Venue: Gloria Jean's Coffee
Dong Khoi, Q.1
CT members were faced with their first cheesecake crisis this week. Upon entering the chosen desination of the week, 'Java' - home of the divine chocolate kahlua cheesecake - we were shocked to discover that the chilled counter which used to home such a vast collection of chocolatey goodness has disappeared, to be replaced by a meagre dessert specials list. Oh, how quickly good things come to pass in our fragile world - shame on you, Java! After what can only be described as a hissy-fit: "No, I do not want a brownie, it is not 'Brownie Tuesday'..." and after a few panic-stricken phone calls to spread the word, we quickly relocated to nearby Gloria Jean's in the hope that the popular US franchise could save the day.
Although Gloria Jean's originally hails from the USA, it established its popularity in Australia before opening branches across Asia. As with other coffee shops, Gloria Jean's is a common sight around both Hanoi and Saigon with branches in prominent positions such as Dong Khoi and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai to name but a few. So, after the recent successes of rival chains, Highlands and Coffee Bean - will Gloria be victorious?
In a recent tradition of expanding our tasting selection (as well as our waistlines, no doubt) CT tried three cheesecakes:
White Chocolate (WC)
Swiss Cheesecake (S)
So, without further ado...
Consistency: Both the white chocolate and the chocolate had a nice firm consistency, holding together nicely throughout. The cake remained moist despite having been sat in a cabinet all day. The Swiss cake appeared to fit the description of mousse rather than cheesecake and members found it rather too light and airy, leading to our first ungraded cake as it was felt that it did not fulfil the criteria of a cheesecake and would be more appropriately marketed as a 'Lemon Cake'.
Base: Interestingly GJ has opted for a sponge base for their cheesecakes with both the Swiss and White Chocolate varieties sporting a plain sponge and the chocolate a chocolate base. The base of the White Choc cake is as thick as the cheesecake layer, CT would have liked more cheese and less cake. CT members generally felt that a crunchy base is integral to a cheesecake and felt that the sponge was a let down.
Presentation: The cakes look good, it has to be said. The Swiss variety comes in a small cylindrical shape and is covered in white chocolate shavings - but do not be fooled by a good package! Both chocolate varieties have a contrasting chocolate decoration, a small but effective measure.
Taste: The White Chocolate has a sweet and pleasant taste but does not necessarily taste of white chocolate, whereas the chocolate cheesecake delivers a pure hit of cocoa strong enough to satisfy any chocoholic and fares very well for being our first completely chocolatey, chocolate cheesecake. (That last sentence has got to be given credit for mentioning the word 'chocolate' so many times!). Unfortunately for the Swiss cheesecake it was decided that the lemon filling is too overpowering and the cheesecake not up to CT's exceptionally high cheesecake standards.
White Chocolate: a spongy 6/10
Chocolate: a calorific 8/10
Swiss: doesn't make the grade.
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