Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt Returns to Arcadia, What Happened to Purple Rice Yogurt

 

Fro-yo girl here. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt has reopened in Arcadia, inside Duke Bakery. The menu is pretty much the same as it used to be, only with items crossed out.

I’ve watched most purple rice yogurt shops in the area open in 2021 and close or change names by 2022. Here’s a rundown of the ones that have opened in the San Gabriel Valley and where they are today:

• From Yogurt, 29 Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA, opened July 2021 and closed in August 2022
• Yomie Yogurt, 18716 Colima Rd Rowland Heights, CA, is a blatant knockoff of the real Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt but it did open first, in April 2021. The menu is very similar to Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, which hails from Sydney, Australia.
• Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, 18178 Colima Rd Rowland Heights, CA, opened in late 2021 and is still open.
• Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, 400 S Baldwin Ave, Space 2203, Arcadia, CA, opened in May 2021 and became Der-Tea in May 2022. Der-Tea had a similar menu and continued to offer purple rice yogurt drinks. It is now called One Cup, as of 2023, and it still offers purple rice yogurt.
• Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, 5805 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA, opened in November 2021 in the same shopping center as Daiso and TJ Maxx. It changed names in July 2022 but became another boba shop called Zhen Tea. Zhen Tea offered purple rice yogurt drinks. Zhen Tea seems to have closed in May 2023. It is now another boba shop called Bearology. Purple rice yogurt drinks are no longer available.
• Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, 227 W Valley Blvd #168A, San Gabriel, CA, opened in July 2021 and closed in December 2022. The space is now occupied by Chickii Fried Chicken.

I did notice that the purple rice wasn’t being cooked as well (or wasn’t fresh) at multiple Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt locations. Purple rice became available as a add-in at other boba shops, though very few offered purple rice yogurt. It's often not fresh or cooked well, so I've become reluctant to order it.

I looked at Google Trends and the popularity of the search term “purple rice yogurt” over the past five years. Purple rice yogurt searches were the most popular by far in Singapore, followed by Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia. It didn’t catch on in the US to the same extent (the US is #9 in terms of search queries for purple rice yogurt). Google adjusts for differences in the population size of countries by using the proportion of all search queries rather than looking at the absolute query count.

The first Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt to open in the US is still open in Bellevue, Washington, and they’ve opened in other states. I noticed most of the purple rice yogurt shops in Indonesia also have closed after a year or two. Yomie’s Australia hasn’t posted on IG since 2020, but still seems to be open. I guess that makes purple rice yogurt a passing fad.

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

* YOMIE’S RICE x YOGURT, 713 W Duarte Rd Ste E Arcadia, CA 97201

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.

Coconut Jelly King Introduces Purple Rice Coconut Jelly

 

Fro-yo girl here. With Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt closing in Temple City, San Gabriel, and Chino, the remaining locations in Southern California are in Irvine and Rowland Heights. The Arcadia location rebranded and is now called Der Tea. The Temple City location is now called Zhen Tea. Der Tea and Zhen Tea still offer purple rice yogurt drinks. So, purple rice yogurt drinks are still available but harder to find in purple rice yogurt shops in Southern California. Purple rice is appearing other places, in drinks and desserts.

I was a fan of purple rice yogurt drinks but the last few times I went to Yomie’s, the purple rice did not seem fresh. It was harder and clumped together.

I spotted purple rice coconut jelly at Coconut King Jelly in Arcadia, inside the H Mart food court. One jar was $8.99. I’m quite fond of coconut jelly because it’s organic, all natural, and less processed. It’s also filling and good for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

This was my first time trying purple rice with coconut jelly. Purple rice is naturally sweet and nutty. While I liked the combination, the rice was mushy and not chewy like it is when it’s fresh in a purple rice yogurt shake. With coconut jelly, it’s more like overnight oats.

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.

From Yogurt Closes in Alhambra, CA, Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt Renamed Zhen Tea in Temple City

Fro-yo girl here. From Yogurt, the first purple rice yogurt shop in the San Gabriel Valley, has closed. It was open less than a year. The shop opened in July 2021, taking over the Mr. Matcha space at 29 Valley Blvd in Alhambra. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Arcadia is now called Der Tea. While they still serve purple rice yogurt, they also added other tea drinks. And Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Temple City is now called Zhen Tea. They still carry Yomie’s yogurt drinks.

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.

Quickly Adds Purple Rice Yogurt Shakes

Fro-yo girl here. The purple rice yogurt California invasion started at the beginning of 2021. Purple rice yogurt drinks/smoothies were first found in tea shops and then in standalone purple rice yogurt shops. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt of Australia has the most locations in California. They make their own yogurt.

Anyway, I was amused to see that Quickly, which always tries to capitalize on anything Asian and trendy, now has yogurt shakes with purple rice – at least in San Francisco. I doubt they make their own yogurt. It reminded me of when they came out with the super cheap Quickly froyo. 

From what I can tell, purple rice yogurt drinks aren’t as popular as regular milk tea boba drinks. Sunright Tea Studio seems much busier than Yomie’s. Yomie’s is more expensive, the drinks take longer to make, and the variety of drinks is more limited. I heard Yomie’s quality has declined, so I’m afraid to go back but I did like their drinks. They taste like yogurt, they’re tangy and they’re supposedly better for you than boba drinks.

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.

Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Arcadia is Now Der-Tea

Fro-yo girl here. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, which started in Sydney, Australia, opened their first location in California at Westfield Santa Anita in Arcadia, California in May 2021. It lasted one year (not long). The sign has been changed to Der-Tea. They still make yogurt on the premises and offer purple rice yogurt, but they also added milk tea and fruit tea drinks.

I didn’t try it but reviewers say Der-Tea isn’t as good. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt still has shops in Temple City, Rowland Heights, Chino, and San Gabriel. A Yomie's in San Francisco on Ocean Ave. recently converted into a milk tea shop called YM Tea. The purple rice yogurt trend might already be waning?

* DER-TEA: 400 S Baldwin Ave, Space 2203, Arcadia, CA 91007

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.

A Visit to Yomie Yogurt, First Purple Rice Yogurt Shop in Southern California

Fro-yo girl here. Will the real Yomie’s Purple Rice Yogurt please stand up? Yomie Yogurt opened in late April in Rowland Heights, CA. Looking at the name and the graphics, they’re clearly trying to associate themselves with the famous Yomie’s from Sydney, Australia. But it seems like they’re just a knock-off and not the real thing. The Yomie’s that opened in Arcadia’s Westfield Santa Anita is part of the real Yomie’s though their signs aren’t the same as the real Yomie’s. Confused?

Anyway, I tried to go to Yomie Yogurt about a month ago and they were closed due to machine maintenance. Argh. I finally made it back. The menu is very similar to Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt, with purple rice yogurt, oats yogurt, durian yogurt, etc. They don’t have the option of adjusting the sweetness level.

Purple rice yogurt ($6): A plain yogurt smoothie with cooked purple rice, it’s not too thick and the sweet, chewy purple rice is pleasant to chew on. Their version is tangier than Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt but the rice is clumpier and not cooked as well as Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt. It wasn’t too sweet or too heavy yet it was substantial. 

You can order online. I ordered inside the store. It wasn’t busy but the drink still took quite some time to make. They must not make their yogurt in the store because the sign says 100% fresh yogurt delivered daily.

It was hard to find any information on Yomie Yogurt but they did write the following, “We focus all our efforts on doing the best, on striving for perfection, and on restoring perfectionism. From "No" to "Yes" rice, yogurt is made from raw materials extracted from fresh milk fermented in California. It is the only yogurt brand designated by the dairy factory and 100% safe to drink. Fruit ingredients imported by air, only stored 2-3 days, truly "fresh, safe, to ensure the taste". We are like you who are successful, or you who are on the way to success. Our attitude, earnestness, delicacy and essence are all deeply rooted in our bones." It’s the only yogurt brand designated by the dairy factory – what does that mean?

I wonder how long it will take the real Yomie’s to sue the fake Yomie’s. Fake Yomie’s is cute inside thanks to the signs that make it look like the real Yomie’s. Also, there’s a cute mural on the exterior wall.

YOMIE YOGURT: 18716 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

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.

San Gabriel Valley Gets Another Purple Rice Yogurt Shop

Fro-yo girl here. From Yogurt just opened in Alhambra and so did the 2nd Yomie's RicexYogurt (the one in San Gabriel). During the soft opening, they're offering a deal: Buy one, get one 50% off.

From Yogurt uses organic yogurt and fresh fruit in their made to order yogurt smoothies. Flavors include salted egg, jujube, avocado, strawberry, blueberry, peach, rose, pitaya, mango, etc. I figured purple rice yogurt was the signature drink, so I ordered one. I was told that they ran out of purple rice...but it was early and I was the only customer. I asked about the goat yogurt and they said they were out of it. They probably didn't make any goat yogurt or purple rice.

Decided to keep it simple so I went with the oats yogurt smoothie ($6.50): It's a plain yogurt smoothie with bits of cooked oats. Simple but cold and refreshing without being overloaded with ice. I found it a little sweet (hoped for more tang) and mildly tangy. They didn't add as much oats as Yomie's. Yomie's yogurt drinks are tangier.

Do they make their own yogurt? Can you adjust the sweetness? Not a lot of signage, so I'm not sure.

FROM YOGURT: 29 Valley Blvd, 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.

Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt Finally Opens in Arcadia, San Gabriel Next

Fro-yo girl here. Yomie’s Yogurt opened in Rowland Heights in April 2021, becoming the first dedicated purple rice yogurt drink shop in the Los Angeles area. I drove over there a few weeks ago to try it and the shop was closed for maintenance that day. Very disappointing. According to the reviewers, it’s not an authentic Yomie location but a knockoff. The name is certainly very similar to the Australian chain that started the purple rice yogurt craze in Sydney’s Chinatown in late 2018: Yomie’s Yogurt vs. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt.

The real Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt expanded into multiple countries and just opened branches in California this year. The first US location was in Bellevue, Washington. The California shops are in Arcadia, Millbrae, and San Leandro with locations opening soon in San Gabriel, Westfield Valley Fair (Santa Clara, CA), and Portland, Oregon

They say that they make the yogurt fresh in the store. I noticed there was a big refrigerator that seemed to be being used as a yogurt maker. The other places I had purple rice yogurt did not make their own yogurt.

Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt opened in Westfield Santa Anita on Friday, May 28. They took over the old Matcha Matcha space. Thought they just arrived in SoCal, they were already swamped with orders. They're known for the purple rice x yogurt drinks but also have fresh fruit tea and other yogurt drinks with durian, red bean, oats, jujube, salted egg, avocado, etc. The drinks come in one size and you can specify normal or less sugar.

Purple rice x yogurt ($6.15, less sweet): The sweet purple rice is nice and chewy and the yogurt lightly tangy. I like how the rice wasn't in tiny bits or clumped together. There was also a lot of rice, so every sip had yogurt and rice. The yogurt was a bit mild for me though (like mine tangier). It wasn't an icy slushy, so I liked that too. While I liked the drink, I wouldn't wait an hour for one and it feels a little overpriced. I'd rather have a froyo. But I'll be back to try a few more drinks.

For a history of purple rice yogurt drinks and health benefits, see IFYA’s post, Now Trending: Purple Rice Yogurt Drinks.

* YOMIE’S RICE X YOGURT: 400 S Baldwin Ave, Space 2203, Arcadia, CA 91007

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.

Finally, Dedicated Purple Rice Yogurt Shops Are Opening in the Los Angeles Area

Fro-yo girl here. Last year, I searched high and low for purple rice yogurt drinks in Los Angeles. I finally found some at The Alley and also Gotcha Tea House in Rosemead. A few places have purple rice milk tea drinks but not purple rice yogurt. I knew of a purple rice yogurt drink place that was supposed to open in Arcadia but then the pandemic struck. I don’t think the shop ever opened. But Yomie's (the Australian purple rice yogurt chain) is coming to Westfield Santa Anita in Arcadia and San Gabriel too. They've already opened in the Bay Area, in Millbrae and in SoCal (Rowland Heights). The Rowland Heights location opened this week!

On a recent froyo run, I noticed a sign for From Yogurt in the same strip mall as Yogurtland Alhambra. From Yogurt’s sign mentions fruit, yogurt, and purple rice. Of course, the first word I saw was yogurt and my first thought was frozen yogurt. They’re taking over the Mr. Matcha space. Since they mentioned WeChat, I assume it’s Chinese-owned.

I’ll report back once it opens. We're getting multiple purple rice yogurt shops!

For a history of purple rice yogurt drinks and health benefits, see IFYA’s post, Now Trending: Purple Rice Yogurt Drinks.

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

FROM YOGURT: 29 Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801

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.

More Purple Rice Yogurt Drinks! Gotcha Tea House in Rosemead, CA

Fro-yo girl here. There are so many boba tea shops but very few offer purple rice yogurt drinks. I found another one though, Gotcha Tea House in Rosemead, CA. Gotcha is a Taiwanese brand that farms its own tea. The tea comes from a single tea plantation in Mount Ali, Taiwan.

The Gotcha menu includes many types of drinks, including Yakult tea, yogumuji yogurt, slush, macchiato slush, milk tea, brown sugar drinks, fruit tea ad brewed tea. Some drinks are available hot or cold. Choose from medium or large size. They also have your typical add-ins: boba, jelly, pudding, red bean, popping pearls, cheese foam, aloe vera, etc. 

Purple rice yogurt is part of the Yogumuji drink series. These drinks are made with fresh Japanese style yogurt. I’m not sure how the yogurt is Japanese style. They don’t make their own yogurt. He mentioned that they use Greek yogurt. The fruit flavored Yogumuji drinks are flavored with fruit flavored syrups.

Purple rice yogurt ($4.75, large): The drink is not sweetened (you can ask for it to be sweetened though). They put yogurt, lots of ice and steamed purple rice in a blender. I am not a purple rice yogurt drink expert because I’ve only had it one other place but I prefer The Alley’s version where the rice isn’t blended into tiny pieces. Part of the appeal of purple rice yogurt is the chewiness of the rice. Gotcha blended the rice so much that there was nothing left to chew on. And they used a lot of ice. The drink was thick and icy. It was mildly tangy and I could taste the yogurt and a bit of nuttiness from the purple rice. The Alley’s version was more like a shake, whereas Gotcha’s was like a slush.

For a history of purple rice yogurt drinks and health benefits, see IFYA’s post, Now Trending: Purple Rice Yogurt Drinks.

I’m hoping that Meet Fresh, which has purple rice drinks but not purple rice yogurt drinks, will add purple rice yogurt drinks. Fingers crossed.

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

* GOTCHA TEA HOUSE: 3524 Rosemead Blvd., Rosemead, CA 91770

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.

 

Purple Rice Yogurt Drinks in Los Angeles (Finally) at The Alley

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been looking for purple rice yogurt drinks in Los Angeles for over a year now, with no luck. A new purple rice yogurt was about to open in Arcadia last spring and then the pandemic struck. I don’t think they ever opened? Then one of my Yelp friends mentioned ordering a purple rice yogurt drink from The Alley. I’ve actually been to The Alley’s Pasadena location but at the time, they did not have purple rice yogurt drinks.

The Alley Pasadena has original purple rice yogurt, matcha purple rice yogurt, peach oolong purple rice yogurt and a create your own yogurt (drink) option. The drinks are $5.95 each and feature fresh yogurt (not made in-house) and sweet glutinous purple rice, aka forbidden rice. You can specify your desired sweetness level. It’s a cold, tangy yogurt shake with chewy bits of sweet rice.

Original Purple Rice Yogurt: I was a fan since I obviously love yogurt and I appreciated the simplicity of the yogurt flavor with the chewy sweet rice bits. I’m sure they added ice too, because I encountered some icy bits. The yogurt is plain and sweetened (I asked for 25% sweetness and it was plenty sweet for me) but not super thick. It tastes like lightly sweetened plain yogurt that’s mildly tangy. While the basic purple rice yogurt might be too simple for some but it’s also healthier than boba drinks (apparently). And they have variations in case you’re looking for more flavor. I think I’ll try another one soon.

For a history of purple rice yogurt drinks and health benefits, see IFYA’s post, Now Trending: Purple Rice Yogurt Drinks.

The Alley, a Taiwanese chain, has locations in Southern California, Las Vegas, New York, Hawaii, Taiwan, China, Japan, Canada, France, and Australia.

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.