Categories
food travel

Japan: Visit Osaka for the best cheesecake at Uncle Rikuro

Japanese cheesecake…the more elegant sibling of the denser New York style cheesecake. Balanced in taste, fluffy but moist, mildly sweet but not overpowered…..and overall sooooo satisfying.

The search for the perfect Japanese cheesecake brings us to Osaka, where one brand stands out from the rest….Rikuro Ojisan no Mise, (also known as Uncle Rikuro).

Uncle Rikuro has been around since the 1960s in the Osaka region. Their Japanese cheesecake is famous, and is made from superior quality Danish cheese, fresh milk and egg (also raisins at the bottom). They are made fresh daily, and only costs ~$7 for the whole 7 inch cheesecake! The fresh cheesecake is so soft, they are known to jiggle!

Tip: There are 2 lines…make sure to line up in the fresh hot out-of-the-oven cheesecake line (you may have to wait a while). Have your money ready, because once the cheesecakes are ready, the line goes quick! The other line (usually no wait) is for pre-cooled.

Rikuro’s cheesecake alone is worth the trip to Osaka. It is that good. I like to eat it fresh, but some like it firmer in the refrigerator. You pick! 🙂

Uncle Rikuro store locations and hours can be found at their website here: http://www.rikuro.co.jp/en/

Note: I have tried and do not recommend Pablo, another Japanese cheesecake chain. There seems to be many stores in Japan. Skip.

Lastly, for those in California that need a quick Japanese cheesecake fix, look for Uncle Tetsu (stores in both Socal and Norcal). They are certainly not as good as Uncle Rikuro, but I’d say 60% there.

Hungry Cactus verdict: A