The search in la la land begins

21 Choices
85 W. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91103
http://www.21choices.com/
[3 other locations including: Claremont, Claremont Village and USC University Village]

Froyo Taste:
I have to admit that the flavors here are solid. They don't use syrups or powders and instead make their froyo with the actual ingredients listed for the particular flavor. Thus, your cup of East Indian Mango is made with fresh fruit and not a syrup. Can't get much more real than that.

Froyo Texture:
Gross. The sample was half melted when it was handed to me. Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want to drink my froyo. I do, however, want to drink your milkshake...

Froyo Flavors:
I do appreciate the constant change in flavors. They seem to always keep a vanilla, a chocolate and at least one fruit flavor. For the diet friendly folks, you shuold keep in mind that only the fruit ones tend to be non-fat. Otherwise, it's basically the same nutrition value as that of ice cream.

Toppings:
Ridiculous selection. It literally looks like they decorated the store with toppings. They have everything from sliced fruit to candy bars to fresh baked red velvet cake to cream puffs to nutella. Craziness. You'll probably end up changing your mind about 5 times while standing in line.

Price:
Not self serve. That's an issue for me. Not to mention my x-tra small (I think it was the kid's size) with no toppings was over $2.50. Seriously?

Stamp Cards:
No inking here.

Location:
Parking is an issue on most days. But it's LA. Deal with it.

Miscellaneous:
Not much seating available at the Old Pasadena location. But all the workers were really friendly and helpful. Our girl kept insisting that she could make a new one if we didn't like how the toppings turned out. Nick decided there was a little too much going on so she did make him a new one and was very nice about it. Unfortunately, due to their accommodating attitude, it took forever to get out of there. About half an hour wait. And there were only 3 couples in front of us. No wonder the froyo is melting.

Overall Rating: 2.45 spoons

Three's Never a Crowd

Favorite Intense Combination

Name: Three Amigos

Mocha froyo + Banana froyo + Peanut Butter froyo

Top with whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.

On an Island in the Sun

Favorite Summertime Combination

Name: Captain Ron

Vanilla and Orange Pineapple froyo swirled together with chunks of nectarines, pineapples and bananas. Top off with whipped cream and a spinkle of Nana's granola.

Let's Not Save the Best for Last

Yogurt Express
6195 Lake Murray Blvd.
La Mesa, CA 91942
www.yogurtexpress.net

Froyo Taste:
Perfect
Froyo Texture:
Perfect
Froyo Flavors:
8 non-fat flavors total, including two Wow Cow and one No Sugar Added. Four of the flavors change on a daily basis and are accurately posted on the website. Unfortunately, they do not normally carry tart though it has been seen on the menu once in a while.
Toppings:
Around 40 toppings to choose from. Favorites are the awesome Nana's granola (with shredded coconut and chocolate chips), mini Nilla wafers, Thin Mints and 3 forms of Oreo cookie (chunks, crumbs and dust). On the down side, they do not have fresh fruit or whipped cream.
Price:
Self-serve all the way. Normally 32 cents an ounce. But with a student ID or online coupon, price drops to 24 cents an ounce! Cheapest in the county!
Stamp Cards:
Yes!
Location:
Convenient for those who live in East County. Not too far from the 8 or the 125 with plenty of parking available.
Miscellaneous:
No seating except for your car. Staff are not the most friendly to say the least. The owner is a bit of a grouchy lady unless you are a fireman or other man in uniform. But they are open till 11pm every night. Even on holidays!

Overall Rating: 4.92 Spoons


Quality over quantity is the motto here my friends. Sure they don't have fresh fruit or tart flavors everyday, but when the froyo is this perfect, there's no need to complain about such trivial details. Other froyo stores should strive to acquire the same taste and texture in their yogurt as the froyo from Yogurt Express (affectionately called YoEx). This is where the standard should be set. Every flavor is top notch, even the No Sugar Added and Wow Cow. How in the world they manage to keep the No Sugar Added flavors as creamy as they do, I will never know. All I know is that it's damn good and in my belly about 86% of my waking moments.

Spoons

I have created a complex system to rate various froyo places. I will dish out spoons on a scale of 1 to 5 as a quantification of the overall quality of each frozen yogurt spot . Genius, I know.

I will also list multiple categories that are considered in the rating process. They are listed here:

Froyo Taste: weak to strong
Froyo Texture: watery to stiff
Froyo Flavors: how often flavors change and availability of different options (Wow Cow, No Sugar, etc.)
Toppings: quantity and diversity of selection
Price: Self-serve or not, and if yes, then price per ounce
Stamp Cards: yes or no
Location: non-convenient to easily accessible
Miscellaneous: staff, seating, ambience, etc.


In this way, I strive to document as many froyo places as I can. Please feel free to comment since the ratings are solely based on my personal experiences and opinions.

The Ciro

We used to laugh at him.

"Oh that silly Mexican. He's not using a utensil again".

And now I have to admit, he was on to something...



One night after a quick run to my favorite yogurt shop, I started driving home and realized that my craving was stronger than I thought. I just had to get in to that froyo pronto. What was a girl to do without two free hands and a spoon? The Ciro, that's what. So I brought the cup up to my lips and began to lick away. Amazing! It brought a whole new experience to froyo consuming. A nostalgic experience reminiscent of ice cream cones from childhood summers. Even a more intimate experience of straight froyo to tongue action. So now I bow down to Ciro and apologize for the past teasing. You were right. Sometimes you just need to ditch the middleman.

Dusting: The Broke Dieter's Topping Style

Dust*ing (verb): to lightly cover one's frozen yogurt or other cold dessert with toppings that have been crushed or ground into a powder


For those trying to save some money or those who are trying to save some calories, dusting is the way to go. Toppings can be bulky and heavy, adding extra ounces to the scale and subtracting more cash from your wallet (trust me, it can add up). Not to mention, toppings are where an otherwise healthy treat (yes, froyo can be part of a healthy diet) can transform into a not so smart choice. Dusting is the perfect light weight way to get a cheaper, healthier dessert. And let's face it, skipping the action of piling on toppings during a froyo run can sometimes result in an unfulfilling experience.


Favorite Dusting Combination

Name: Blow

Half Boysenberry froyo dusted with graham cracker powder and half Cookies 'n Cream froyo dusted with oreo cookie powder.