There’s something about cheesecake. Specifically the kind that’s toasted on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside, the way Gasper Lyu makes it.

The Èdo Cafe cofounder said he and business partner Shawn Zhu were inspired by Japanese traditions when coming up with the recipe for their signature dessert. They adapted the dish to suit American tastes, combining the fluffy, crustless Japanese style with a creamier version associated with Spain’s Basque region.

Baltimoreans don’t have to travel far to taste the globally influenced treat. Lyu and Zhu have partnered with the owners of Chiu’s Sushi, a casual Harbor East restaurant at 608 S. Exeter St., just around the corner from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a favorite stop of its grad students.

The shop, renamed Èdo Cafe, features Lyu’s cheesecake prominently on the menu. Customers can purchase whole cakes or sample different varieties, including one particularly delectable-looking one that’s dusted with sugar and hit with a blowtorch.

Lyu and Zhu worked with Hopkins’ Pava Center for Entrepreneurship on their business plan, receiving guidance on keeping their operating costs down and identifying customers. Among their peers, the duo stood out for wanting to pursue a food business, said associate director Paul Davidson. More students are trying to make medical devices.

Lyu said their goal is to take their product to the rest of the U.S., then the world. “We hope in the future … when people mention Baltimore, they think about us,” Lyu said.

The gambit seems to be working. On social media, a video posted of that dish had TikTok aflutter, with some out-of-town commenters weighing how many slices they would need to purchase to make a trip to Baltimore worth it. Wrote one: “please i cant go to baltimore just for cheesecake.”

Or maybe they can? More and more, viral foods are becoming a draw for tourists, who visit the region in search of crab dip bagels, fish sandwiches or that ice cream that sells out in minutes.

Of course, big hype leads to big expectations. The question remains: Does Èdo’s tantalizing lava cheesecake live up to the social media promises? During my first trip, I wasn’t sure. I ordered the creme brulee version that had intrigued me online. The texture was just as velvety as I’d hoped; my spoon glided through the cake as though I was dipping it in fondue.

But I initially found the flavor was surprisingly subtle. I’d been perhaps expecting a stronger vanilla taste that I associate with regular creme brulee. The only thing to do was more research.

During a follow-up trip, I picked up an entire small Basque cheesecake ($45), beautifully wrapped in a custom oxblood box. Inside, the cake was golden and blistered on top like a piece of French toast. At a friend’s house, I sliced some pieces for her and her husband, who were both impressed with the presentation. Upon eating it, the husband requested two for his birthday.

Subtle flavors, I find, have a way of sneaking up on you. Later on, trapped at home in the snow, I found myself regretting not purchasing a second cake myself. Days later, it’s a cake I think about when it’s not around, the true sign it’s become my latest food obsession.