose there are less people that enjoy it.
Overall I dont think this place is worth lining up for. But if it’s short and you’ve never experienced japanese cheesecake before and would love to try, then go for it! But if you’ve tried Japanese cheesecake before, then don’t waste your time lining up.

If you don’t want to wait in line, visit the shop early in the morning before 9−10am. They have plenty of freshly baked cakes & you can purchase more than one/​person. I have never personally been inside the shop, only seen the ridiculous line of people waiting in the snow on evenings when I passed by downtown.
I find that if you refrigerate the cake for half an hour before eating it will enhance the taste & texture significantly. I’ve always been a big fan of the traditional cheesecake, so for me the spongy texture & powdery taste of these Japanese cheesecakes was a little strange. Having it cooled in the fridge does the trick for me!
I believe the cake is $ 10/​each. Quite over-​priced if you ask moi.

This place has really good japanese cheesecake and madeleines. There’s a reason why there’s so much hype, because it’s delicious. Anyone who says they don’t like it is basically an uncultured swine that doesn’t have the taste for asian deserts. Sorry not sorry.
The green tea madeleines with red bean filling from their green tea café next door was also really good. I recommend it.

Man… What’s all the fuss about? This «cake» is just a glorified fluffed omelette with cream cheese.
The consistency when fresh or microwaved is soft and soggy and tastes only of eggs…
The madelaines (which look more like muffins) are way better in comparison to the cake.
Of course I didn’t expect a traditional cheesecake or traditional madelaines, but I expected something delicious with all this raving about this place.
On the good side I got there with almost no line (thanks to the cold weather) and it was cool to peak at the baking process in their kitchen.
But would definitely not recommend this place. Really. No.

My third time here and as others have said, if you see a line, keep walking. Come back ~1−2 hours before closing and you’ll only have to wait a half hour max.
I quite like their cheesecakes — they’re light, creamy and melt in your mouth. They make all of them fresh so no worries about getting one that’s been sitting for a while. They’re also decently sized, which makes it easy to share among friends. For $ 10, I’d say it’s worth it. On the other hand, I’m not a huge fan of the madeleines. They look like bland muffins so I was expecting them to taste like the cheesecake, but disappointingly, they taste like an even blander muffin.
I have yet to try the matcha cheesecake they serve next door, so that will be my next mission. For some magical reason, there is never a line to the matcha store, even when the line for the original spans a mile.

over hyped. not worth the long waits.
yeah their cheesecake is good, but there are other places you can get equally or better cheesecakes in town. eg. Mon K or Bakery Nakamura in JTown.
also had bad service from them. I get you’re busy, but don’t rush me out.

Finally got to try the infamous Japanese cheesecake. Surprised there’s still a line up after being opened for almost a year! The matcha café next door had no line. Wonders if this means the matcha cheesecake isn’t as popular. Saw some people ordering the green tea Madeleines. Will try next time when I’m in the area.
Verdict after 30 minutes of waiting At 8pm on sat:
Day of: very fluffy and light. melts in the mouth. However, I didn’t really taste the cheesecake flavour as much as the strong egg flavour. It was too eggy for my liking. B
Day old: chilled it in the fridge for one day. I have to say I like it better when its chilled. It’s not as fluffy, but still soft and the cheesecake flavour really comes out. It’s more cheesecake flavour than eggy flavour. I definitely like day old more!
B+
Two day old cake: still soft, not as fluffy, taste like egg more than cream cheese. B–
I definitely like day old the best!
I can see why people hype this place up. The cheesecake is made to order and is very fresh. However, like others, I don’t necessarily think it’s worth the wait, but it’s worth a taste!
$ 10 no tax and debit is accepted now. You can bypass line and go in if you are only getting the honest Madeleines. I didn’t get those. Perhaps, next time. I liked that I could watch them make the desserts. Pretty entertaining. The signs on the wall are hilarious both in and out of store. Take a look the next time you are waiting! One tip, if you go around 9pm, make sure you get a card that guarantees that you will get a cake. One time I went, waited for 20 mins to realize that they closed the line because only people with cards got guaranteed a cake. You can wait but you may not get cake.

I enjoy their food and price but I will never wait longer than 20 min for it.
Uncle Tetsu Food: I’ve had the original cheesecake, Angel hat, and honey madeleine. I find the cheesecake and angel hat to be very similar in taste, it seems like the only differences are the shape and the angel hat is ever so slightly fluffier (I guess from being crust less?). I would choose having the cheesecake instead because it’s easier to slice and share. Both cakes are airy and just melt in your mouth from how silky the texture is. They hardly weigh anything so you’ll hardly feel it at the tip of your fork. The flavour that sticks out most is a ricotta cheese (?) taste. It’s very light so try not to drink anything cold/​hot or eat something too flavorful before eating the cake or you’ll find it flavour less. The madeleines are very different but still tasty — they are sweet and have a thicker cake texture. I wouldn’t come here just for Madeleines though.
Matcha Café Food: I was very eager to try the matcha soft serve since I really enjoy matcha in general. But to my disappointment, I felt the soft serve was more of a sorbet. The cone began melting before it was even handed to me. It tasted like it was made from frozen water rather than milk/​cream. And the flavour was really lacking, I could hardly find the matcha flavour even after tasting it carefully. The soft serve definitely didn’t go well with the flavour of the cone too. I think the cone had a more distinct flavour than the soft serve. My friend and I agreed that it wasn’t worth the wait and we most likely won’t be back to try it again.
Service: While you line up you get the opportunity to see the staff prepare and cook all the food through the windows. The staff are friendly and quiet. Expect to wait a while for anything you order though. There is always a line no matter what the weather is like.
Why only 3 stars? I like the cakes and the price is definitely on point but I don’t find them that special to go out of my way to order. I’ll usually only stop here if it’s en route to somewhere else I have to be. And the line ups can be ridiculously long. On an average day I won’t stop if I see the line is longer than 10−15min. The food isn’t that amazing for me to wait more than 20min tops.
Refrigerated or not? I prefer it NOT refrigerated. I find that after it gets cold, it no longer remains silky smooth. The cold makes the cake more solid and somehow loses some of its flavour as well. I’d rather leave it out for one night if I know it will be finished the next day.

This review is probably quite biased because the line was miraculously non-​existent when we showed up on a whim on a Monday noon. The cheesecake I personally found was absolutely delicious, but then I’m a fan of lighter and fluffier cakes like this one.
I think I would wait a maximum of around 30 minutes in the cold, if it came to that.

Upon visiting Toronto, my friend who is a local said that we had to try Uncle Tetsu. When it opened, apparently there were lines out the door for hours. We stood in line for about 30 minutes. The line is mainly limited by the size (it is a tiny space inside) and their oven sizes — they can only make a certain number of cheesecakes per hour. Also, once they run out for the day (usually happens in the afternoon), they don’t make more. When it isn’t too cold out, standing in line isn’t too bad because you can watch them make the cheesecake before your eyes through the large window. There is also a shop next door that says a variety of matcha flavored desserts, including matcha cheesecake, but the lines are usually for the original cheesecake.
The cheesecake itself ($ 10 for a whole cheesecake; slices not available) comes out hot from the oven, and is the lightest and fluffiest cheesecake I have ever had. There is barely any hint of cream cheese, and it isn’t very sweet. I liked trying it since it is so different from American cheesecakes, but not sure it is worth waiting in line for.

The long line outside was ridiculous, especially during the winter. Frankly, it is not worth the wait. The cheesecake is good, but not if you have to stand outside during a Toronto winter. A major beef I have with this place, is that it’s cash or Canadian debit card only. They do not accept credit, or US debit cards. If you are visiting, go next door to the bus station and get some cash at the ATM.
The cake is light and eggy when fresh and hot. Almost like an angel cake in it’s texture and lightness. I liked it, but the eggy nature limits how much you want to eat. We had at least half a cake left over, so we put it in the fridge. Cold, it firms up and tastes more creamy and like what you might expect from American cheese cake. I liked this more. Try it both ways and decide for yourself.

Never had Japanese cheese cake before so I had to try. Café was empty when I went in. Paid $ 10 for 1 cheesecake, cash only.
It’s super light and eggy. But that’s about it. Don’t know about you but I like a little more sugar and some tang. Somebody on Unilocal said you should try it warm, room temp, and cold. So I did and I’m glad I did. It definitely had different textures and flavors changed a bit too. It was interesting nonetheless.
Would I order it again? Probably not. Unless I ate it with some nice sweet home made whipped cream, berries, and a tuile biscuit. Mmmmm…
Give as a gift? Probably because it’s so darn cute. But once they taste it, they may get let down lol. Perhaps give it as a gift with a side of sweet home made whipped cream, berries, and a tuile biscuit! Haha

*First review as an Elite*
So I had plan to get cheesecake after my stop at Canadian tire but this seem more appropriate as little treat as celebrate and what a treat it was
I kind of get the hype of this place. It definitey different from your tradional cheesecake which isnt a bad thing. I like different favours, taste and textures. This felt more like cheesy light and fluffy spongecake. I dont think the word to use but seem about right.
I was tasty and different from what you expect but I like it. Also as far as line. It’s warranted, it work the wait, the price isn’t bad either. I probably try to revisit with a shorter line but again the wait has nothing to with my rating.
Also the cake didn’t make it home I manage to eat it during the commute home on the ttc, it was that good

I don’t like cheesecake. When I lived in southern California lots of my friends would want to go to Cheesecake Factory and I would never go unless it was someone’s birthday or something. I think of cheesecake as a gross, heavy, lazy dessert — yucky texture, syrupy toppings, fake whip cream. Chemical and saccharine. I think of it as down market and cheap tasting, the last thing that a macaron and good chocolate girl like me would enjoy.
So needless to say I was in no rush to try Uncle Tetsu. But I walked by one day and there was no line, my man had just gotten some good news and I thought I would bring home a cake as a treat. This cheesecake has nothing in common with the Cheesecake Factory. It is light, airy, a beautiful texture like eating a cloud. It has a very mild sweetness that just compliments the cloud-​like texture perfectly. It’s absolutely delicious, like nothing else I’ve ever eaten. I really enjoy the simplicity of it, and I can absolutely see combining it with some fresh fruit, homemade peach syrup, or brandied cherries at home. The possibilities are really endless. It is lovely. It is nothing like I ever thought cheesecake could be.
Read any of my reviews and your notice that I’m wild about texture. This cheesecake has a dreamy texture both warm — more of an egg, soufflé-​y texture — and cold. Once it’s been refrigerated, it becomes a little denser, a little more spongy, but it’s still divinely light and beautiful to eat. Even after being in the fridge for 3 days, there was no change in texture. Divine.
To all of the reviewers here that listed lineups as their main reason for a negative review, that’s just lame. If people want to stand in line, they are free to do so. To judge something by «how long you have to wait for it» or «how stupid people are to wait» is neither reasonable nor fair. I walked right in and bought a cake. I would do it again. Whether I would wait in line has no place in this review. The point is, that cheesecake is wonderful, and I give it 5 stars. 5 stars from a girl that doesn’t even like cheesecake. Why don’t you try it for yourself?

Being from out of town, I had to try the best that Toronto had to offer.
I walked by this place when my friend was showing me around town and she pointed it out, stating that it was new and quite popular, but the lines were ridiculously long. Boy was she right!
I came back because I wanted to do something nice and bring dessert home for my cousins and the line didn’t look too long.
I stroll on over, get in line and BOOM 2 hours later… I finally stepped foot into the door. Geezus, it was the longest I’ve ever had to stand in a line… for dessert. Imagine walking around the city all day, roaming over to this part of town from the ROM… and then standing in a barely moving line for 2 hours… you can only begin to imagine my irritation.
The store is TINY, just enough that you get a snaking line of two rows, one to enter and one to exit. As soon as you enter the store, the delicious smell of butter and flour hit you like a wind storm. It smelled AMAZING! I also liked the fact that you could see the workers prepping the cheesecake, popping it into the oven, taking it out, and branding it. It’s very cool behind the scenes kind of thing and you get to see everything that goes on. Quite a bit of transparency.
I figured since I was there, I might as well get the madelines that smelled so sweet and buttery.
I got my cake, my madelines, paid, and walked out with a feeling of success. I FINALLY got the cake! I FINALLY made it back! And now, I can FINALLY find the subway and take it back to my cousin’s house for dinner.
As soon as I got back to her place, we opened it up and had a photoshoot. The cake smelled great, and despite the 40 minute commute, was still warm!
We cut into it and it was nice and soft. Now Japanese Cheesecake isn’t like American cheese cake, where it’s super heavy and creamy. No, this had more of a sponge cake texture. It was nice and moist, and there is no evidence of cream in it at all.
Taking my first bite, I somewhat expected more… but I was disappointed. It just tasted like a regular ol cake. Nothing too special about it, except for the fact that it was very moist and soft, which is a quality I like in my cakes… I just… expected more from that wait.
Needless to say, I would never wait in that line again if it was a 2 hour wait… but it is something you definitely should check out.
If this business is still around next time I come back to Canada, I’m going to check out their store next door, which serves green tea matcha madelines and ice cream.
Try it if you must, but be prepared for how underwhelming it is.
Also, there is a risk that you may not get a cake after waiting for a while, because they only make a certain amount each day… and there’s a limit of one cake per person I believe.

With over 750 reviews this place definitely doesn’t need any more attention. But do have some tips from friends that are frequent customers. This cheese cake is good if you want a lighter tasting alternative. One thing is for sure, line ups do not correlate with the products sometimes and this happens to be a product not worth lining up for an hour. Tops 15 minutes which is how long we waited.
The reason for the line is that they sell in batches and with little to no store space for customers to stand… this creates an instant line up and illusion to attract more passing patrons.
The aroma once you step inside is admittedly very attractive but it’s largely from the huge blocks of butter they are melting for their Madeleine, not cheesecake.
Cheesecake: good but tastes much better overnight. good value for the price ($ 10 after tax)
Madeleines: delicious! Worth getting considering we waited 15min for the cheesecake anyway but we were advised by our friends to eat this hot and fresh… so we did! Wish we bought a box of these.
Give it a try if you see a short line, otherwise. really not worth it.

Okay. Worth the hype!
My friends and I came here before watching a show and decided we’d get a cake to split. after smelling that sweet air air seeing those delicious looking cakes. I decided, I need my OWN to bring home!!!
I’ve walked by uncle tetsu’s quite a bit and each time I did there wA always a line. This time Round we were lucky!
So I did it and I jumped on the band wagon and took the plunge! Not regretting it AT ALL!
I had my first bite at home later with my husband and I wanted to have several more bites after that. The cake is light, airy and cheeses without being overwhelming. The matcha version was great too because it offered that bitter kick that I love about matcha.
Overall, I’m all for uncle tetsu’s and will be going again!

I just recently got to try the cheesecake here. Lol. My friend actually waited in line for about an hour (aww) and gave it to me as her Christmas gift!
I couldn’t try it right away but once I got home I heated it up by oven for a bit. While it is nice warm, I actually found I prefer it cold. I got the original one and it’s pretty soft and spongy. I would definitely try it again but probably wouldn’t get it myself if I had to wait 1 – 2 hours. Maybe like 15−20minutes at most? Over hyped tbh.

I say Uncle, you say TETSU. UNCLE — TETSU, UNCLE — TETSU. Yes, a bunch of people wait outside, usually for 1.5 hours for the famous Uncle Tetsu cheesecake. WHAT?! What kind of cheesecake is this?
Uncle Tetsu is the soft, fluffy, light, melts in your mouth kind of cheesecake. Each cheesecake is carefully made and packaged with a light Uncle Tetsu trademark stamp. Definitely delicious and worth trying. We lined up for the green tea cheesecake cause the original cheesecake’s wait line was 1.5hrs long. For the green tea cheesecake, even though we were the 4^th customer in line, we still had to wait about 20 minutes. I definitely think that service could be MUCH faster.
I saw a lot of workers in Uncle Testsu’s shops, everyone was working very hard and seemed to be busy making a lot of the cakes. However, there was only one person serving each customer at a time, who also was responsible for making the drinks, meaning if someone ordered a drink, it took an extra 2 – 4 minute wait time per drink.
I don’t think I would go back to buy the cheesecake if the wait times are still the same, however, I will stop by if I don’t see that long of a line.

We had the Matcha Cheesecake with Red Beans. It was a soft and light cheesecake, it is airy like a regular cake but had some texture of cheesecake when you bite into it. Pretty unique and never had anything like it before. I enjoyed the green tea flavouring and just the overall texture, very soft and fresh when we ate it.
We also tried the Matcha Green Tea Latte which was really good, I enjoyed it and highly recommend for savvy latte /​coffee drinkers. The green tea was pretty regular and tasted like any other green tea.
The line was really long for the original cheesecake, so we went to the matcha café part of Uncle Tetsu’s since they have 2 parts of the bakery. I’d definitely come back again and would love to try the original cheesecakes.

I came by to test my luck on a Thursday evening after work… no line up at Uncle Tetsu!
I took advantage of the opportunity and purchased the angel hat cake, original cheesecake and honey madelines; I have to say that I do enjoy the original series more than the matcha.
The angel hat cake is an adorable sphere shape and is incredibly light and fluffy. kind of like those sponge cake you get at a Chinese bakery but more moist and with a rich cheese taste.
The price is very reasonable for Uncle Tetsu. $ 8.85+tax for the cakes at ~$ 7 for 4 madelines.

It’s more a cake, not a cheese cake. Was super hyped going in and only waited 30 mins, but it didn’t deliver. Yes it is light and airy and has a unique texture. But I don’t really eat for texture I eat for taste. It is different from normal cheesecake but given the choice I would rather get a slice of pistacio cheesecake over a whole japanese cheesecake.
This cheesecake seems like a diet cheesecake: less dairy, less sugar, less flavour

All aboard the hype train.
Naturally, with all the attention this place has been getting I had to go see what all the fuss was about. $ 10 for a cheese flavoured sponge cake. For this price it had better be worth it. When you eat it fresh it is very nice and soft with almost a creamy inside. Tasted very good.
However, this is probably the last time I will have this cake. Its sure as hell is not worth $ 10 in my opinion and to wait in line for extended periods just to have a flavoured sponge cake is sure not worth the time and effort.
Someone had got it for me so I’m glad I didn’t have to wait outside in the cold.
Overall, I would say it is worth trying out if you have never tried it before but don’t expect to be blown away because at the end of the day it really is just a sponge cake.
So everyone just needs to exit the hype train and go eat something else that’s better because there is always better :)

Tried their cheesecake today and it was pretty tasty, nice and fluffy.
Price-​wise I think it’s fair. But I just wouldn’t line up for this though. Still worth a try. But was not too Wow-​ed by the cheesecake.

I don’t understand why there is always a massive line-​up for this place? I walked by here several times before finally attempting to pick up a cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu. I actually only waited maybe 5 – 10 minutes; perhaps this was because the staff made cakes more efficiently this time?
There is nowhere to eat inside; it is purely a place for you to pick-​up and get out. I bought a matcha cheesecake and matcha soft cream. The soft cream was rather icy, with the potent sweet taste of matcha powder. It was really average and definitely paled in comparison to any ice cream /​gelato place I’ve dined in. The cheesecake had a nice spongey texture and tasted creamy, but it didn’t take my breath away like I had expected it to, considering the amount of fame surrounding this place. The cheesecake is pretty small in size– good for 1 or 2 people to eat from. It actually tasted better after it sat in the fridge for a day, for some reason.
This review may sound incredibly plain and simple, but that is also how you can describe the cheesecake from here. Seriously just get a Japanese-​style cheesecake from somewhere else. Honestly there is nothing special about the food here; if it didn’t have a line-​up, however, I may have come back again because it certainly doesn’t taste bad. (One time I saw that the waiting time was 1 hour long– whaaaat? The line-​up stretched all the way down the road!)