Uncle Tetsu Japanese Cheesecake, $10

Available to purchase at four locations in the GTA: 598 Bay St., York Concourse, Union Station, Pacific Mall (4300 Steeles Ave. E., Markham) and Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Angel Café at 191 Dundas St. W.

The ask

All it took was a few bites to get Georgs Kolesnikovs and his wife hooked on Uncle Tetsu Japanese Cheesecake.

They love its sweet aroma, light taste and lusciously smooth texture.

“We seem to have become addicted,” he says. “Most cheesecakes are so thick and heavy. I don’t mind my chocolate cake thick and heavy, but I like my cheesecakes light and decadent.”

Kolesnikovs is one of the many thousands in Toronto who have developed a slavish devotion to the Japanese-style cheesecakes since the first Uncle Tetsu shop opened in the city in 2015.

On Thursday nights, he and his wife, who commutes to Toronto from Pickering four days a week and buys the dessert at the Union Station shop, like to celebrate the start of their weekend with a slice of Uncle Tetsu cheesecake.

“Lately, we have gone the decadent route and serve it with a dollop of whipped cream. It is outstanding.”

So why, in the midst of his love affair with Uncle Tetsu, does Kolesnikovs want to know the cheesecake’s calorie count?

“That’s a good question,” he chuckles. “I’m a little diet conscious at the moment, which makes me curious. There’s no nutrition label on the box. It’s not heavy like a traditional cheesecake, we hope it’s healthier.”

The guess

“I imagine this cheesecake is a little lighter than an average piece of pie,” says Kolesnikovs, estimating that a typical wedge of pie contains about 400 calories.

“So one quarter of Uncle Tetsu’s cheesecake is probably between 250 and 300 calories.

“I hope it is, anyways.”

The exclusive results

For the entire 7-inch cheesecake:

Calories: 867

Fat: 64 grams

Sodium: 523 milligrams

Carbohydrates: 45 grams

Total sugars: 45 grams

Protein: 28 grams

The breakdown

Let’s assume most people eat one quarter of the cheesecake — at least for their first helping. That reasonable-size wedge has 217 calories and 16 grams of fat.

Uncle Tetsu’s cheesecake is known to be less sweet than most North American cheesecakes. Should you eat just one quarter of the cheesecake, you will have consumed 11 grams of sugars, the equivalent of three scant teaspoons of sugar.

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How does it compare to other, smaller-size desserts? One half cup of Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean ice cream has 290 calories, 18 grams of fat and 26 grams (6.5 teaspoons) of sugars. At Tim Hortons, a honey dip doughnut has 220 calories, 6 grams of fat and 19 grams (5 teaspoons) of sugars.

What about other cheesecakes? At the Keg Steakhouse & Bar, a wedge of cheesecake with fruit topping has 696 calories, 39 grams of fat and 59 grams (15 teaspoons) of sugars. At the grocery store, President’s Choice Original New York-Style Cheesecake has — per a one-sixth piece of the cake — 350 calories, 22 grams of fat and 21 grams (5 teaspoons) of sugars.

The expert opinion

“When it comes to dessert, if you are coveting something, it’s always a good idea to give in to the temptation — in reasonable-size amounts,” says registered dietitian Zannat Reza. “Deprivation can, down the road, lead to overeating.”

So it’s a good thing, for Kolesnikovs and his wife, that one quarter of an Uncle Tetsu cheesecake has such reasonable nutrition numbers.

“I’m not concerned about the 217 calories, I’m not concerned about the fat,” says Reza. “And with less than three teaspoons of sugar, it’s a pretty decent dessert.”

“Now,” Reza adds with a laugh, “if you’re eating the whole cheesecake in one sitting every week? That could be a problem.”

The restaurant reaction

Luca Settembrini, the Canadian operations manager for Uncle Tetsu Japanese Cheesecake, says he recently hired a company to calculate nutrition numbers for the famous dessert. He hopes to have the information printed on cheesecake boxes by the end of 2017.

“We now have so many locations and that (nutritional) information has become so popular, it’s a logical move from the company to give nutritional facts to the customers,” he says during a phone conversation with the Star.

“We do want to be on top of it.”

In the meantime, Settembrini is pleased by the nutrition results for the cheesecake generated by the Dish.

“That’s the thing about our cheesecake: it’s not as dense nor as heavy nor as sweet as North American cheesecake,” he says, noting the Toronto-area Uncle Tetsu shops source all of their ingredients — eggs, butter, flour, milk, sugar and cream cheese — from Ontario.

“We don’t use as much cheese in our cakes compared to other cheesecake makers. It’s why we attract a whole new section of cheesecake lovers, those who don’t love North American-style cheesecake but who really love ours.”

The reader reaction

Kolesnikovs is thrilled to find out his much-adored slice of cheesecake only costs him 217 calories.

“That is the best news I’ve had all week,” he says with a chuckle as he considers how much longer the lineups for Uncle Tetsu will be now that the city knows the cheesecake’s calorie count.

“In the wide world of desserts, this must be considered a low-calorie dessert. I’m just delighted.”

The Dish is a weekly series that helps health-conscious diners navigate Toronto’s food scene by revealing the nutrition information of Star readers’ favourite foods.If you are curious about the calories in a meal or treat, email Megan Ogilvie at mogilvie@thestar.ca. Items selected to be featured in the Dish will be sent to an accredited laboratory for nutritional analysis.