Tangy Froyo: The Gateway Dessert

They say the first step onto the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem. And I do. I’m an addict.

A Pinkberry addict.

I know that sounds ridiculous. But I need rehab as badly as Amy Winehouse. At the height of my addiction I was having Pinkberry every day of the week, and sometimes twice on weekends. I even let the distance to the nearest Pinkberry influence my last apartment hunt. I put in an application for an apartment with a SIX FLOOR WALK-UP because it was 2 blocks from a Pinkberry. Thankfully, some other Pinkberry addict was more qualified to get the apartment. So you can just imagine how sad I was when I realized my move to DC would not only separate me from friends and family, but it was (gasp) 232 miles to the nearest Pinkberry. (And yes, I Google mapped it.)

I just licked my screen. Seriously.

232 miles from the frozen deliciousness that is Pinkberry (tear)!! As a California import, this Korean-owned frozen yogurt franchise has a cult-like following that has many wondering what all the fuss is about. Touted as “the taste that launched 1000 parking tickets” by the LA Times, in New York there are lines down the block for the icy treat during the summer months. It’s tart, fresh yogurt flavor is either loved or despised (but mostly loved). The plain topped with fruit and mochi (sweet rice cakes that are not on the menu but are a well-known topping for regulars) is my usual go-to order, creating one of the most perfect flavor combinations I’ve ever experienced. They also have green tea and coffee flavored yogurt as well as other toppings of the non-fruit variety (carob chips, coconut, granola, various types of cereal), but I prefer not to muddy the purity of the plain yogurt taste with overembellishment (although I hear Fruity Pebbles is a pretty bomb topping). It is refreshing, satisfying and not cloyingly sweet … pretty much the opposite of Tasti D’s offering of flavored whipped air with its unique fresh from the laboratory taste.

So if you’re ever in the vicinity (i.e. closer than 232 miles) of a Pinkberry shop, stop in for a taste of heaven (everybody’s doin’ it) and be prepared to be assaulted by all types of Asian-y cuteness — from the pastel walls to the Alessi wares on display for purchase. But first timers, beware … what starts with a spoonful of innocuous, kind of weird tasting froyo could lead you down the path to full blown pawning-your-worldly-possessions-and-
stealing-from-grandma-for-a-froyo-fix addiction.

Howevs, finally someone has answered the District’s NEED for froyo. And this someone is: Mr. Yogato.

ABUNAI! May be habit forming.

DOMO ARIGATO, MR. YOGATO!! Mr. Yogato is the breath of fresh air that I needed in this horrendously humid and oppressive DC heat. Located at 1515 17th St. NW (at Q St.), stepping into Mr. Yogato is like going to a frozen treat playground. The fun dry erase board with lots of fun questions and graffiti is totally reminiscent of the one you had on your dorm room door in college (sans the dirty stick figure pictures and blacked out ramblings). It displays the flavors of the day, as well as various things that can get you a discount on your froyo (i.e. for 10% off: order like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, stamp your forehead with a Yogato stamp, or answer the trivia question of the day). The employees are helpful and friendly, ready to give you as many tasty samples as you’d like. They were even game when we sent our friend there on a fake safari scavenger hunt (don’t ask). But the all-time most amazing thing about Mr. Yogato is that you can get an exact Pinkberry replica.

Just as lickable.

Mr. Yogato has 2 flavors that are offered all the time, original soft and original tangy, along with a couple of other flavors that rotate weekly. If you’re a fan of Pinkberry (AND IF YOU’RE NOT LEAVE MY SITE, RIGHT NOW), the original tangy is a dead ringer for it. It is a bit creamier than Pinkberry, but still has that addicting yet refreshing tang. As an added bonus, I can get all of my favorite toppings (even the mochi!!). Mr. Y also offers a couple of toppings gratis, that range from normal (like sprinkles and Hershey’s syrup) to deliciously strange (olive oil and balsamic vinagrette). As my friend Nick would say, it gives me blood flow.

And although I still travel 232 miles to worship at the House of Pinkberry, now I can travel LESS THAN A MILE for the next best thing.