Internationally, minded and globe travelling foodies will notice that there is a new dessert shop on West Broadway.
For those familiar Pablo, is the Japanese cheese tart brand known for their creamy, cheesecakes that come a bevvy of flavours. And now Vancouver has one to call its own, helping to cement its place as an authority for international fare.
Today we were given an exclusive sneak peak of what to expect, 3 days before they finally open their doors. But as I write this, they are closed to the public and are still testing the waters, to ensure they are able to replicate these famous Japanese recipes to a tee.
If you can only get one thing, it has to be their whole cheese tart, available in original, matcha, or chocolate. Normally I would gravitate towards matcha when it includes the use of quality powder, but seeing as this would be my very first taste of their trademark product, I had to do the original, for the true experience.
The consistency of this cheese tart was some of the light and fluffiest that I have ever had. Whipped so smooth that it simply melted under the weight of your tongue. Not too sweet, just cheesy with a hint of sugar and salt. It is the layer of apricot gel that really gives it is flavour and voice.
I do miss the traditional graham cracker crust, but find the twist on this butter biscuit base a fun take. A solid and hearty crust to balance all the cream. This is a dessert all its own, and one that I have not had anything else like.
However, if a whole tart the size of a 8 inch cake is too much to commit to, get one of their smaller single person tarts instead. Available a la carte as one at a time, or in gift boxes of 6 or 12. Although with 15 possible flavours, you may want to opt for the latter. It was hard for me to choose which 3 I wanted to pass on today. So given that the brand is originally from Japan, I opted to omit the more westernize flavours the likes of Roasted almond marshmallow chocolate, White chocolate raspberry, and Apple cinnamon.
The following is what I did have, including all the classic flavours and then flavours that our more outlandish. Naturally how each tastes depends on the flavour you choose. It is advice to eat them fresh on the day for the best experience.
Each includes a thick cakey cookie crust that crumbles upon bite with butter and baked love. At the centre a thinner layer of their cheesecake, baked longer for a firmer texture and a more solid core than that of the whole cheesecake above.
Original, Chocolate, Matcha, Strawberry, Blueberry, Juicy mango, Strawberry mochi, Ube, Creme brûlée, Peach, Tiramisu, and Chestnut. The tarts are baked throughout the day, so odds are you will get it fresh when you come in.
And best of all you are able to watch their operation unfold. From the tray of mini tarts being loaded into their oven and baked. You know they are done when the entire space smells like freshly baked butter biscuits. And then behind the glass you can witness the torching of sugar for a creme burlee crust. Even the boxing of their product is a spectacle to bear witness to.
Worth mentioning is as a resource in cheesecake and cheese tarts, Pablo also has for purchase basque style cheesecakes and a premium cheese cake option. The latter is essentially a cheese tart at its base, but created with two types of specialty cream cheese, and topped with a torched sugar creme burlee surface (as mentioned above) for that extra sugary sweetness and burlee crack.
Looking for something to help beat the heat with? Their cheese tart also comes in a drinkable smoothie version. This isn’t overly sweet and only has the gentlest flavour of cheese.
Out of the 3 flavours of smoothies we had, my favourite was the ube, as it came with a fragrant sweet purple potato flavour and the right amount of sweetness to highlight it. Whereas the strawberry was a classic in preparation and taste. They also have a chocolate, peach, and mango option.
Pablo Cheese Tart Vancouver will officially open this Friday, July 21st from 11am-8pm. And to celebrate their grand opening, the first 50 customers in line will receive a free large Freshly Baked Cheese Tart with a minimum $5 purchase.
Pablo Cheese Tart
511 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1E6
pablocanada.com
