Fluffy Japanese-style cheesecakes have floated into Dallas via Mr. Puffy, a dessert shop that opened in the Preston Trail Plaza center, in a former dentist office at 17390 Preston Rd. #243.

Japanese cheesecakes have become a foodie trend in recent years, and represent a departure from the firm New York cheesecake that is the American standard. They have an airy texture — as much souffle as they are cheesecake — and, true to Asian dessert tradition, are not as sweet as regular cheesecake.

Their airy, bouncy, jiggly texture is a result of whisking the egg whites separately, similar to how a souffle is made. They have the same buoyancy of a souffle but without the catastrophic threat of collapse you get with a souffle.

"Japanese cheesecake is also known as soufflé cheesecake or cotton cheesecake, is a light and airy dessert characterized by its fluffy texture and mildly sweet, slightly tangy flavor, achieved by incorporating whipped egg whites and often steamed during preparation," says "Chef Mike," the cafe's manager who prefers not to share his last name.

Mr. Puffy offers them in three sizes: A single-serving small, medium, and large which feeds 10-12. Prices range from $4 to $42 for a large cheesecake, plus an extra charge for toppings such as fruits and chocolate sauce.

The concept was founded by entrepreneur Khaled Al Jamal and first opened in February. It's no relation to Fluffy Fluffy, a dessert café chain based in Carrollton which makes very similar fluffy souffle pancakes. Japanese desserts love to be fluffy.

Japanese cheesecakes can also be found at other Dallas shops such as New York Bakery on Royal Lane and Okaeri Cafe in Richardson, although not with quite the singular focus as Mr. Puffy, which markets its treats to the University of Texas at Dallas campus, offering student discounts and the like.

In addition to cheesecakes, they offer taiyaki, a Japanese street food consisting of a fish shaped waffle filled with ice cream — plus tarts, macarons, and soft-serve.

"You deserve exactly what you expect and the right experience," Chef Mike says. Wise words.