After making reservations for Palette Tea Garden, I wanted to check out other spots nearby. I had to make the drive from San Jose worthwhile..meaning I have to hit up AT LEAST 2 food spots. Lol. I noticed that Uncle Tetsu was within walking distance from PTG so I decided to preorder a cheesecake online. I selected a pick-up date & time slot. Then it gave me 10 minutes to decide what flavor & how many cheesecakes and also create an account with Tock so I could make my payment. Soon after, I got an confirmation email. After finishing up PTG, we walked over to Uncle Tetsu. There's doors and an escalator that leads right up to the Dining Terrace to the left of Shake Shack. We were expecting to see a long line but surprisingly, there was only 1 person in line. I got in line, since I didn't see any separate area for pre-orders. When it was our turn, the cashier asked what we would like but I told her I was there for a pick-up. I tried showing her my email confirmation which showed my pick-up time and she also asked for my name. She grabbed my pre-bagged cheesecake, confirmed my name again and we were good to go! UBE CHEESECAKE $11.80 -it smelled super delicious when I lifted the lid. The scent reminded me of pound cake. The texture is lighter than a sponge and it's super moist. It also kinda tasted like pound too but not too sweet and the cream cheese taste was very subtle. I melted in my mouth as I ate it.. For me, I'd probably want it a tad sweeter. Heh. Loved the purple color of the cake though! Next time I'll probably try out their original and basque cheesecake if I'm in the area. I can see why asian people like their cheesecakes because it wasn't sweet at all.. I would say this would be a good gift idea. read more

Dear Uncle Tetsu, Please forgive me because I didn't have the chance to visit you in Japan. So on my day off today, I woke up early and decided to pay you a visit in the morning. I got there before opening, so my friend and I were the first in line at 10:40 am. By 11:00 am there were 9 people in line behind us. The limit was three cheesecakes per order, so I ended up ordering three along with the Matcha Tea with Cheese Foam. Well Uncle Tetsu, I have to say you didn't completely disappoint me. Your Matcha Tea with Cheese Foam was amazing. You can taste the Matcha and I like it strong and strong it was! The cheese also packed a punch. It was one of the best cheese foam drinks I've ever had. Here's what I recommend, take a sip of the drink before mixing it. That way, you can taste the matcha more. After you mix it, you'll taste the cheese more. And the staff made this for me by the time I finished paying! So no complaints there! Now to the most important matter, the original cheesecake. They only have one flavor now and it's original flavor that cost $11.00 for a 6 inch cheesecake. Even though, we got here early, we still had to wait 15 mins for the cake to be ready. I didn't mind waiting because they did open their register on time. The staff was nice overall and super polite and you can tell they were all working very hard to get everything ready. So Uncle, you can be proud of your staff. The cheesecake itself wasn't very sweet,which is great. It reminded me between a cross of a Zanze Cheesecake and a Japanese Fluffy pancake. It wasn't as cheesy and fluffy as a Zanze Cheesecake or as jiggly as a Japanese pancake. It didn't jiggle as I saw the videos from Instagram. Maybe the Uncle didn't wanna get jiggy with it? It's more of a pound cake type of cheesecake if that helps. I still think the best cheesecake I had was the Hokkaido cheesecake from Japan. That was was so light and cheesy. Once they get more flavors, I shall return! Because i know in other countries they have Chocolate, Matcha and Strawberry flavors. I will also come back to visit you because your other tea selection sounds pretty good. They have the Sea Salt Green Tea and the Green Milk Tea. Keep up the good work Uncle Tetsu! We shall meet again. read more

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I've been wanting to try Japanese cheesecake for awhile after I saw it trending somewhere. I visited Uncle Tetsu before 12 on Sunday (day 2 for them I believe). No line. Easy breezy swooped up my cheesecake for $11. Thanks Cherylynn for the head's up! We ate some of it back home. Light as air as a good soufflé. But definitely no cheese flavor at all, what is this sourcery? Stronger in egg flavor. And just the right hint of sweetness. It kept moist even several days later and it's nice they wrap it in cheesecloth within the box. Not my jam but you can tell it's done right. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

Easily a 5/5, great service, great desert I recommend the strawberry cheesecake. The texture is so good it's so soft and smooth it feels like you don't even need to chew. The workers are nice and the service is so fast you are never waiting more than five minutes for your delicious desert. read more

Read before you buy! Now I didn't know what I was expecting, but I was definitely not expecting a sponge cake. I ordered 3 different flavored cheesecakes (Oreo, Matcha, and Ube) to try. These were 6 inch cakes for about $12 each, which isn't bad for the price. I placed an order online via Tock for pickup at 11am (next day pickup only). Now, I knew the location was inside a mall and that the mall opened at 11am, but thought the cakes would just be ready by the time they were promised to me---welp, they weren't. I got there and the associate checked the oven and said I had to wait 20-25 min. Great, so they make them fresh every morning and they start baking right at 11am?? This is when I'm a bit upset, but I chose to wait and not cancel because I already drove all the way there. I go back after 25 min and ask again. And once again, she said it'd be another 15-20 min. Of course I'm upset at this point. I really should've just cancelled my order, but I wait because I promised people cakes and I couldn't let them down. I eventually got ahold of my cakes but it wasn't until 12:15pm. Okay, okay... but it's about the quality right? I sat down and tried the cakes. Yes, they're amazingly fluffy and airy, but they're just sponge cakes with a little sweetness in the center. I wouldn't be able to tell it's a cheesecake if it wasn't labeled as one. I also couldn't taste the difference between any of the flavors because the flavors are nonexistent. The colors of the cakes sure scream it, but you close your eyes and you'd think you're eating the same cake. I recommend you try it to try it but sadly not worth the hour and 15 min wait I had to endure. If a manager is reading this, it might not be your fault but no customer should be able to set a pickup time for 11am if the cakes won't be ready at that time. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Front counter area. During covid, they have yellow taped lines to encourage social distancing and reduce crowding. - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I've been seeing this on IG so I decided to come all the way out here to try Uncle Tetsu. There's two other locations in Stonestown Galleria and Serramonte Mall, but I decided to go to this one since this is the OG location! They have more flavors here FYI! I ordered two flavors: strawberry and Ube. The strawberry was for my fiancé's mother and the ube was for mine! When I brought the Cheesecake home, my dad immediately dug into it and ate half himself! I was shocked! He's not a fan of sweets, but he raved about how good it was! Because of this, I definitely recommend these cheesecakes! They're airy, smooth and not too sweet! read more

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I've always heard of the popular jiggly Japanese cheesecake through word of mouth or through social media so I was excited that there was a location close-by. I personally am not a big fan of cheesecake mainly because they're known to be super dense and too creamy for my own personal taste buds. However, I wanted to try out Uncle Tetsu's Japanese Cheesecake because they're known for the airy fluffiness of their cakes. I visited when it was a rainy day, and to my surprise, there was no line of any sort. I remember hearing about the location in LA and how the line was out the door! So this was definitely a pleasant surprise. The cashier was super nice and assisted us with our order. My partner and I just decided to grab one of their cheesecakes to try. When opening the box, the beautiful golden yellow cake shined out like a beaming sun ray. It looked so smooth and delicious. At first bite and touch, the cake basically melted in your hands and mouth. The cake has a sponge-y smooth texture. I expected the cake to be much more airy and light; however, that didn't seem like the case. The cheese flavor was subtle, to the delight of my family who also tried the cheesecake. Overall, I had a pleasant experience. No line, no wait, nice customer service, and not bad cheesecake. Many individuals have also talked about their drinks so I'd be willing to go back for another try next time. I'm unsure if all locations around the world are similar, but if they were, I personally wouldn't wait in the lines for it. Not that it's not good, but simply because I don't think it's worth the wait for me. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I came the day before Christmas when it was rainy and cold, and waited 30 minutes to order, and then another 30 for my two cheesecakes to be take home. The cakes are fluffy, airy, and light, but the cheese taste is extremely subtle. I was a huge fan of their matcha tea with cheese foam. It was refreshing and smooth. Overall, Uncle Tetsu is not worth a large wait, but it will make you popular with your relatives when you make the sacrifice to go through the wait for them. I think it was a bigger hit with the older family members than the younger ones, so that is definitely something to take into consideration. read more

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Wow! Can't believe Uncle Tetsu is so close to me... I've tried it once in Japan and never thought I would be able to taste it here. Located in the Hillsdale food court, they are tucked in the corner so not very noticeable. Everything looks very nice and clean since the food court just opened up to the public. Surprisingly, we went around 11:30am on a Sunday and there was no wait! Probably because they just opened... I think there will be a wait when people start to find out about this place. Right now, they are only selling their original cheesecake along with some teas. You can see the workers baking the cheesecakes so very fresh! The teas were pre-made but stuffed in the ice section. I'm sure these are still freshly made but they make them in advance. I tried the Matcha with Salted Cheese and it was surprisingly really good! I tried the cheesecake at home and it was so soft and fresh. I'm normally not one to like cheesecakes but this was more like a sponge cake mixed with cheesecake. It definitely was not as filling as a regular cheesecake. I will definitely be back once they have more flavors and to try their other teas!! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I had the original cheesecake at Uncle Tetsu, and it was insanely soft and fluffy! It's unlike any other cheesecake I've had before. Unlike most cheesecakes, it's less rich and thick - more spongy and lightly sweet. The flavor reminds me a lot of a sponge cake because of how soft and light it is. There isn't a strong cheese flavor, but it's still a delicious dessert. Its light texture allows you to eat it without feeling guilty too! It's a great light ending to any meal. Also, I loved how each cake has the cartoon uncle printed on it - it's so cute! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Original cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

This cheesecake does not remind me of the ones I had in Japan. It like extra cheesey after taste which I was not a fan of. I bought the original flavor ($11). Location - food court above Nordstrom, all the way in the far right in the back. Line - none on a Thursday at 4:30pm, but the drink place across the street was flooded prob from after school hrs read more

Uncle Tetsu - Original (2/2019, $11) - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love Uncle Tetsu. Potluck? Bring Uncle Tetsu. Birthday? Bring Uncle Tetsu. Want to treat yo'self for breakfast/snack for a few days? Buy Uncle Tetsu. The cheesecake is so light and fluffy and not too sweet. I'm all about that Japanese cheesecake fluffiness. I've tried original, matcha, strawberry, and chocolate. So far my favorite is the matcha but you can't really go wrong. You can order online for pick-up which is very convenient. Plus at the price point of ~$11.80 it's a good deal! Thanks Uncle Tetsu read more

Ahhh, finally got to try the famous Japanese Cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu! They're freshly baked and packed. Warm and fluffy the moment you bite into it. Not too sweet, which is perfect for someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth like me! [Tips/Advice]: Most likely there will be a long wait if you arrive during the afternoon time. Pick up times range from an hour to a 2.5 hour wait. So, if you want to be smart and make time go by fast, PUT DOWN YOUR ORDER FIRST then go do whatever you need to do. Visiting in the morning and on a weekday is probably the best if you want to skip the long lines. Speaking from my experience, I arrived at 4pm on a Sunday. I was told that the wait time for pick ups were 2.5 hours. However, I was able to pick mine up after waiting about 1.5 hrs, so it really depends on how fast they bake the batches and how quickly the line moves. read more

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Uncle Tetsu sates any carb cravings and maybe the sweet tooth if it's not severely aching. What Makes Tetsu My Favorite Uncle +'s: + 6" fluffy cheesecakes made fresh daily can motivate someone to visit Uncle Tetsu + Not rich and dense like Cheesecake Factory which is at the same mall + No line on a Tuesday at 2pm and got an original to go that was still warm + Patient staff especially when there are some customers wanting warm cakes instead of those that just came out of the oven an hour ago + Nice gift bags and packaging for one cheesecake at $11.99 + Cheesecake still tasty next day What Makes Tetsu Not My Favorite Uncle -'s: - A staffperson advised that the cheesecake is best eaten cool and not to bother with the next batch coming out of the oven. I disagree. Ate mine while it was warm and prefer it that way. - No sign to tell me in neon--Hot Cheesecakes! Perhaps Uncle should think about how KK flashes "Hot Now" to let customers know how fresh the bakes are. - Limited to original flavor only for now. Matcha or strawberry may arrive one day tbd! Tip: consider late lunch weekday hours if possible to avoid the crush read more

Uncle Tetsu - Gift bag and box - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Located on the second floor of the mall, elevator available if you don't or can't use the escalator. Cash only ... o_O The cheesecake was light, airy, semi sweet, and spongy. Delicious. The employee was patient and polite. No waiting in a long line was a bonus read more

Is the Uncle Tetsu cheesecake worth waiting 30 minutes in line for? YES Is it worth waiting 1.5 hours for? No lol I have waited years for Uncle Tetsu to come to the Bay Area and when I find out he had finally landed in the bay of course sought him out! Uncle Tetsu is located in the food court at one end of the Hillsdale Mall. The sign at the beginning of the line says to expect a 1.5 hour wait, but it was only 30 minutes max. Each person is limited to 2 cheesecakes ($11 per whole cheesecake) and they do not sell by the slice. The best part about the cheesecake would have to be its fluffiness --Forgot your dentures? Had some teeth removed? I didn't even have to chew I just mashed it against the roof of my mouth and swallowed lmao. As far as taste goes it's like a super airy egg tart and while this isn't my no.1 favorite cheesecake it is a really good no.2! The rest of the menu is just drinks and they taste pretty basic--I had the matcha with salted cheese thinking they would use the same cheese as in their cakes but they don't so that wasn't worth it IMO. FYI these cakes don't keep well! I would recommend eating the cheesecake right away, finish it within one week!--my man put his in the fridge and ate it a week later and got food poisoning read more

Uncle Tetsu - Jiggly cake! $11. Looks smaller in person than on Instagram - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I didn't have to wait hours like other people, so my review isn't tainted by that. After placing my order, I walked around the mall and when I came back about 45 minutes later, the cheesecake was ready. If you were ready to leave the mall and this was your last stop, I can understand why that would be annoying. I came here first so the timing was fine with me. Anyhow, this tastes heavenly. It's not too sweet or even too cheesy. It's light and fluffy and goes down easy. It's good for sharing, but you can probably take one down yourself and not feel too bad about it. $11 + 0.99 tax = $11.99. Comes in a nice bag. Yes, more expensive than I'd like, but I can't find anything else like it so it's something I will have to splurge on from time to time. Worth trying for sure. read more

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The cheesecake at Uncle Tetsu is out of this world. Soft, airy, and just sweet enough. A few seconds in the microwave will make each bite melt in your mouth. I've tried most of the flavors here, but original is still my favorite. Definitely recommend that for a first timer. Shoutout to the staff at this location. I arrived 10 minutes after closing and was mentally prepared that I wouldn't be able to order a cake. However, the staff member there was super friendly and took my order anyway. Made my day. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Green Tea and Ube flavored cheesecakes. Amazing, but original is still best! - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ahh uncle tetsu, I tried it in Oahu and loved it! I was overly excited that they finally hit the mainland. If you know me, you'll know how much I love Japanese cheesecake and all it's fluffiness! I recently had it in December and to my surprise there was absolutely no line at 5pm on a Tuesday! It was really quick to order and receive the cake. It's fluffy but not as fluffy as rikuro cheesecake in Osaka. Similar consistency, light and somewhat fluffy with just enough cheese flavor. I like it and it works for my cheesecake cravings but it's just not fluffy enough for my liking. I also tried the matcha latte with cheese cream, it has good matcha flavor but a tad too sweet. The cheese cream is pretty similar to tancca and happy lemon. Overall a pretty decent drink, just need to lower the sweetness level. Also I love the cheesecake but it's not my top one! Until I can make it back to japan, uncle tetsu will hold me over for the time being! Total $18 read more

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Very delish, soft/silky cakes! I actually did not realize they were cheesecakes (a friend got them for my birthday), I would describe their texture as somewhere in between angel cakes and cheesecakes. We had Oreo, Ube, and Matcha in order of popularity. Although all were great! read more

Found out about Uncle Tetsu this morning at 11am and ended up making a trip over here at 1pm. Uncle Tetsu has popped up on my Instagram explore page quite often and the fact that they finally opened a location in the United States has prompted me to make a quick visit over. It's located upstairs in the food court area which has been renovated and super pretty now - you'll see it tucked in to the side. I read previous reviews and braced myself to wait a while for a cheesecake and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had TONS of cheesecakes available and ready to go. There was about 3 people in front of me and yet a worker quickly greeted me and asked what I wanted. Once I told her I wanted one cheesecake, she grabbed a box on the rack and put it into a bag and handed it to me. The wait only came when it came to the drinks. While there was a good amount of people working in this one little shop, it still took a while for me to get my drink. The cashier asks for a name and yet they don't call it out. Instead, they call out the number on the receipt so keep your ears peeled. I opted for their matcha tea with cheese foam as I've never had that before and was interested in something not sea salt for once. While $4 per drink is not bad (one size only - a large), I didn't really taste the cheese part of the drink so it was straight matcha tea. If solely based on the tea itself then the matcha tea is very strong in flavor so that's a plus. The cheesecake was my main goal of the day and while it was good to look at it and $11 isn't a bad price for a 6" cheesecake, it wasn't very strong in cheese flavor. Seemed more like a pound cake as mentioned by my family members. Cake was moist which was good, but lacked the cheese flavor to be called "cheesecake" so Zanze's in SF is still my favorite for cheesecake. Overall, friendly workers. Decent prices. Will probably make another trip over to try everything again once they're more established. read more

I love Japanese cheesecakes so was pretty excited to see this place at Hillsdale mall. Waited in line for about 20 minutes and after ordering, we were told it would take an hour to pickup. There should be a sign somewhere about the wait time. Picked up the cheesecake an hour later and it was still warm in the box. The cheesecake was not as fluffy or jiggly as I would have imagined, it was a little flat. The cheesecake was soft, light, and a little sweet. It has more of an egg-y flavor than cheese. read more

OMG, the new hillsdale food court is finally open and they have UNCLE TETSU added in!!!! YAYYYYY!!!! been wanting to try a japaneese cheesecake for days after seeing it all over my IG timeline! Finally one that is close to me! I ordered 2 cakes since they are much smaller than the real japaneese cheesecakes that they normally make. I ordered my family 2 and my cousins family 2 since I knew they would be perfectly delicious and 1 cake would just not be enough LOL As I thought my predictions were true! 2 cakes are good portion cause they go very quickly. They are very moist, spongy and not too sweet. They are great for bfast or even for dessert with a side of tea. Your choice and you can have it anytime due to them not being soo sweet! They are delish and as you can see I love them! Def a fan and will be returning real soon! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Sign & menu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Delicious and light and fluffy, with just a hint of cheese flavor. Eating the ube before the regular meant that the regular tasted like nothing, though, so pay attention to your eating order! Around $13 each. Can't wait to try the other flavors! read more

How can cheesecake be so light and airy? Is it magic? Who knew Japan made cheesecakes? Love it!

Stopped by their store and picked up a matcha cheesecake. they're inside the food court at the Hillsdale Mall. the cheesecake was pretty good, lots of matcha, eggy and moist, not too sweet - exactly what I was looking for. The price is good at 13$. I would go back and try other flavors. Parking was easy in the garage. Also, I think Uncle Tetsu is on my cheesecake :) read more

Uncle Tetsu - Matcha cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I'm going to tell myself these cheesecakes are lighter in calories because they taste so light... don't know if I'm right or not, but I'm not sure a little wishful thinking ever hurt anyone. Actually, maybe not. I'll have to think on that one. That said, I had the ube cheesecake and it was delicious - light and airy, but with a slight cream cheese tang. I wasn't sure if the flavors would work, but it was quite pleasant. I'd actually give it 4 stars for the ube cheesecake itself - but I'm bumping it up to 5 based on a prior time when I had the original. I think both flavors are good, but feel like the ube actually detracts from the experience. The key is not as much the taste, but the light texture... which I think comes through more in the original. Either way, I'll certainly be back! read more

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When it comes to cheesecake, I only like Japanese-style cheesecakes because it's the complete opposite of the traditional ones: it's light in cream cheese, it's not dense, and it's ridiculously fluffy. I knew I had high expectations for Uncle Tetsu cheesecakes because they're famous so I was very excited to try the Ube Cheesecake that my friend brought back to the East Bay. The cake was so soft, it is probably the softest dessert I have ever eaten. You can see the fork ridges indented on the cake as you slide through it. Even though the cake is dry, it feels soft and moist in your mouth and it kind of just melts. I love the texture but the taste is underwhelming. Other than being purple which is the signifier that there is ube, I could not taste it at all. One of my friends said she could taste it but it was very very light. Everyone else including me did not taste it at all. I expected a flavored cheesecake to be clearly distinguishable from the original and this did not do it. So texture: 5/5 and taste: 2/5. I am interested in the other options but I don't have high expectations for rich flavors. I know it's meant to be light but you could have flavorful desserts while maintaining the great texture. Also the stores are so far away from Oakland, I wouldn't be tempted to go out of my way to get another cake anytime soon. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Ube Cheesecake. Texture was great, flavor was underwhelming. - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've eaten everything at this place, but the best is definitely the Ube cheesecake but don't eat it fresh out of the oven, chill it first! I think it tastes a lot better cold. It also makes for a great gift. The tarts are good if you like a little bit of crunch and a little bit of a crust on your dessert. The standard cheesecake is really fluffy compared to western style cheesecake. It's a lot lighter and less dense. It's got a soft and moist chew. read more

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I was under the impression that uncle tetsu was always busy thanks to the photos I saw. Empty and no line is always a good for me because I don't like to wait. I immediately ordered an ube, strawberry, and I had to wait ten minutes for the Oreo cheesecake. The Oreo smelled so good freshly made. Uncle tetsu makes good if not the best cheesecakes I have ever tried. Soft, light, fluffy, and just perfect on the sweetness level. One slice isn't enough. Eleven dollars and some change is a fair price. Located almost at the far end of the food court. I shall come back here or any of their other locations to try different flavors. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Ube, Oreo, & strawberry - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I'm so glad this opened up in my hometown/driving distance to SF! These cakes are heaven! I'm not much of a dessert person, so the subtle sweetness is perfect for me. And the texture is so fluffy and light! The reason I dinged them a star was because of the service. The girl at the counter was super aloof. We ordered two cakes and she kept ringing us up for one. After she finally got it right and right after we paid, she announced to all of the people in line behind us that it would take an hour for the cakes to be ready. Had we known that beforehand we wouldn't have ordered! She essentially told us we should have known, and didn't offer us a refund or even an apology. So we ended up walking around the mall for an hour waiting for our cakes. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Location = Inside Hillsdale Mall in the food court. It looks newly renovated so don't know if this is brand new spot. Near a lot of good places including ShareTea if you also want boba. What's cool about this place is they let you sample the cheesecakes before purchasing so you can decide on which one you really like. I tried all their cheesecakes and think the strawberry tastes the best. The workers were really nice and helpful so that was awesome. Btw, I HATE cheesecake so I was so happy to find out that this was more of a fluffy/spongy cake instead of a pure cheesecake. I could still taste a bit of the cheese taste but it was so minor that I really enjoyed this version of the cheesecake a lot. I can confidently say that Japanese Cheesecake is my thing. TLDR = You'll love it if you like sponge cake and dislike cheesecake. Perfect place for a person like me. read more

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Wow! The first bite into it tastes like fluffy cloud. The texture is more of a moist sponge. It definitely is not traditional NY style where it's dense and rich. It also is not like a sponge cake where it's more of a cake and dryer feel. There is a light cream cheese taste to it. We got one of the traditional and one ube, both were delicious! Def recommend if you've been seeing those jiggly cheesecake recipe from tasty! Pair it with a nice cup of hot tea, it's about as good as it gets for an afternoon snack bite. read more

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Flavors is good but just like many have said the size and quality is not the same if you had the one in japan. But I definitely love the different flavors they have here. This was the first time I had a UBE flavor one so that was cool. Also it doesn't look like they could keep the top part of the cheesecake shape to stay like they do in japan as well, maybe because they need to rush to get it out ASAP? But overall still a good experience and closest we can get here. Flavors we got: * UBE Cheesecake * Matcha Cheesecake * Original Cheesecake read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Went tonight around 8:40 pm and only had to wait like 5-10 minutes before getting my order. Their distribution system could use some improvement. When you order the cheesecake they write your order down and assign you an ambiguous number and letter, yet as cheesecakes are rolled out they don't call out numbers. People just randomly go up and hand them receipts , I wasn't even sure if some customers around me ordered before me... I just handed her the receipt after a while and she took it. Cheesecake not as jiggly as anticipated but very tasty and light, like Chinese sponge cake with some cheesy filling. $11 not too bad. The underrated star though is THE MATCHA SALTED CHEESE DRINK. Yasss omg this was so tasty; very sweet matcha flavor that had perfect umami when mixed with the creamy cheese foam. It's not traditional matcha quality I don't think because I couldn't taste any earthiness but none the less this was super yummy. Would come again just for drinks! read more

Uncle Tetsu - One cake and one matcha drink! - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love Uncle Tetsu but I had a horrible time with the curb-side pickup service. I had placed my order a few days in advance for a saturday pickup at 12:30pm. Unfortunately something came up where I had to switch my pick up time from 12:30 to 1:15pm instead. The confirmation email had said to either email or call them for any concerns so I emailed them asking if I can change my pickup time but of course there was no response, so I decided to call the store. I probably called the store 10 times before someone picked up the phone. I am not sure who I spoke with IMO it sounded like she didn't make changes to my request, she had a hard time locating my order and sounded like she was too busy with other tasks. At the end of the call I made sure to confirm my new pick up time is 1:15pm and the girl confirmed I was correct. I arrived to the designated pick up zone at around 1:00pm and called them letting them know I had arrived. Again, I had to call multiple times until someone picked up the phone. The girl on the phone had a hard time locating my order so she personally came out to my car to ask me for my name and pick up time. (I didn't get the point of that when I told her the specific details over the phone) I also showed her my confirmation which she acknowledged. She then comes back with a whole cart of cheesecakes asking me for my name.... again. I pointed out the correct name and left with my cheesecakes. She was very annoyed and kept asking me what my scheduled pick up time was and if I called the store letting them know I was there. Like hello?? I'm confused..... You obviously got my order and you see the pick up times on there.. It seemed as she was getting mad at me for confusing her with the pick up times. I really like the idea of curbside pick up but my experience could have been improved. I was also probably waiting for about 15 minutes because of the miscommunication! I hope the service improves. read more

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I was so excited to get this since I am a big fan if Japanese fluffy cheesecake. Unfortunately Uncle Tetsu is disappointing. It's fluffy, jiggly and not too sweet but it's also very eggy. It's just not pleasant dessert to consume in my opinion. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

YERM, the original and ube flavors are my faveee. Being filipino, I'm all about the ube hype right now, and looks like this flavor is here to stay. I came a couple of weeks ago on a Monday to grab a cheesecake, and they were SOLD OUT OF UBE like WHAT?! I guess it's a popular flavor and they only make so many in a day (I believe the person helping me said 4 batches (12 cheesecake per batch) a day... So definitely get here on the earlier side to guarantee that flavor IMO since the flavor is relatively newer and the hype is real. Should note that they're not open Tuesdays/Wednesdays and you can pre-order cheesecakes online at least a day in advance for this location... So if you don't want to be disappointed like I was, I would get on that. I believe they close at 4 PM though most days because of COVID. The cheesecakes aren't like "cheesecake..." it's much lighter and fluffier. It also doesn't jiggle as much as I thought it would like you see in videos, but I definitely love enjoying this with my morning coffee. It's also not as sweet! Oh, and there's also no like, crust as you would expect on a cheesecake... Yeahhhh, it's so hard to explain, but definitely would recommend trying it yourself lol! Oh, and can I just say that I love the bags they give the cheesecakes in?! read more

Uncle Tetsu - Store front in the food court at Hillsdale Mall. Love these bags they give you! - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The Japanese cheesecake here is really fluffy and light. It's so soft that it almost melts in your mouth. I'm basic and I think the original is the best in my opinion but I also tried the ube flavor one and that one was pretty good as well. The cheesecake still tastes really soft even after one day it was bought. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California

We came at a time when there was a short line, and it moved quickly. The service was quick and helpful. There are several flavors to pick from. I opted for ube and the regular flavor. These aren't your usual cheesecake. They're more like super soft and delicate sponge cakes. They're delicious and a great treat that doesn't feel so heavy for a dessert. The price point is affordable as well. Will definitely come back again for these treats. read more

Uncle Tetsu - Ube flavor - Desserts Near Me - San Mateo, California