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.

Blush (Dublin, CA)

Brittany writing.

This post will be reviewing Blush organic frozen yogurt. I'll be reviewing the one in Dublin although they have some in Milpitas and soon San Francisco and Burlingame.

They were the first frozen yogurt place to open in the Tri-Valley area and I was so excited when I

saw that they served tart flavors! They are known for their "Blush" Flavor which is pomegranate and dragon fruit. They usually have about 4 flavors and then feature a new flavor every month. They range from chocolate, mango, acai, strawberry kiwi, green tea, green tea tart, guava, pumpkin, pina colada, and pineapple. You pay about $2.50 for a small and then a dollar for one topping. I'm not sure but I think if you get the small with toppings it's cheaper. But all in all it is kind of expensive.

Their style is not self-serve and is reminiscent of Pinkberry. They give you a good amount of yogurt in a small but the toppings tend to be pushed onto the sides and always fall off. Tip: Put your yogurt on a napkin in case any of the precious mochi's fall off!! They have a lot of toppings like cereals, chocolates, and fruits. They also offer blush shaved ice which is HUGE and a fruit parfait.

Yogurt - Their yogurt is pretty good. Very firm but more on the creamy side. As far as tart goes it barely has any tart in it. I usually get the mango and it is the GOOD mango

. Their flavors tend to be on the more subtle side where you can taste hints of it but it doesn't overtake the whole yogurt.

Atmosphere - Very nice, they have tables and chairs inside with a nice decor that is like most trendy yogurt places. They usually play music and even offer something to drink like water while you are enjoying your yogurt. Only complaint would be that it's kind of small inside and it can get quite crowded.

Overall, I really like Blush because their yogurt is of good quality and although it's a bit expensive it is worth it.

http://www.blushyogurt.com

Yogurtland (San Ramon, CA)

Brittany writing.

So I think it's time for me to review Yogurtland. They have a bajillion branches all over the United States but I'll review the one in San Ramon, CA.

The first time I had Yogurtland it was in Fullerton, CA and I have to admit I was pretty disappointed. The atmosphere is really nice and definitely somewhere you'd want to hang out and eat yogurt but the yogurt itself is fairly disappointing. They are a pretty good yogurt staple like Starbucks or In-N-Out, you know the yogurt and toppings won't be too bad but I wouldn't say it's the best out there. Also, it's self-serve and only 30cents per ounce which is the cheapest I've ever seen. They easily have over 20 flavors, all non-fat and a lot of tart options as well. No non-dairy however. They have about 10-12 actual yogurt dispensers and tend to rotate the flavors so sometimes you might see one you love and then find the next month that it was changed to a different flavor. As far as toppings they have a good selection of fruit (watermelon!) and traditional toppings like cheesecake, mochi, sprinkles, and cereals.

Yogurt - I got plain tart with blueberries, raspberries, and mochi. I used to get their mango tart but it tasted horrible! It had this gasoline-mango taste if you know what I mean. It didn't have that pure, refreshing, ripe mango taste. It also wasn't that tart. Their yogurt is more creamy and not as firm as I like it. It tends to be kind of runny and melts pretty fast. Especially if you get stuck behind a long line waiting to weigh and pay. The toppings are good and they have good mochi (firm and perfect balance of sweetness). In the end they didn't have many tart flavors and even the tart flavors they do have are not that tart. The consistency is a bit too creamy for my liking and not firm. But you can't complain for only 30 cents per ounce.

Atmosphere - Great! They have such cool tables/lighting and these dividers that separate the yogurt dispensers from the seating. They have pretty cool spoons and containers and even had fruit water that people could drink from. They do a really good job of giving you that yogurt atmosphere and makes you want to eat your yogurt there.

I'd have to say that Yogurtland is definitely a good place to get yogurt because it is self-serve, cheap, and they do have tart flavors. They don't have the BEST kind of yogurt but it's definitely on the good side.

http://www.yogurt-land.com

Yogurt Shack (Danville, CA)

Hannah Writing

The first time I ever heard of Yogurt Shack was when my friend told me about non-dairy yogurt places in danville. She suggested Yogurt Shack and Tutti Frutti, but we tried Yogurt Shack because I didn't believe that Tutti Frutti had non-dairy.

We visited Yogurt Shack and it was located in a strangely placed plaza. We parked in the closest parking space we could find, because the parking lot is really small in the plaza. Inside it looked pretty plain, with wooden floors and whitewashed walls. It wasn't your typical asian yogurt place, and they had no mochi for toppings ]: The yogurt dispensers are the right as you come in, with biodegradable [which I encourage you to use] and foam cups. Yogurt is 38 cents per oz., and they even have original tart and non-fat flavors.

On to the review now!

yogurt - Yogurt Shack's non-dairy yogurt is by far the best non-dairy yogurt I've ever tasted. It has a perfect balance of iciness, firmness, fruitiness, and firmness! Every month or so they change the non-dairy flavors. So far I was able to try Wild Acai Berry, Verry Berry, Georgia Peach, and Valencia Orange. I'm sorry to say I haven't tasted the regular yogurt [of course] but if their non-dairy yogurt is good, I'm sure the regular yogurt is just as good.

atmosphere - Yogurt Shack is really whitewashed. The crowd there is mostly white people, and they have, like I said no asian toppings ]: But they do have fruity pebbles and other yummy fruits like blueberries and strawberries. The inside has some tables to sit at, and some tables outside as well. It's fairly sanitary [which is important of course] and the staff there are pretty nice.

Overall Yogurt Shack is good if you dont mind not having mochi and if you're craving for a good non-dairy yogurt. It's pretty cheap but parking isn't the best. http://www.yogurtshack.com/

Berry Chill (Chicago, IL)

Brittany writing.

This past weekend my family and I went to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. Of course we had to check out the local yogurt scene. I wasn't sure if the yogurt craze had hit the midwest yet but sure enough I searched on Yelp and found a lot of different yogurt places. Most of them were your typical TCBY types with really yogurty-yogurt and lame toppings. We even asked concierge and of course he suggested "Annie's Yogurt" or something like that but we knew it wouldn't be the kind that we were looking for. After many hours of yelping (well, more like minutes) I narrowed it down to Berry Chill or Starfruit. We ended up going into Michael Kors shopping and the lady working there suggested Berry Chill so we decided to go there.

Starfruit is actually this yogurt place that serves "Kefir" yogurt which is like normal yogurt but some say it is more sweet-tart and icy. It's supposedly better for you than regular yogurt which is a plus. We weren't brave enough to try it but maybe next time we're out in Chicago.

On to the review of Berry Chill.

It's not self-serve and the prices are a small, 3 toppings for $3.99 or $4.99 for flavored yogurt. They had original, chocolate covered strawberry, pina colada, and passion fruit. Unfortunately, no non-dairy flavors for Hannah. I got the original with blueberries, raspberries and mochi. My mom got passion fruit with mangoes and mochi.

Yogurt - It was icy and tart but it had this strange sweet taste to it, almost like sprite without the carbonation. It also had very little tart, a hint of it but not overwhelming. The Texture was pretty soft and not as firm as I usually like it.

Atmosphere - It was very yogurt-like with TV's, music and even this pre-order stations where you can punch in your order, pay with a credit card and then wait for your name to be called. Also, the containers are these cool sea-foam green plastic cups and spoons that change color when put in the yogurt. You recycle the containers afterwards or you can bring back 10 of them and get a free yogurt.

Overall? This place was pretty cool with the atmosphere and cups but the actual yogurt taste was kind of off. In the end I'd probably want to go somewhere else.

http://www.berrychill.com

Introductions

Welcome!

Brittany writing.

So here goes to our first blog. In this blog my sister (Hannah) and I will be writing our reviews on all the different yogurt places we have been to around California (and maybe beyond). Something about myself, I'm going to be a junior in College and I discovered yogurt thanks to being away at college. I go to school in San Diego and I was first exposed to YOGURT WORLD. A slight copy of YogurtLand but San Diego style. I remember trying the plain tart, hawaiian pineapple sorbet flavor and loading it with fruits, fruity pebbles, gummy bears, chocolate chips and mochi. Needless to say it tasted kind of funky, first off I hated the tart flavor, it tasted like sour milk. The chocolate chips tasted weird with the fruity yogurt and overall I wasn't impressed. I did go back and finally settled into what became a routine: Hawaiian pineapple with mochi, mango, strawberries, and fruity pebbles. When I came back home (east bay) I wondered why there were NO good yogurt places. I think this began my quest to find the perfect and best yogurt place. Eventually there were many that opened up near my house and wherever my family went on vacation I found a yogurt place and saw many different kinds. And soon, I came to love tart flavors.

My perfect yogurt: Tart, Icy, fairly firm. I usually get mango or plain tart. Toppings? Usually mango with mochi and fruity pebbles. Lately though I've been in a health kick so I've been getting plain tart with raspberries, blueberries, and a bit of mochi. I prefer fruity, tart flavors that are icy and not creamy. I can't stand yogurt that tastes like ice cream. As far as toppings go I like fruits and mochi.

Hannah writing.

When my sister first told me about yogurt at YOGURTLAND, it sounded cool and yummy. However, I was sad that I couldn't try it because it had dairy in it. But, I was surprised when my sister told me they had non-dairy flavors too, AND it was in mango, my favorite fruit. When I tried the non-dairy mango yogurt with mochi, mangoes, and fruity pebbles, I didn't like it very much and never got yogurt ever again.

Then we came home from San Diego and I began to find more yogurt places with non-dairy. I instantly fell in love again and started to get mochi and fruity pebbles every time as my toppings.

My favorite yogurt to get is at Yogurt Shack, wild acai berry with fruity pebbles. Their non-dairy there is the perfect balance of firmness, iciness, and fruitiness.

We'll post our first blog soon with more yogurtgoodness!