I thought I was being strategic visiting Pablo on a Monday morning to avoid the queue of Bangkokians wanting in on the latest food craze. Boy, was I wrong. The craving for Japanese cheese tarts still hadn't died down. The long line of locals and internationals quickly formed soon after the first Thai branch of Pablo had opened for the day.
Named after the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and founded by Masamitsu Sakimoto in 2011, this Japanese bakery from Osaka is world famous for its cheese tarts. The Siam Paragon branch is its sixth franchisee in Asia outside of Japan.
To make up for the waiting time (and due to my general greediness), I opted for the 15-cm-in-diametre cheese tarts, in three flavours. I reckon the original Freshly baked cheese tart (B415) can easily feed three people, with each getting two sizeable slices; but feel free to hog it all to yourself. The original flavour offers a creamy sensation over a flakey pastry base. The filling is silky but not runny. A layer of apricot jam on top offers some sweet and sour contrasts for good measure. It tasted milder than I expected, yet maybe that's why you can keep digging into it again and again.
Freshly baked cheese tart with shiratama & azuki (B475) scored better in my books. You can really taste the flavour and aroma of the matcha in the filling and there are some sweet layers of red bean paste and chewy mochi balls at the base too. It may sound overly saccharine but I can assure you that it isn't.
If your cuckoo for chocolate, opt for the Freshly baked chocolate cheese tart (B475) which, at the moment, is sold exclusively at the Thai branch. It's a double delight, with a top layer of chocolate-infused batter and a bottom layer filled with sweet chocolate bits.
Good things come in small packages in the case of the Pablo mini (B75), in the original flavour. The filling is silky smooth as usual but has a more pronounced flavour with the right amount of sourness. The cookie crust which the cream cheese is baked in provides crunchiness and sweetness for a delicious contrast. Mini tarts are also available in the matcha flavour too. If you dig these mini tarts for their stronger flavour, Cheese soft serve (B90) shouldn't disappoint either.
From the drinks department, I recommend Frute: matcha & shiratama (B150). It's refreshing without being too sweet and contains extra goodies from mochi balls, matcha jelly to red bean whipped cream, meaning that it can even double as a dessert (or a meal if you're petite).
Pablo (www.fb.com/PabloCheesetart Thailand) opens daily from 10am-10pm on the ground floor of Siam Paragon. They accept last orders until 9:30pm.
