Pablo cheese tart chain closes down in M'sia after 19 months

One large cheese tart cost RM45.90.

Belmont Lay | July 17, 2018, 06:10 PM

The cheese tart bubble has burst. In Malaysia, at least.

According to multiple media reports up north, Pablo's two remaining outlets in One Utama Shopping Mall and IOI City Mall Putrajaya in Kuala Lumpur have shut down permanently.

The chain's Facebook and Instagram pages have been deactivated. There has not been any new Instagram posts since May 1.

Too pricey

Hailing from Japan, Pablo opened its doors in Malaysia in December 2016.

However, its signature cheese tarts were the most expensive out of all the competitors in Malaysia.

Mini Pablos cost RM8.90 (S$3), while the larger tart costs RM45.90 (S$15.45).

In comparison, Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart costs RM5.80 (S$1.95), while Tokyo Secret are selling theirs for RM7.90 (S$2.66).

Not the same as Japan

And then there were complaints of discrepancy in taste.

Pablo cheese tarts are known to be more subtle in taste.

However, customers who tried the original Pablo in Japan felt that it doesn't taste the same or as good in Malaysia.

Some attributed it to the use of different ingredients, while others said it could be due to the external environment, such as greater humidity in Malaysia, which causes the cheese tarts to taste different.

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