This summer we had the chance to visit Hakodate, and it turned out to be such a memorable trip for so many reasons. One of the best parts was getting to try Snaffles cheesecake again!
Twelve years ago, I had my first taste of Japanese cheesecake from Snaffles and I instantly fell in love. There’s really nothing quite like it, soft, creamy, and just really good. We sampled a few other brands while we were there, but nothing came close.
If you’re not familiar with Snaffles, they’re known for their Japanese-style cheesecakes that are light and almost soufflé-like, the kind that just melts the moment it hits your mouth. What I love about them is that they’re not overly sweet or heavy. There’s just the right amount of sweetness and a subtle but distinct cheese flavour that feels indulgent without being too much. That’s actually the thing that sets them apart, a lot of the other ones we tried either lacked that cheese note entirely or just didn’t taste like cheesecake at all. Snaffles gets that balance just right.
Snaffles has been in Hakodate since 1998, and if you’ve ever had their cheesecake it’s pretty easy to understand why they’ve stuck around. They’ve found a formula that works and they haven’t messed with it, soft, fluffy, just sweet enough, and that subtle cheese flavour that keeps you going back for one more bite.
Their signature Catch Cakes are the ones everyone talks about, and for good reason. The texture is genuinely unlike most cheesecakes you’d find elsewhere. A fun little detail, Japanese style cheesecake was actually inspired by German käsekuchen back in the 1960s, when a Japanese chef created a lighter, less sweet version to suit local tastes. That adaptation stuck, and it’s been a favourite ever since.
Since we were there for my son’s birthday, we decided to do something a little different. Instead of a traditional cake, we stacked Snaffles cheesecakes into a little tower and called it his birthday cake. It was simple and a bit silly, but honestly one of the more fun birthday moments we’ve had as a family. And definitely one of the tastiest.
Celebrating in Hakodate with cheesecake stacked on cheesecake felt like exactly the right way to do it. If you’ve ever tried Snaffles or been to Hakodate, I’d love to hear about it, drop a comment below!
