New Pinkbee’s (Lowfat Milk Ice Cream) by Pinkberry

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Soft Serve Day! Guess what’s been spotted at Pinkberry Koreatown? Pinkbee’s premium lowfat milk ice cream made with organic milk. Pinkbee’s was announced on July 12, 2014: “Premium, lowfat ice cream made with organic milk. Delicious on its own or in one of our 9 tasty combinations including pure, locally harvested honey and honeycomb.” The milk is from “California’s best dairies.”

Pinkberry Koreatown is currently the only location to offer Pinkbee’s ice cream. It's available in one flavor, milk. Pinkbee’s comes in a cup (one size) or cone (they had chocolate dipped cones) with your choice of toppings. A cup with honeycomb called Honey Honey is $4.50. You can add gold flakes (Honey Gold) for an additional dollar. They also have an ice cream sandwich made with a rice cracker.

This location also has been remodeled with a honey theme. The wall looks like a giant white, gold and brown honeycomb and the water dispenser looks like a glass beehive.

Pinkbee’s is clearly inspired by the new food trend in South Korea popularized by a chain called Softree. Softree serves a rich organic milk soft serve with honey chips (honeycomb). It’s available in a cup or chocolate dipped cone. Softree started with one location last year and now operates 26 locations. Honey chip ice cream is now available in Taiwan and the US. Honeymee opened in Koreatown back in May 2014, serving true milk ice cream with honey. Café MangoSix, a Korean café in Beverly Grove, offers fresh honeycomb as a froyo topping.

Honeymee vs. Pinkbee’s: Honeymee’s organic milk ice cream is thicker and richer than Pinkbee’s (I think Honeymee has a higher fat content). It’s also milder and not that sweet; Pinkbee’s has a stronger milk flavor. The honeycomb is soft and chewy. It does have some waxy bits but not many of them.

Honeymee is available in a cup or cone. They also have a Babee Bun which is a fresh soft bun filled with ice cream. A Honeymee (cup with honeycomb chip) is $4.75.

Milk flavored soft serve ice cream is nice but it’s not as refreshing as froyo on a hot day. It does pair well with honey but so would a plain/original frozen yogurt.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* PINKBERRY KOREATOWN: 3300 West 6th St. #4, Los Angeles, CA 90020
* HONEYMEE: 3377 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 116, Los Angeles, CA 90017
* CAFÉ MANGOSIX: 8428 W 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.