Fiji Yogurt (San Diego, CA)

Brittany writing.

I don't know if you guys have heard of groupon but my apartmentmate recently purchased a groupon to Fiji Yogurt. You basically buy a giftcard but for half the price. We got a $22 gift card for only like $10 or so. So I decided to finally try it out and here's my review.

Fiji Yogurt is a franchise only in the San Diego area and as of now they have about 4 different locations. I went to the one on Friars road because it got the highest ratings on Yelp and seemed to be the nicest. I went around lunchtime so it wasn't too crowded and the plaza was kind of hard to find. It's on a pretty busy street near some restaurants and shops.

Atmosphere. The atmosphere reminded me of Yogurtworld. They had several machines that held about 8 or so flavors of yogurt. They also had seating around the back and a pretty extensive topping bar. There was a TV with Michael Jackson's This is it playing. Overall, it wasn't your typical pinkberry/yogurtland style with clear tables and brightly colored walls but it was pretty nice inside. They even offered games for people to play while they ate yogurt. One thing I liked was that the sample cups were right next to the cups to get your yogurt so you didn't have to go up to the front and awkwardly ask for sample cups.

Yogurt. The yogurt cost about .35cents which is cheaper than yogurtworld but not as cheap as yogurtland. The flavors they had were plain tart, kiwi tart, dole pinapple non-dairy, oreo, cake batter and some other flavors that weren't tart. I tried the kiwi tart first because I had never heard of it before and it wasn't bad. It tasted slightly like Kiwi and was sort of tart. The dole-pineapple non-dairy reminded me a lot of the pineapple non-dairy that I used to be obsessed with at YogurtWorld and it was fairly firm and icy. The plain tart however was disappointing. It was reminiscent of Red Mango's plain tart. It wasn't tart at all! And it was fairly creamy and watery...not firm and icy the way I like it. Oreo apparently tasted just like oreos and cake batter was not that great according to my boyfriend. The toppings were pretty impressive however. They had mochi which was a plus and tons of fruits, cereals, and candy toppings. The mango however tasted...strange. Like it looked really ripe and good but maybe the juice/sauce it was sitting in was artificial because it didn't taste like fresh mango. The mochi was a tad soft but not the worst I've ever had.

Overall. Fiji yogurt isn't a bad alternative if you're fairly desperate for yogurt. The only thing is the location isn't that great and the place isn't all that inviting to want to stay and hang out. I think I prefer the pinkberry/yogurtland atmosphere bustling with people and bright colors. The yogurt itself isn't bad since they do offer non-dairy options but their plain is forgettable.

Yogurt World (San Diego, CA)

Brittany writing.

So it's about time that I review Yogurt World. This was the first experience of yogurt that I had about 3 years ago. I heard about this place when I came to UCSD and how amazing it was. The first time I went I remember trying the plain tart and thinking it was disgusting. How could someone eat something that tasted like sour milk? I was also glad because Yogurt World had non-dairy flavors like Hawaiian Pineapple which I thought would be good since I'm lactose and it tasted good! I really like all the fruits and when I tried mochi I knew I was in love. From that day on I loved yogurt world and when I came home I remember thinking, where are all the yogurt places? Not to mention the ones I went to weren't self-serve and never had non-dairy or non-tart flavors. Eventually I came to love tart and was grateful that Yogurt World always has a ton of good tart flavors. They have mango tart which is my favorite and even their plain tart is amazing. They also have good atmosphere and toppings!

Atmosphere: I've been to about three different yogurt worlds. The original one on Convoy Street is always crowded and although it doesn't look like your typical brightly colored, clean, modern yogurt shoppes it's pretty cozy inside. The machines holding about 8-10 flavors are lined on the right side of the store and then seating is on the left hand side. The one on campus is very uniquely build with large windows and cool customized wallpaper. The one in Mira Mesa is REALLY nice with a huge area to sit down, couches, and games to play too! Overall, I feel like yogurt world always makes its customers feel at home and makes you want to sit down and enjoy your yogurt.

Yogurt: Their yogurt is by far the best I have found so far. It is firm but still icy and not too creamy and they have a lot of good flavors. They have plain tart, green tea tart, pineapple tart, mango tart, red velvet, cappuccino, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, hawaiian pineapple sorbet, raspberry sorbet, acai tart and many more which usually rotate. Their tart is always the perfect tart level and their plain tart is just the way I like it. Firm but icy. They always have a ton of toppings as well. Practically every cereal, sweet topping, fruit, asian topping and of course, mochi. I feel like they always have what you're looking for and it's usually pretty fresh. It's about 38 cents per ounce which is a bit more expensive than like yogurtland or tutti frutti but I totally feel like it's worth it.

Overall, I'd have to say I haven't found a place that is better that Yogurt World. They continue to meet my expectations with good quality yogurt and toppings and a pleasing, comfortable atmosphere.

Yogurt Fusion (San Diego, CA)

Brittany writing.

So this past week I went to a place called Yogurt Fusion which is near Convoy in San Diego. I got a gift card from there so I decided to check it out. It was located in a strange area and kind of hidden in a plaza. When I first saw it, it looked like any other yogurt place with the bright interior and modern sign. There was actually no one inside for a nice afternoon and the people who worked there wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting your typical asian teens or people to be working there but there were some middle aged Caucasian people and even an older man. They greeted us as we walked in and sort of stared at us, I'm guessing they don't get many customers, haha. They had about 8 or so flavors and most of them were non-dairy and just fruity but only one tart flavor: plain tart. I actually don't remember how much the yogurt cost per ounce because I just went in and out but I don't think it was that expensive.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere wasn't all that bad, it reminded me of Top This! and Tutti Frutti, it was fairly small inside with yogurt machines in the back and a couple of tables set up against the wall. To be honest, it didn't really make me feel like getting my yogurt and eating there. The decor was pretty nice with bright lighting and colorful walls but all in all nothing I haven't seen before. The place was pretty clean, with a nice toppings bar and yogurt dispensers. Overall, it was a pretty nice yogurt place and didn't seem shady or strange at all.

Yogurt: The yogurt was pretty disappointing. I got plain tart, pineapple, and this one called raspberry pomegranate sorbet which was non-dairy. They had other flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, orange sorbet and strawberry I believe. Like most non-asian places they had a lot of non-dairy flavors which would be good for people like Hannah but for people like me who like tart flavors they had practically none! Their yogurt tended to be on the more creamy side, and it wasn't that watery which was good. However, the main flavor, plain tart, was disappointing. It was strangely icy and watery with hardly ANY flavor. It wasn't tart at all and didn't have the refreshing original yogurt flavor. It was pretty bland, watery, and way too icy. The toppings were also pretty lame. They hardly had any fresh fruit other than some blueberries and no mochi! When we asked, the man said they were hard to get but reading other reviews on yelp it seemed like they hardly ever have mochi. They had plenty of sweet toppings like chocolate chips, cheesecake, sprinkles etc. but no asian toppings like lychee or jellies. Overall the yogurt was pretty bad, the plain tart didn't live up to my expectations and the overall flavors were too creamy and not tart enough.

I'd have to say this place wouldn't be missed, they didn't really seem to cater to the typical asian yogurt crowd but if you like non-dairy flavors then this might be a good choice for you.

Top This! Yogurt Bar (San Ramon, CA)

Hannah writing

I've been to Top This! countless times already, and I decided to finally make a review on it. The first time we heard about Top This! was when we were driving by the plaza where it's in and we saw the sign. It looked promising, and I was super excited when it finally opened!

Of course the first thing I searched for when we first went inside was if they had non-dairy. They

did and I instantly started to like this place. We met the owners (it was their grand opening) and it was an older white couple. They seemed, no offense, kind of clueless about the yogurt biz, but eager to learn. At least they had mochi unlike Yogurt Shack (except they spelled it wrong, "mochie" instead of "mochi", lol).

Alright, onto the review!

atmosphere:

Top This! is not as cool and modern looking as the other yogurt places, its like a mixture of modernish yogurt feel mixed with just a regular orange-y white atmosphere. It's hard to explain lol. Other than that, its a pretty nice place. Clean, and it has a bathroom. The yogurt bar is hard to get stuff because your head always bangs into the glass overhead, so you have to lean down and get your hair in all the stuff. Kind of gross. But their dispensers for cereal/candy is very cool. It gives you the same amount of cereal/candy every time. Its like a new thing I think.

Yogurt:

Okay so Top This! yogurt isn't the best. I mean their non-dairy is okay to me, but it can be really watery or soft at times. Their non-dairy dispenser breaks a lot so sometimes when I go there I can't even get anything because they only have one non-dairy dispenser. Brittany has only tried the regular yogurt flavors once or twice, but she said it's only okay. There's usually only 1 or 2 tart flavors available like plain tart or mango tart. The rest are these typical yogurt flavors like birthday cake or chocolate. Most people only go there because they're desperate, or they just don't know good yogurt, lol.

Like I said before their toppings are pretty good. Lots of asian/typical toppings. Except their mochi is kind of weird sometimes. They have multi-colored mochi or sometimes flavored mochi like melon, strawberry, or apple. Its good but it clashes with the yogurt sometimes. The mochi is also pretty soft, so if you don't like soft mochi, you wouldn't like their mochi.

The fruit is sometimes good, but apparently they are sometimes frozen so they aren't as good. It's a hit and miss for Top This!.

Price:

Their yogurt is 45 cents per ounce. Brittany says is ridiculously expensive, but it's probably because where they are the rent is high.

Overall rating:

All in all, I would give Top This! 3 out of 5 mochis. It's not the best, but it isn't the worst either. It has some potential. (Yes, we're going to do mochi (instead of stars) ratings for these yogurt places now)

Tutti frutti (La Jolla, CA)

Brittany writing.

I've been meaning to review Tutti frutti for the longest time but finally got around to doing it. I've been to this place about 4-5 times since it's really close to school and it's not that bad.

Tutti frutti is another chain yogurt shop that is almost everywhere around the world. They have shoppes in the Phili

ppines, Mexico, Brazil and more! Their yogurt is self-serve and th

ey usually have about 8 flavors available as well that rotate depending on when you go. They have your usual flavors like original, mango, peace, green tea, pomegranate and their signature flavor is Tutti Frutti which is a mix of fruity flavors like berry and tropical flavors, it's pretty good.

Their yogurt is only 35cents which is cheaper than most places and another thing they offer are smoothies and waffle bowls! Instead of using a traditional yogurt cup you can use a waffle bowl, I've never tried it but it looks good. Their toppings are also pretty extensive with many asian toppings as well as the fruit, cereals, and gummies.

Yogurt - Their yogurt tends to be on the watery side no matter which one you get which is a negative. They also have only about two tart flavors and most of their flavors are creamy. On their website they call their flavors tart but in reality they aren't tart at all. I usually get original, tuttifrutti and mango with mochi, strawberries, fruity pebbles and sometimes mangoes. The thing with their fruit is sometimes it's not that fresh. Their mango looks very dry and pale and sometimes their strawberries look mushed. Their mochi also tends to be very floury and hard or sometimes the opposite and too soft.

Atmosphere - The place is fairly small and long so there are the yogurt machines on one side and then the seating area on the other side with about 3 tables and two chairs on each. The tables can actually fold out so more people can sit down but it takes a lot of work. You don't really get the feeling that you want to stay and enjoy your yogurt and it could easily become crowded if a lot of people are there. Other than that the place is very cozy with your typical yogurt decor and lots of posters and very bright inside.

Overall this place isn't bad if you want to get yogurt around the La Jolla area but I'd much rather go to yogurtworld on campus than come here. Their yogurt is too creamy and watery and their toppings aren't that amazing. The atmosphere is nice but in reality much too small to really enjoy yogurt here with a lot of friends.

Tuttimelon (Pleasanton, CA)

Brittany writing.

So if you've been to the Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton, CA lately you'll notice that Sanrio has been replaced with a yogurt place! It's about time that the mall got an asian yogurt place, I've been waiting for the opening forever now.

Tuttimelon is actually a chain of yogurt shoppes that offer nonfat frozen yogurt and it's self-serve! They had about 8 flavors when I went which ranged from original, mango, pomegranate, chocolate, blueberry, green tea, peach, and grapefruit. They had a lot of toppings like mochi and fruits with cereals but no asian toppings like lychee or jellies. One unique thing is that they also offer gelato, but I didn't get a chance to try that. The yogurt costs 38cents per ounce which isn't bad for this area but still not as cheap as yogurtland.

Onto the review:

Yogurt - So I got the original which is basically plain tart and at first it was REALLY watery. You know I like my yogurt firm and icy but this was pretty watery when it came out of the dispenser. I then got some Mango which I thought was going to be tart but it turns out it wasn't. That was kind of disappointing because the only tart flavor was their original. But, the mango was much firmer than the original but not that icy. Overall I'd say the yogurt is similar to that of your typical yogurt place with no non-dairy flavors. Fairly firm and creamy. The original was pretty refreshing though and fairly icy, if only it was firmer. Their toppings were pretty good though, the mango was REALLY fresh which is always a plus. And their mochi was firm but chewy, just the way I like it.

Atmosphere - The atmosphere was really nice. They had some couches and chairs and this bar in the middle where there were about 5 stools for people to sit on. They played top 20 hits and the decor was very modern and clean. It definitely made us want to sit down and enjoy our yogurt rather than just get it and go. The area inside is also very open so you don't feel cramped.

Overall I would have to say for self-serve this place isn't bad but they don't offer that many tart flavors. Their yogurt is more on the creamy side and for 38cents I'd rather go to Yogurtland. But if you're looking to get yogurt at the mall while shopping this isn't a bad alternative.

Pinkberry (San Jose, CA)

Brittany writing.

This past weekend my family and I went to Pinkberry in San Jose (the only one in Nor-Cal) for about the third time. I think the first time I heard about Pinkberry was from my friend who lives near one in Rowland Heights. After eating yogurt land I decided it was time to try this famous "pinkberry." Back then I disliked

tart and the only flavors they had were green tea, original, and coffee. I was pretty disappointed because I was at least hoping for a mango flavor or something. Another thing was that it wasn't self-serve so I had to pay a lot and have them stick on the toppings for me.

Anyway, after I started to like tart again I realized that Pinkberry is pretty good. Not only do they have such good campaign and marketing strategies but their yogurt isn't that bad. They usually only have about 3-4 flavors available at a time. Right now they have passion fruit, coconut, pomegranate, and original. They also have a lot of different toppings, their latest ones are cherries, lychees and valencia oranges. You pay about $2.50 for a small original and you get two toppings. It's kind of expens

ive, especially if you're used to three toppings but they do give you a generous amount.

Another thing that I love is the Pinkberry Song! If you go to their website they play this song that someone sang and recorded that is all about pinkberry and the health benefits and how it's so much better than ice cream. It's pretty catchy.

On to the review...

Yogurt - Their yogurt has more of a sweet creamy taste to it. It's usually fairly firm but not nearly as firm as Blush. It still has a bit of a watery-ness to it. I got original so the tartness was there but not overly powerful. It did get a bit nauseating after a while because it was that creamy sweet taste that I don't really like. I think Pinkberry is much more of an i

ce-cream yogurt rather than the tart, icy kind that I usually like better. One cool thing is that you can get swirled flavors (I'm not sure if you can do this at all places) and when they put the

toppings on they usually pack it in pretty nicely and give you a generous amount. One tip my mom does is she asks for a medium sized yogurt/toppin

gs but to put it in the large container, that way the toppings don't go falling all over the place and it's MUCH easier to eat.

Atmosphere - This Pinkberry didn't have seating inside but most do. They have the green/pink scheme going on and usually has a very nice decor inside typical of most yogurt places. Like I said they do a good job of advertising their flavors and new toppings and with the Pinkberry song they have good marketing! I feel like the Pinkberry atmosphere makes you feel very hip.

Overall, Pinkberry is definitely one of those places you HAVE to go to because it's so well-known and famous. Their yogurt can be a bit sweet and not as firm as I like it but it's not too bad. They are a bit overpriced but their toppings are fairly generous.