A couple days ago, I was invited to attend a cheesecake tasting by my good friend Richard Wolak (@vanfoodster). Similar to the poutine media tour that was held last month, this afternoon event was intended to showcase a few of the restaurants currently participating in the Vancouver Foodster Cheesecake Challenge. For more information or to see a full list of participants, click here.
The first stop on our tasting tour was at Gramercy Grill at Arbutus & West 11th. Chef Dennis Huang was at hand to introduce his classic Strawberry Cheese Cake. For those that subscribe to more traditional tastes, this offering will definitely be up your alley. The cheesecake is kept simple but is accented very nicely by the fresh strawberries. Kept wonderfully creamy but not too rich, the graham cracker crust will be familiar but welcome to many patrons. Overall, a safe but appreciatively home-style take on a classic strawberry cheesecake.
Gramercy Grill Strawberry Cheese Cake
Description: Baked Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake with Graham Wafer Crust
Created by: Chef Dennis Huang
Price: $7.50
Gramercy Grill
2685 Arbutus Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-730-5666
Twitter: @gramercygrill
Website: gramercygrill.ca
Our second stop of the afternoon was at Salontea at Granville and West 14th. Their Vanilla Chai tea-infused cheesecake is made gluten-free and served with a wonderful selection of Salontea teas. With a flour-less brownie and hazelnut base and a hint of orange zest, this is definitely not your typical cheesecake. For me, the most impressive element of the offering was the Salontea Dancer tea-poached fresh blueberries. The entire dessert came off remarkably fragrant and paired perfectly with my cup of tea. Overall, a very light, almost tart-like tea creation that many should find quite interesting.
Salontea Tea-infused Cheesecake
Created by: Secret đ
Price $5.95
Salontea
3010 Granville Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604.569.1198
Twitter: @SalonteaCanada
Web: salontea.com
The third and final stop of our tour was at Satori Factory on Victoria Drive. As good as the previous two submissions were, this last cheesecake turned out to be my personal favourite. The fresh sweetness of the apple ran consistently through the wedge, from the fresh sliced apple garnish to the wonderfully crumbly bottom crust. As yet another gluten-free offering, this Apple Pie Cheesecake was accented nicely with fresh orange zest. Served with a hot cup of chai latte, this is the perfect late-afternoon or tea-time order to just relax and unwind. I highly recommend all readers try a slice of this wonderful cheesecake sometime this month.
Spiced Apple Pie Cheesecake
Price: $4.50
Created by: Chef Sandra Lee
Satori Factory
5054 Victoria Drive, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 569-0420
Twitter: @mysatorifactory
Web: satorifactory.ca
