The Hidden History of Froyo in Southern California

Photo credit: Marilyn M., Yelp

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that Yogurtland got its start inside a boba shop in Fullerton? Phillip Chang, Yogurtland’s founder, owned a boba shop called Boba Loca near Cal State Fullerton. In 2006, he added froyo machines. The original location is still a Yogurtland but they no longer serve boba drinks.

When froyo was all the rage in Southern California, you could find frozen yogurt in donut shops, Korean coffee shops, Asian bakeries, boba shops (e.g., It's Boba Time chain) and more. Later, froyo would make its way into restaurants, movie theaters, convenience stores, drug stores, supermarkets, and airports. Many of those places no longer offer froyo, but if you take a close look, you can still see remnants of those froyo days, e.g., cutout walls, old signs, old machines, etc.

AM Donut & Yogurt, 305 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA 91016 

The Google Places description still calls it a donut and frozen yogurt shop, but they no longer carry frozen yogurt. The wall still has cutouts though, 3 of them, for 3 froyo machines. They used to have self-serve froyo from 2011-2013. People still go there looking for froyo since its in the name and on the signs.

Rose Donut & Sandwiches, 6276 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA 91780

Rose Donut added self-serve froyo in 2010 and kept it till 2013 (?). There were 8 flavors day. There’s still a sign for ML Yogurt inside. The owners own Rose Donut & ML Yogurt in Bell, CA.

Cloverleaf Bakery, 9475 Las Tunas Dr, Temple City, CA 91780

Cloverleaf Bakery is an Asian bakery that opened in 2009 with Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt inside. It was self-serve with four machines. They stopped offering froyo in 2011.

Loha’s Fresh Mart, 300 W Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801

Loha’s opened in 2015 with the vision of being a healthy, organic Asian food market. The deli offered bento boxes, salads, fresh soy milk, fresh juice and at one point, organic frozen yogurt. The market closed in late 2019. They had another location in Arcadia that didn’t offer froyo. That location also closed.

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

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.

Lotte Double Dip Yogurt Pepero Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted new Lotte Pepero Double Dip Yogurt sticks (Pepero is the Korean version of Pocky) during a recent shopping trip to Loha’s Fresh Mart. It seems like the snack is relatively new. One box is 50g. Loha’s had Pepero Double Dip for $2.19 a box. There were two flavors: Yogurt and Café Latte. Pepero is imported from South Korea.

One box contains two servings in separate packets. A serving is one pack, 130 calories, 7g total fat, 11g sugars, 16g total carbohydrate, and 2g protein.

* Double Dip Yogurt Pepero: One dip is milk flavored and the second dip is yogurt flavored. The double dipping makes the coating twice as thick as your average Pocky/Pepero. The cookie part is similar to your typical Pocky/Pepero: crunchy, not very sweet, like a pretzel but not as crunchy. The dips are much sweeter than the biscuit cookie stick. The dips are sweet and creamy. The flavor was pretty good. The yogurt dip had a slightly tangy Yakult taste which wasn’t strong enough to be unpleasant (I don’t like Yakult). It did taste a little powdery but I still liked it. Did I like it better than regular Pocky or Pepero? No, but Double Dip Yogurt is a nice alternative to white chocolate.

Ingredients: Vegetable cream I (vegetable oil, sugar, mixed milk powder, lactose, dextrin, lecithin, Greek yogurt powder, citric acid, artificial yogurt flavor, paprika color), vegetable cream II (vegetable oil, sugar, mixed milk powder, lactose, dextrin, artificial milk flavor, artificial sweet flavor), wheat flour, sugar, palm oil, sweetened condensed milk, grain product (whole meal, non-glutinous rice, glutinous rice), liquid whole egg, processed whole milk powder (whey powder, butter oil, lactose, palm oil, milk cream, sodium caseinate, potassium phosphate dibasic, glycerin esters of fatty acides, artificial milk flavor), acidity regulator (ammonium bicarbonate, sodium phosphate (tribasic), sodium bicarbonate), malt extract, salt, fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor (perm bread flavor), vanilla flavor (vanilla extract, proptlene glycol, vanillin, decalactone), papain, yeast.

The list of ingredients is crazy long! 

You can purchase Pepero Double Dip Yogurt online at http://kpoptown.com/food/43678-lotte-double-dip-yogurt-pepero-50g.html

4 out of 5 stars.

* LOHA’S FRESH MART: 300 W Main St., Suite 120, Alhambra, CA 91801

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

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.

Want Want Yogurt Smoothies Review

Fro-yo girl here. On a recent visit to Lohas Fresh Mart in Arcadia, CA, I spotted Want Want Yogurt Smoothies in the frozen section. This was my first time seeing Want Want Yogurt Smoothies for sale. The soft serve picture on the packaging definitely caught my eye. It doesn’t look like a smoothie but maybe something got lost in translation. Want Want Yogurt Smoothies are imported from China. They are manufactured by Want Want Holdings, the largest rice cake and flavored drink maker in Taiwan.

Lohas was selling a package of Want Want Smoothies for $2.69. Each package contains 4 individual packaged smoothie pouches. Each pouch is 80ml. Each package has two flavors. One had Strawberry & Blueberry smoothies. The other had Peach and Vanilla smoothies. The pouches are small, about half the size of Korean frozen smoothie pouches.

The directions on the pouch were in Chinese with no English translation. The product was frozen solid, so the directions probably involve defrosting. Then you twist the top off, squeeze the pouch, and consume. After about 15 minutes of defrosting, the product was ready for consumption.

Blueberry yogurt smoothie: The frozen smoothie was creamier than the Korean frozen milkshake. It seemed to have more dairy. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t taste like Yakult but tasted more like a sweet milky blueberry candy. Yes, it was sweet but it tasted better than the Korean frozen yogurt milkshake.

Strawberry yogurt smoothie: The strawberry flavor was similar – creamy with a sweet strawberry flavor. It wasn’t the most natural tasting but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

One serving has 120 calories, total fat 5g, sugars 13g and total carbohydrate 7g.

Ingredients (strawberry yogurt smoothie): Water, sugar, whole milk powder, refined coconut oil, glycerol, citric acid, pectin, propylene glycol alginate, lactic acid, succinylated monoglycerides, sucrose, fatty acid esters, artificial flavor (strawberry flavor), sodium carboxymethylcellulose, potassium sorbate, sodium citrate.

3.5 out of 5 stars

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

* LOHAS FRESH MART: 1304 S Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

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.

Hidden Froyo Gems 2016

Fro-yo girl here. What’s a hidden froyo gem? It’s a place that doesn’t have a clearly visible froyo sign. It’s a place that you might not expect to see froyo. Also, I’m limiting the list to places that serve good froyo.

I haven’t written a post about hidden froyo spots since 2008. It’s definitely time for an update. All but one of the Bay Area shops in the 2008 post have closed. This new list is for Southern California.

* LOHA’S FRESH MART (300 W Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801): LOHAS Fresh Mart is the healthy, organic Asian market that opened recently in downtown Alhambra. Head to the deli for a big cup of organic frozen yogurt. They only have one flavor.

* NICOLE’S GOURMET COFFEE & CHOCOLATE (928 S Western Ave., Ste. 145, Los Angeles, CA 90006): Located in Koreatown Plaza, Nicole’s is a popular Korean café that serves coffee, patbingsoo, taiyaki and frozen yogurt. They only have one flavor of frozen yogurt, plain/original, but it’s a good flavor and $4 gets you a big cup piled high with frozen yogurt.

* SPREAD MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN (334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90034): The Middle Eastern food is tasty and you can get a mini housemade Greek froyo with topping for just $2.50. It’s a casual place so it’s easy to stroll in, order your froyo at the counter and go.

* SUNNY BLUE (2728 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405 & 12608A Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066): Sunny Blue has the best omusubi (Japanese rice balls). They’re made to order with warm, furikake topped rice and generous amounts of tasty, healthy Japanese fillings like miso beef, shiso ume, tuna, spicy salmon, etc. Both of their shops are adorable and both offer froyo (2 flavors a day) that they've flavored themselves. The toppings included red beans, Pocky, yuzu jam, Hello Panda, strawberries, etc.

* YALLA (multiple locations in CA, http://www.yallamedi.com/): Yalla has a set up that’s similar to Chipotle only they serve Mediterranean food; you choose your style/base and choose your protein, sauces and toppings. They have one flavor (plain) of Greek frozen yogurt that’s available with honey, chocolate, sour cherry sauce or chopped baklava. The small size is just right for dessert. Their froyo is their own proprietary recipe.

Did I miss any hidden froyo gems in Southern California? If so, let me know.

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

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.

LOHAS Fresh Mart Has Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. LOHAS Fresh Mart is the new healthy, organic Asian market that opened recently in downtown Alhambra. 

There’s a deli in the front with juices, smoothies, salads and some prepared organic meals (Hainan chicken, curry, pork belly). Some of the meals were $5.98. They make their own juices and soy milk. For breakfast they have rice rolls, egg crepes and you tiao/Chinese donuts. 

I spotted a soft serve machine by the juice machine. There wasn’t any sign for the frozen yogurt but they do have it – just one flavor at a time. I didn’t see a sign or prices but I think it comes in one size, $4.99 for a cup (it's not self-serve). It’s a big cup (wish they had a smaller option). I was told that the frozen yogurt is organic. There are no toppings.

The frozen yogurt had a nice, thick, dense, smooth and creamy texture. It was a sweet yogurt but not super sweet. The strawberries didn’t taste fresh/natural though. It tasted more like strawberry ice cream than strawberry frozen yogurt. There was no tang. 

I asked whether they would carry other flavors but no one seemed to know.

3.5 out of 5 stars

* LOHAS FRESH MART, 300 W Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801

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

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.