Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake

Originating in 1990 as a single shop in Japan, Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake took off after expanding to China, where its ultra-fluffy, gently flavored cakes became a sensation, then came to the U.S. – surprisingly supported by Panda Express. After Uncle Tetsu’s LA shops successfully offered cheesecakes through Orange County pop-ups and night markets, a brand new location opened in Costa Mesa. And it’s excellent, providing a strong alternative to locally established Korean rival Cheesetella.

Since Uncle Tetsu opened in Orange County, flavors including chocolate, pandan coconut, ube, original, strawberry, and Oreo have been regularly available, along with ube, original, and other cheese tarts. Japanese cakes are generally not known for their sweetness, and these cakes straddle the “subtle” line: Pandan combines the spongy Japanese cheesecake texture with bits of dried coconut and an undercurrent of pandan; it’s the strongest of the early flavors, including the speckled but not particularly chocolatey Oreo, light matcha, a coffee so lighty java’ed that we thought it might have been an original (unflavored) version, and a visually nice but mild chocolate cake.