Japan's Bake Cheese Tart Vs. Malaysia's Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart: Spot The Difference

Bake Cheese Tart’s Westgate outlet storefront hints at its Japanese roots with its whimsical, cutesy design. The store counter, where freshly baked cheese tarts are displayed, is shaped like the skeleton structure of a house, while the walls are trendy concrete and the shop’s famous Pikachu-yellow boxes line a wall.

The no-frills counter in the middle of a pedestrian walkway in Jurong Point’s basement (its neighbours are pushcarts) looks very different from Bake’s shop. This Malaysian-owned shop has a simple signage and walls plastered with the brand’s name in a checkered design.

A box of tarts from Bake Cheese Tart comes in a chic yellow paper bag with blue handles printed with the shop’s Japlish moniker. On the other hand, the grammatically correct Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart has a generic, label-free transparent plastic bag.

We ain’t no Pantone colour chart experts, but the distinctive yellow hue of both brands’ packaging looks uncannily similar (though Hokkaido’s yellow is a tad more cool-toned, and is paired with a turquoise shade instead of Bake Cheese Tart’s sky blue). Each purchase of half a dozen tarts gets you a paper box — Bake’s one is of a thicker, better quality material than Hokkaido’s rather flimsy version, and boasts a pretty printed pattern. But we like the transparent panel on Hokkaido’s box. It allows you a glimpse into its contents, plus, the carton is easily opened via a flap. Resealing Bake Cheese Tart’s box (which comes sealed with a carefully pasted sticker) after you’ve opened it proves almost impossible.

Once opened, the boxes function as ‘shelves’ that display the tarts tantalisingly for hungry snackers. The difference in quality of the two brands’ boxes becomes obvious here — Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart’s box (left) sags under the weight of the pastries, while Bake Cheese Tart’s sturdy layers hold its contents well. If you’re buying the tarts as a gift, we say go for the more presentable Bake Cheese Tart.

While Japan original Bake only offers one type of cheese tart, Hokkaido serves two more flavours, Durian and Choco Almond ($3.30 each), on top of its original cheese tart. We tried Hokkaido’s original baked cheese tart right after we bought it from the shop. The piping hot munchkin oozed gooey, slightly savoury cream cheese filling that flowed like lava. The shortcrust pastry beneath is crumbly, though slightly underbaked and not buttery enough. Not bad.

We tried Hokkaido's other two flavours: Durian Tart (right; $3.30) and Choco Almond Tart ($3.30) with the same cream cheese filling as the original flavour and found them rather lacklustre. The durian tart, while packing a potent whiff of the king of fruits, barely tasted like the real thing, while the coarsely chopped almonds covering the chocolate tart distracted us from the cream cheese that was oddly jarring with a hint of chocolate flavour.

Sapporo-born Bake’s tart pastry is noticeably more brown than Hokkaido’s paler rendition, with a golden cheese filling that’s slightly charred. Whereas the Malaysian Hokkaido’s cheese filling is oozy and savoury, Bake’s has a fluffy texture and is mildly sweet. And its buttery shortcrust pastry boasts the addictive crunch of a cookie. Oh, and another dead giveaway that you're chomping on Bake’s cheese tarts? After each purchase, the staff hands you a card with Japlish instructions for eating the treats, like: “You can enjoy ‘freshly-baked cheese tart’ reheating it by a toaster oven” and “You can enjoy like an ‘ice cream’ putting in a freezer”. Our vote goes to the original Nippon Bake for its more fragrant, buttery and satisfying cheese tarts.

Bake Cheese Tart, two outlets including #B4-33 Ion Orchard, S238801. Tel: 6509-9233. Open daily 10am-10pm. www.facebook.com/bakecheesetartsingapore

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart, two outlets including #B1-K2 Jurong Point, S648886. Open daily 10am-10pm.