All photos by Pay Chen
There is a craze sweeping the city that has been on the top of my “must check out” list since moving back to Toronto. Yo, T.O, froyo has taken over and you’re all going coo-coo-bananas for this stuff. There was a time when the only frozen yogurt treat you could get was in shopping mall food courts where you chose the vanilla or chocolate brick, then watched it get mashed together with a topping or two.
But the new frozen yogurt shops popping up all over the city will make your head spin with (seemingly) endless flavour combinations. Yogurty’s froyo is expanding faster than burger joints and poutine counters in Toronto and it comes just in time for the summer heat. The first Yogurty’s store opened in Burlington only a year ago. Proving that we love our frozen, sweet treats, there are already 18 stores and more about to pop up. What’s the appeal? Well, Type-A personalities will love that you are in full control. You just want a mouthful of frozen yogurt and a gummy worm? That’s OK. You want a tub of 10 flavours and bits of brownie and 12 kinds of candy? You can have that too. At 55-cents an ounce, you pay for your treat by weight so you get exactly as little or as much as you like. And you can pour on as many toppings as your sweet froyo-loving heart desires. With over 100 flavours and toppings, you never have to eat the same combo twice. Made from fresh Canadian dairy products, there are low-fat and non-fat flavours as well as sorbet for the non-dairy folks.
I sampled 6 frozen yogurt flavours including the “featured flavour” that day; a Barbie-pink super sweet Cotton Candy flavour. Call me boring but my favourite was the plain Tart flavour that reminds me of real yogurt. It’s also a great base for the numerous toppings. With colourful signs and tempting flavours (Tiramisu, Almond Cookies, Pink Grapefruit and many others), it’s the most exciting kind of dessert bar.
Yogurty’s was also the first place I’ve tried “Popping Boba”. They look like large balls of caviar or bubble tea tapioca pearls, but they are little balls of fruity flavour that pop in your mouth when you bite them. Show me a child or grown adult who isn’t intrigued by little balls of popping flavour and I’ll show you someone who hates fun and rainbows.
Toronto’s steamy summer weather is upon us and this might be the summer you take control of your froyo and then let loose.
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