Pop it open and it oozes deliciousness — Hokkaido’s ultra-popular semi-soft cheese tarts are coming to Taiwan in June

▲ The ultra-popular Hokkaido cheese tart shop “Bake Cheese Tart.” (Photo / FromBake Cheese Tart’s official fan page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Another must-queue Japanese food item is making its way to Taiwan. Capitalizing on the enduring popularity of cheese tarts in Taiwan, the renowned long-established chain from Hokkaido, “Bake Cheese Tart,” will bring its wildly popular cheese tarts to Taiwan, with plans to open its first Taiwanese store in mid-June in Zhongshan District, Taipei City.

▲ “Bake Cheese Tart” is baked twice before completion. (Photo / From Bake Cheese Tart’s official fan page)

Founded in Sapporo, Hokkaido, “Bake Cheese Tart” has a 30-year history. Its signature cheese tarts use two types of Hokkaido-produced cheese along with one type from France, blending the three to create the shop’s signature unique flavor. The process of making the tarts is also meticulous: the tart shells are first baked until they’re as crisp as biscuits, then filled with cheese after baking, and put back in the oven for a second bake. Since they are freshly baked and sold every day, the rich aroma of the cheese tarts spreads as soon as they come out of the oven, drawing people to turn around and join the queue just to try a freshly baked tart. It’s even been dubbed the No. 1 item that employees at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido want to buy.

▲ Each branch of “Bake Cheese Tart” draws large crowds. (Photo / From Bake Cheese Tart’s official fan page)

Currently, besides having branches in Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai, and Fukuoka in Japan, it is also available in Hong Kong, Seoul, Bangkok, and Singapore. Given the success of other cheese tart brands like PABLO and Amploeuse in Taiwan, along with the high volume of travelers and businesspeople in Zhongshan District — where many female customers also enjoy spending their afternoon tea time — the plan is to open the Zhongshan store in mid-June.