PRIMADELI
from $2.40, at all PrimaDeli outlets including #01-20 Square 2 (6397-2359). primadeli.com
We were pretty surprised that this old school bakery chain was among the first here to jump onto the cheese tart bandwagon. There are two flavours, original ($2.40) and salted yolk ($2.80), available in limited quantity daily. While we lean a little more towards the latter for the potent salted yolk filling, both are pretty legit ─ golden, buttery tart shells and oozy fillings that live up to the “Lava Cheese Tart” name.
ANTOINETTE
from $2.60, only at the Penhas outlet, 30 Penhas Road (6293-3121). antoinette.com.sg
Antoinette has always been the go-to for classic French pastries, but this year’s creations are proof that this homegrown patissier is not just on-trend but ahead of the curve. Recently, they tackled the salted egg yolk croissant craze with a full series of 7 croissant fillings. Now, they’ve responded to the cheese tart fervour with a collection of five ─ vanilla, matcha, salted yolk, salted caramel, and Grand Cru chocolate ─ served up on flaky puff pastry.
There’s no mistaking the premium quality of the bakes, but the vanilla is a little too safe, the matcha is somewhat subdued, and the salted caramel felt kinda last season. But the Grand Cru had us charmed by the way the bitter chocolate played off the creaminess of the cheese tart. And call us cliche, but we’re still very fond of the salted yolk version for its salty kick and the requisite sandy texture.
BAKE CHEESE TART
$3.50, available from April 29. #B4-33 Ion Orchard.
A whole store dedicated to just one product ─ that’s how strongly this Japanese specialty chain stands by their Hokkaido Bake Cheese Tart.
But first, a heads up. This adheres to the classic Japanese-style cheese tart, so don’t expect the cream cheese filling to be molten and flowy. What you get instead is a texture that’s crumbly at first bite but turns smooth and creamy in the mouth. The cream cheese centre is a melange of three different cream cheeses, two from Hokkaido and a third from France, and twice-baked into a thick buttery crust (slightly too thick for our liking).
The shop says that the cheese tart tastes a little different depending on the temperature served: warmed in the oven, at room temperature, chilled, or frozen. Our verdict? Have them chilled for a silky mouthfeel and to do justice to the delicate sweet-sour balance of the cream cheese filling.