Malaysia's Insanely Popular Baked Three-Cheese Tarts Arrive In Brisbane Next Week

We know. We've all done it. Home alone with a block of cheddar, a few scraps of brie and a lone Kraft Single. It all seemed so promising. When your mum/housemate/significant other returned, though, the truth became apparent. You'd made a cheese quagmire in your microwave, hadn't you? Hadn't you.

Fortunately, the guys behind PappaRich, the ST Group, are now getting set to help you realise all of your cheese dreams without the weird kitchen smell three weeks later — they're bringing Malaysian chain Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart to Brisbane. With multiple stores in Kuala Lumpur and other areas of the country — plus a handful in Melbourne and Sydney, as of last year, as well as Pacific Fair since July — the cheese tart connoisseurs are continuing their expansion with not one, but two Brissie ventures.

The city's introduction to the gooey, creamy ways of the three-cheese tart arrives on November 27 in the Myer Centre, with a second store to follow at Garden City not long after (at a yet- to-be-revealed date). And, to celebrate, they're offering up 100 free original tarts on December 1. Stop by between 4pm and 5pm — or, arrive in advance and line up, because HBCT's openings in Melbourne and Sydney have seen people have been queuing out the door.

If you're still wondering what all of the fuss is about, HBCT's namesake is the cornerstone of their offering: a savoury-sweet three-cheese situation encased in a shortcrust shell, designed to be eaten either hot or cold. The cheese, while made with local produce, is based on the distinct taste and texture of the dairy products of Hokkaido. The Japanese island is known for their dairy — it produces half of Japan's total milk and a huge 90 percent of their natural cheese — and HBCT have worked tirelessly to replicate it. Malaysia has gone nuts for it, as has Australia, where it's available in original, chocolate and blueberry flavours. We weren't joking when we mentioned hefty lines filled with folks eager to get their hands on one (or 12).

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart will open in the Myer Centre, 91 Queen Street, Brisbane on November 27 — and at Westfield Garden City at a yet-to-be-revealed date. For more info and to look out for an opening date, keep an eye on their Facebook page. 

By Matt Abotomey and Sarah Ward. Images: Tim Grey.