tokyo secret's hanjuku cheese tart

a brief inner monologue transpired as i ogled at my subject. 

"hmm.. a rare find..."

i berated myself for being so oblivious of its existence.

however, what's more upsetting was the time it took for me to seek it out.

no one was keeping tokyo secret's hanjyuku cheese tart a secret. in fact, it frequently slips its way into my conversations, where it often ends with my buddy swooning with praise and a craving for one.

if these were not telling signs that i needed one, i don't know what is. 

i'll let you in on a secret, though. unlike its name suggests, tokyo secret's roots began in tsim sha tsui, hong kong. while its appearance is akin to the local favorite - the egg tart, the inspiration behind is the molten cheese tarts in japan.

"oh no! did it not open today?" 

i thought out loud as i spied the yellow print of "TOKYO SECRET" punctuated against the dark brick wall.



from all the reviews i've read, it was rather uncharacteristic for this petite speciality pastry shop to be anything but crowded especially on a beautiful sunday afternoon. its popularity (some may classify as hype) is often translated into long queues out of the door and i had imagined a constant boisterous hordes of people spilling out of the petite shop despite being in a "hidden" spot in the ipc mall as it shared its space with a mac store.


delicious sweet fragrance of pastry baking in the oven emanated throughout the bright space, distracting us and most likely the two other diners in queue as we contemplated numbers. i breathed a sigh of relief. i made a quick beeline for the only available table out of the three while my companion had the task of procuring the prized treat, tagged at rm7.90 each.



so as i was saying, ogling at my subject.

the most unassuming golden tart with caramelized top and golden brown crust. i'd be lying if i'd say i didn't form a pre-expectation but somehow it worked in the tart's favor.


it was in the crust.
pleasantly surprised, the crust had a shortbread cookie buttery texture and sweet fragrance, crispy edges contained the slightly caramelized top of the half baked cheese slightly give as i took a nibble.  it almost distracted me from the thick molten cheese oozes slightly - delicate but rich in cheesy goodness, striking the perfect balance of dainty sweetness.


after wolfing one down gladly, it was obvious that i NEEDED another - i ordered one to go but not before having to wait for 10-15 minutes. people-watching from our seats, waves of people continuously flooded in periodically - it was then i realized, perhaps the stars were aligned when we first arrived because it only took us under five minutes to get ours.


this hanjyuku cheese tart assumed an alter ego of a cheesecake after spending a few hours in the fridge. the intensity of the sweet cheese flavor was distinct and the tart shell reminiscent of graham crust, emulating the cheesecake brilliantly.



often the antagonist/protagonist of the latest food trend is hype. while some have regarded it as overhyped, the hanjuku cheese tart at tokyo secret have proven its worth to me and defy the odds the moment i needed a second. #cheesescrust


tldr // each speciality pastry shop possess a special something and tokyo secret's charm certainly lies in its delicious hanjyuku cheese tart albeit its price tag.

tokyo secret | location 

g23, pic shopping centre,
jalan pju 7/2 mutiara damansara
47800 petaling jaya

{opens daily: 10 am - 10 pm}