Tonight, I decided to give myself a nice little treat for dinner. Nothing too fancy though! I still went for my usual hawker food because this is the kind of food that I enjoy the most. But this time, I decided that my dinner deserved a sweet ending, so I followed it with something that I had been curious about for a long time... a slice of Burnt Basque Cheesecake. Yum!
But before we get into the dessert, let me talk about my dinner first.
I ordered the Fried Saba Fish Set, which came with rice, a fried egg, some lettuce, fresh tomato slices, calamansi, and a bowl of soup. It was a simple and satisfying hawker meal, and the saba fish was definitely the highlight.
The fish had that nice grilled and slightly charred appearance on the outside, while the meat remained soft and juicy. Saba has a naturally rich seafood flavor, so I think it doesn't really need anything complicated to make it enjoyable.
What I particularly liked was the chilli paste served together with the dish. It wasn't the kind of chilli that immediately attacks your tongue LOL. Instead, it was slightly sweet and savory, which made it very easy to enjoy with almost everything on my plate. I especially liked eating it together with the fresh tomato slices. The freshness and slight acidity of the tomato complemented the rich flavor of the saba fish really well.
After finishing my dinner, it was finally time for the part I was most curious about... my first Burnt Basque Cheesecake!
I've eaten cheese tarts before, but surprisingly, I've never really tried Burnt Basque Cheesecake. I remember hearing so much about this dessert a long time ago when it became one of those viral food trends.
And yet, I didn't try it during its most popular days.
Maybe I'm just weird when it comes to food trends hahaha. Sometimes, when everyone is rushing to try something, I somehow become less interested in it. Then, once everyone has moved on to something else, that's when I suddenly become curious. I'm quite the opposite when it comes to trying food LOL.
So now that Burnt Basque Cheesecake isn't as viral as it once was, I finally had the motivation to give it a try.
And I'm glad I did!
The cheesecake was incredibly creamy, and what surprised me the most was that it wasn't overly sweet. This is exactly the kind of dessert that I like. The cheese flavor was noticeable without becoming too heavy, while the dark caramelized surface added just enough sweetness and a deeper flavor to every bite.
The texture was probably my favorite part. It was soft, smooth, creamy, and almost custard-like towards the center. Looking at the slice, it seemed quite dense, but once I started eating it, it felt much lighter than I expected.
I also appreciate desserts that don't make my teeth and throat complain afterward LOL. Sometimes, cakes can be so sweet that a few bites are already enough for me, but this cheesecake had a nice balance that made me want to keep eating.
Overall, tonight's meal turned out to be a simple but satisfying combination: a savory and filling Saba fish dinner followed by a rich yet pleasantly balanced cheesecake.
