Let them eat tarts: All things cheesy and sweet at Pablo

COCONUTS HOT SPOTS — Originated in Osaka, Pablo dessert shop is a staple on the itinerary of many Thais when they make a trip to Japan. Its popular fluffy, freshly baked cheese tart makes a perfect dessert following a cold Japanese course. When the first Pablo shop opened at Siam Paragon last month, there was no surprise that the mall has since been filled with a daily long line of people who fell in love with the cheese tarts they’ve had on their vacations.

Much like the previous epidemics of Krispy Kreme addicts and Garrett Popcorn bingers, Pablo cheese tart is the latest food frenzy among Bangkokians. Yet it’s unlikely that the craze will die down soon as this idyllic shop offers a lavish amount of treats to try, including six types of cheese tarts, frappés, ice creams and more cheese-filled delights.

Starting our long, large dessert feast with the original freshly baked cheese tart (THB415), this one-pound, yellow tart is probably the only thing you’ve seen from Pablo. It’s basically a rich, cheese mousse wrapped in a pie crust. The texture is intended to be lighter than a regular cheesecake but still gives a very strong taste of its cheese batter. The sour apricot jam on top, honestly, does not give off a fruity vibe at all; it blends well with the cheese mousse and cuts down the sweetness of the whole dessert.

A one-pound tart can serve 2-3 people, but really, it’s not difficult at all for one person to turn on Netflix and binge on the whole thing in an hour.

Talking about the mousses, those whose go-to dessert choice is a chocolate mousse might prefer the chocolate cheese tart (THB475). It’s just like a chocolate mousse, but with the extra bonus of pie crust and chocolate fudge in the center. But a Japanese dessert course cannot be complete without something featuring green tea, so the matcha cheese tart (THB475) is a must-try.

Do you love the traditional Japanese shaved ice dessert with green tea syrup and red beans? This green tea tart is an homage to that. But, unlike most modern matcha treats, Pablo keeps the dose of sugar to a minimum. The green tea mousse is a little bitter, but the sweet red bean filling balances it nicely.

For those who don’t want to fully commit to the cheese tart game, the Pablo Mini (THB75) and Pablo Mini Matcha (THB90) are sensible options. These are not simply smaller versions of the big tarts, but something totally different. The mini ones have a richer, thicker, texture, and the crust is made of a cookie dough. I prefer the mini ones because of the stronger cheese taste to them. If you can only order one thing at Pablo, the Pablo Mini is definitely worth a try; while the Mini Matcha is enjoyable whether or not you are fond of green tea.

While Pablo is known for their tarts, another dessert that will take you by surprise in the cheese soft serve (THB90). The surprise is that it’s unlike anything you might have thought it would taste like. The ice cream is practically frozen cheesecake and gives a very nice aftertaste.

After all the sweet desserts, cleanse your palate with one the frappés. The most popular option is the Pablo Frute: Matcha & Shiratama (THB150), which is a frozen green tea drink blended with red bean and mochi and topped with a red bean whipped cream. To love this, you must be a hardcore green tea fan. This is the only menu item at Pablo without cheese, which suits anyone who is allergic to dairy but still want to join friends in a Pablo frenzy.

Another lesser known, underrated frappé is the Pablo Frute: Rich Mango (THB150). Some people dread mango desserts, but they will find themselves addicted to this drink. The Rich Mango is incredibly refreshing and doesn’t give the bitter aftertaste that you sometimes get when eating fresh mangos. It’s topped with whipped cream and mango sauce. This frappé also has cheese in it, but the taste is not too strong.

Besides the baked treats and blended drinks, Pablo also has boxed snacks for you to take home. Cheese Mille-Feuille Matcha (THB395) is a wafer cake filled with green tea and topped with powdered sugar. The only way to describe it is that it tastes just like you would expect a Japanese snack to be. It’s filled with layers of green tea and topped with sugar, giving it a mixture of sweet and bitter. If you’re not done with the cheese game however, take a box of the Sabrel Cheese (THB320) home, which is a parmesan cheese flavored sandwich cookie filled with sweetened gouda cream cheese  — a light and crispy langue de chat.

Overall, is Pablo cheese tart worth the wait of ten minutes in the queue? Yes, if you have ten minutes and are fond of all things cheese-flavored. My recommendation is it’s better to start off by bringing a group of friends and sharing a large signature Pablo tart. However, if you spontaneously go solo and are a on a budget, take two of the Pablo Minis or a cheese soft serve in a waffle cone — it’s very fulfilling.

FIND IT:

Pablo

10am – 10pm

Siam Paragon

BTS Siam



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