sour cake

february 28, i ordered a blueberry cheesecake from an italian restaurant.

i know it's not their specialty.  i've had cheesecake at their restaurant before and it was nothing special.  the only thing that made it unforgettable for me was that the waiter said they had only two slices of each cake.

anyway, they're among the results that came up when i searched for cheesecake in GrabFood.  it's been months since i last ordered from them and i didn't want to order again so soon from this other restaurant whose cheesecake i like so opt for them i did.

well, this time the cheesecake itself was remarkable, and not for good reason.  there was something off about the taste.  the blueberries were too sour; the cheesecake was rather bland.  the whole thing was on the sour side, and an unpleasant kind of sour.

it prompted me to check the expiration date.  was i shocked to see that the production date was december 22, 2021.  more than two months ago!  i didn't know cheesecake lasted that long!  the expiration date is march 22, 2022!

i could not get myself to eat the cheesecake.  i didn't feel like it was safe.  i'm not going to risk a visit to a doctor much less to a hospital just for cheesecake, especially in this pandemic.

i was thinking that cheesecake remained unsold through christmas, through new year, through chinese new year, through valentine's day and here it was before me, tasting awful at that.

i messaged the restaurant about it.  they called and assured me it was safe.  nevertheless, they said they'll discuss either a replacement or refund with the manager.

i declined a replacement.  i'm thinking the replacement could be from the same batch.  what outlet would order new cheesecake from the commissary if they still have months-old cheesecake sitting in the fridge?

i also told them if they will put in writing (just through a reply to my message to them in instagram instead of just through the verbal phone call) that the cheesecake is safe to eat then they don't have to refund me.  i'm thinking if it's really their policy to sell 3-month-old cheesecake and they're willing to go on record that the cheesecake i got is safe to eat then i should not burden them with a refund as it is i who am being overly cautious.

anyway, i'd like to say that i am extremely disappointed with the restaurant for selling cheesecake that old.  i've bought countless cakes (i've been the family's cake buyer since high school.  i'm an old woman now), i'd say that's the longest expiration i've ever seen for cake, excluding fruit cake.  lesser restaurants already discard cake that old.  i strongly suggest they shorten the shelf life of their cakes, too.