Hadn’t been back to Prodigal Cafe for quite a while (I know; I shouldn’t have); was pretty sure I hadn’t seen this item in their display fridge before and so decided to go straight for it — after all, it did sound pretty interesting given the use of both sweet and savoury notes within the same item as a dessert.

The physical aesthetic of the cake is pretty telling of the item that it took inspiration from — the typical burrata dish from Italian establishments; a spherical blob of cheese that comes embellished with basil leaves and drizzled with balsamic. Whilst we were expecting a more savoury flavour being the predominant note of the item considering its looks, we were pleasantly surprised by how the cheesecake was almost akin to that of their Miso Cheese Tart of the past; slightly savoury yet with an earthy note, whilst being sufficiently dense, rich and creamy. The drizzle of the balsamic provided for a tangy note that cuts through the richness of the cheesecake, but I was more impressed with the basil leaves being more than just an element that was supposed to ante up the aesthetics alone; helped to also give the dessert a slightly more herb-y note that seems to go in line with the botany-infused theme of desserts at cafes and ice-cream parlours these days.

A rather innovative take on a cheesecake, considering how Prodigal Cafe has been pretty focused on their sourdough pizza menu these days — really love how they seem to pull off adventurous items like this that hits well on both textures and flavours; something that can only come about with passion and understanding of the craft. Also little wonder how this place is somewhere that I used to hit up so often — perhaps somewhere that I should be putting in my plans more regularly than what it is now ...