Dessert Conquest: Cheesecake

What is your favourite dessert? Maybe, like me, you love anything chocolate. Maybe you prefer a more rich dessert. Or maybe your favourite lies somewhere in the middle, balancing perfectly between sweet, creamy, and rich: cheesecake.

I went to five different cafes near campus to see which served the best cheesecake. To keep things fair, I ranked them based on four things: flavour, price, location (in relation to campus), and presentation. I used a scale of 1-5, 5 being my favourite, and 1 being my least favourite. The cheesecake with the highest total number at the end would reign supreme. Without further ado, are you ready to rumble?

The first cheesecake I ate was also the farthest away. Swiss 2 Go is a 20-minute drive away from campus, but I wanted to include it because a) all the cheesecakes look like teacups and b) Buzzfeed’s Tasty did a video about them.

Walking into this place was like stepping into a hipster’s fever dream. There was nary a surface without exposed wood or brick, and everything on the menu sounds like someone put a bunch of food and flavour combinations in a random generator. The location is a setback for university students. It’s a long way to go for some teacup-shaped cheesecake. But the distance wasn’t my biggest problem with this one: it was the price.

There is another $15.00 cheesecake in the running, but it could easily feed four people. The price of this teacup sized cheesecake almost knocked the wind out of me. I understand that it’s an artisanal local shop, but my student-loans-heavy heart can’t handle spending that much for that little.

Obviously, due to the shape, this cheesecake ranked number one in presentation. The flavours they had on offer were odd, but I love watermelon, so I gave it a go. The only way I can describe it is “watermelon Hubba Bubba.” Despite the weird artificial flavour, the balance of the cheesecake was good: not too sweet, just creamy enough, and not so rich that I couldn’t finish it. My aunt, who usually dislikes cheesecake, did like this one.

Overall, because of the price, I wouldn’t get this one again. It’s a fun novelty to experience once, but not worth it to go twice.

SWISS 2 GO — 4306 118 AVE

FLAVOUR: 3/5

PRICE: 1/5

LOCATION: 1/5

PRESENTATION: 5/5

TOTAL: 10/20

Moving a bit closer to campus, my next stop was the Snowy Dessert Korean Cafe.

This unassuming little dessert cafe has stolen my heart. When I walked in here with my aunt we were the only people there — apart from the girl working the counter, who was ecstatic to have customers. The atmosphere is modern but not mechanical, which is a rare gift these days.

For flavour, I wanted to give this the 5 ranking, but I thought it wouldn’t be fair due to the fact that it was technically bingsu with cheesecake in it, not just cheesecake. For the uninitiated, bingsu is an ice cream and shaved ice hybrid, and if you’ve never had it, stop depriving yourself of this heaven on earth. I still put it at 4, because I couldn’t let something so delicious go unnoticed. The presentation, a metal bowl piled high with fruit, cheesecake, and almond shavings, also received a 4. Despite being pretty much a garbage bucket of frozen components, it still looks great coming out, and each one is made to order.

For price, since it is $15.00, I had to give it a 3. However, this thing is absolutely massive, which makes the price worth it. As a bonus, it makes for a great smoothie if you take the leftovers home and freeze them!

Because the location was second-farthest, Snowy Dessert Korean Cafe got a 2, but it was only about a 30-second walk from the next cheesecake on the list.

All in all, this nontraditional cheesecake was really good. The mango and bingsu really added to the cream cheese flavour, and I will definitely eat this one again.

SNOWY DESSERT — 10209 82 AVE

FLAVOUR: 4/5

PRICE: 3/5

LOCATION: 2/5

PRESENTATION: 4/5

TOTAL: 13/20

The third cheesecake was surprising to me. I practically worship Block 1912, and I had a white chocolate and apricot mousse cake there once that I think made me see God. That said, my results this time were… interesting.

Let’s get into the nitty gritty: this was not was I was expecting from Block 1912. I’m not sure if it was just an off day, but the flavour was odd. There was a gritty texture in the cheesecake I didn’t enjoy, and the caramel tasted burnt. The presentation wasn’t necessarily bad, just plain, but definitely the least visually pleasing of them all.

The price was definitely not bad, but it was also more expensive than the final two cakes. The location isn’t far from campus, but still farther than some of the others. I will say that the atmosphere in Block 1912 is very nice — it’s a place I wouldn’t mind sitting down to eat a cheesecake. It feels like Starbucks without all the yoga moms, only darker. The familiar din of quiet restaurant chatter comforts the server in me, and the overall effect is calming. If you want to read here, you should definitely bring a book light. The lighting is great for the ambiance, but not so much for, well… seeing.

Altogether, this cheesecake was rather disappointing. I was secretly rooting for Block 1912 because of how good their desserts usually are, but I couldn’t go by past merit alone. I would not get this cheesecake again.

BLOCK 1912 — 10361 82 AVE

FLAVOUR: 1/5

PRICE: 3/5

LOCATION: 3/5

PRESENTATION: 1/5

TOTAL: 8/20

Next up was the unassuming Upper Crust Cafe. I had never been here, but the atmosphere is almost like a sit-down deli. Contradictory, perhaps, but it’s nice. The display case in the front greets you with all the homemade baked goods, and my self-control withered as I saw my first pastry. It reminded me a little of my hometown restaurant, which has since closed down, and my nostalgia got the better of me as we took our seats.

This cheesecake was… delicious. The flavour was almost like a heightened cookies and cream, and this was the only cheesecake on the list not to use whipped cream. I’m sorry auntie, but this cheesecake might have yours beat. There was some kind of irresistible chocolate sauce on top, and the price and location are both second best out of them all.

The presentation was a wedge, which was perfect for the atmosphere of the cafe itself. The only reason it gets a 3 is because of Swiss 2 Go’s cuteness and Snowy Dessert’s beauty.

I would definitely eat this cheesecake again. It was delicious, well put together, and homemade, and the feeling in this cafe was warm and welcoming.

UPPER CRUST — 10909 86 AVE

FLAVOUR: 5/5

PRICE: 4/5

LOCATION: 4/5

PRESENTATION: 3/5

TOTAL: 16/20

The last stop on my journey was Leva Cafe.

Look, I like cheesecake as much as the next guy; I may even be convinced to say I love it. But after four other cheesecakes, I was pretty sure I had developed some kind of self-induced lactose intolerance. Still, I powered through. This cheesecake is the closest to campus on our list, and I have a not-so-secret weakness for the French macarons here.

The only reason this cheesecake has such a high total is because it’s close to campus and it’s cheap. The cheesecake itself was… fine. But nothing special. It was a white slice of cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, whipped cream, and a couple of blueberries and a raspberry on top.

The presentation wasn’t bad, but it was boring. The same challenges affected both the visual and taste aspects of the cheesecake. Again, I was disappointed with this experience because I love that Leva is so close to campus. I do love Leva’s atmosphere, which borders between chic and grassroots, and their other desserts have always treated me fairly well, but this cheesecake was not it.

I don’t think I would order this cheesecake again. However, if you’re in the mood, the French macarons are delicious enough to warrant the trip.

LEVA — 11053 86 AVE

FLAVOUR: 2/5

PRICE: 5/5

LOCATION: 5/5

PRESENTATION: 2/5

TOTAL: 14/20

FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, I’ve had my fill of cheesecake for a while. If I was lactose intolerant, I think I might be dead. I can happily say that I won’t be eating any more cheesecake for at least a few weeks. My stomach now gets nauseous at the mere sight of anything resembling cream cheese, and I think I napped for five hours after eating the final cake.

For my own sanity, and your own untainted taste buds’ enjoyment, please take my humble recommendations and try one of these cheesecakes. What I do not recommend is eating all five in a row —  trust me.

The winner, with a whopping score of 16/20, is Upper Crust Cafe. I have to say, they definitely deserve this. The cheesecake was absolutely divine, and if I had to drown in a dessert, that would be it. I very well might go back for this one soon. The atmosphere worked, and I had no major qualms with anything. This cheesecake is delicious, and in walking distance of campus. If you’re fond of mom-and-pop places that serve uniquely great food, this one should be at the top of your list.