The closest YogurTree from home for us, the critics, opened just a couple of months ago in Rowland Heights. It is located on Fullerton Rd. and Colima. YogurTree's yogurt has often been compared to Pinkberry's, and has won over the hearts of many customers. They give a generous portion for less than the price of Pinkberry's; and better yet, no crazy crowd to beat. YogurTree offers about 6 different flavors of non-fat yogurt. They've got plain tart, plain gourmet, mango, green tea, and soy! I haven't actually had the chance to try the soy yogurt, but I've heard it tastes just like the original for vegans. The yogurt has the perfection combination of tart and creamy. My personal favorite was the yopresso (yogurt + a shot of espresso). Very clever. Another bonus, for the music lovers out there, YogurTree has an iPod docking station to listen to your own iPod as you enjoy their yogurt!

Yogurt and Prices:

Plain Tart, Gourmet, and Flavored Yogurt(no toppings/3 toppings)
-- Small ($2.49 / $3.99)
-- Medium ($3.49 / $4.99)
-- Large ($5.99 / $7.49)

Soy Yogurt (no toppings/3 toppings)
-- Small ($2.99 / $4.49)
-- Medium ($3.99 / $5.49)
-- Large ($6.49 / $7.99)

Extras
Yopresso -- Single Shot (+$0.99), Double Shot (+$1.49)
Toppings -- +$0.99 for each extra topping


Small Gourmet Yopresso, single shot -- $3.49


Environment:

The environment is meant to be more fun than other yogurt shops. They were bold enough to try new colors rather than most yogurt shops who use the pale pinks and greens to offer a calm and soothing environment. I personally don't agree with their choice of colors for the decor. The inside isn't very spacious but they do offer outdoor seating which most of their customers prefer.





Ratings:

Yogurt -- 9/10
Prices -- 9/10
Environment -- 8/10
Overall Rating -- 8.7/10


This new yogurt shop has become a favorite for many and there are 2 other locations in Southern California, Studio City and Woodland Hills. I hope this place expands quickly so I can stop by wherever I am.

For more info, check out their website www.yogurtree.com

Cherry On Top is a fairly new frozen yogurt shop. They currently have 7 stores located in California and 4 more are on their way. Cherry On Top is one of few yogurt shops that is self-serve.


The Yogurt

There are 10 different flavors of frozen yogurt at Cherry On Top. There is strawberry, raspberry, plain, green tea, vanilla, cheesecake, mango, peach tart, chocolate, and blueberry tart. The best way to describe their yogurt is that it is Cefiore meets Yogurtland. The yogurt has a tangy and sour taste, but has a creamy texture to its yogurt. The yogurt does not melt as fast as Yogurtland's yogurt and it has a sweeter taste than Cefiore's yogurt. Just like every other frozen yogurt shop, they have various types of toppings of fresh fruit, granola, cereal, rice cake, and other fan favorites.

Noh-Wah Yogurt is a small yogurt shop located in La Habra, CA on the corner of Beach Blvd. and Imperial Hwy. The name means "Food of Heaven" allowing their customers to enjoy their product with no guilt. Like most yogurt shops, this store also offers a variety of smoothies, coffee, sandwiches, etc. Noh-Wah always has the original plain yogurt available and offers different flavors each week. The price for the original and flavored yogurts differ, however they are very reasonably priced. The yogurt is both tart and sweet with almost perfect portions for each size. The toppings consist of the typical dry or fruit toppings like most frozen yogurt places. The environment is very relaxed because this is a typically new yogurt shop. Noh-Wah is beginning to attract a lot more attention from people who feel that places like Yogurtland or Pinkberry is too far.

Flavors:
Original Plain
Blueberry
Raspberry
Mango
Strawberry
Peach

(flavored yogurts change on a weekly basis)



Small Strawberry (no toppings) $3.50


Small Mango (no toppings) $3.50

Prices (yogurt only):
Original --
Small $2.50
Medium $3.50
Large $5.75

Flavor of the Day --
Small $3.50
Medium $3.50
Large $6.95

Toppings --
1 Topping $0.95
2 Toppings $1.45
3 Toppings $1.75







Ratings:
Taste -- 8.5/10
Price -- 8/10
Environment -- 9/10

Overall Rating --8.5/10

We predict that Noh-Wah will become far more popular in the near future because of the great location and delicious yogurt at affordable prices.


The link to their website is http://nohwah.com/

This week we ventured off to the Yogurtland in Orange County, which is right next to Cal State Fullerton. Yogurtland is the first self-serve frozen yogurt shop in the nation. Pretty much you get as much as you want and everything you want in your yogurt. It definitely is a hot spot for the college students of Cal State Fullerton and Fullerton Junior College. It is also a prime destination for yogurt frenzy high school students that are nearby such as Troy, Fullerton High school, and Sunny Hills.




The Yogurt Flavors
Yogurtland boasts of having 16 different non-fat frozen yogurt flavors in their shop accompanied by 33 different types of fresh fruits and other toppings. Since it is self-serve, you can mix and match flavors and toppings to your preference. There are no limitations to the combinations you can create with all the various flavors and toppings. However, some mixes should be avoided, like adding all 16 flavors in one cup(it's just not a good idea and it would taste really weird).


The frozen yogurt taste of Yogurtland is not like Pinkberry and Cefiore, which has a sweet and tangy flavor to their frozen yogurts. Yogurtland's yogurts taste more like ice cream and does not have a sour and tangy taste at the end unless you get one of the tart flavors, but even the tart flavors are not as tangy and sour as Pinkberry's yogurts.


Well for you health buffs out there, we have the nutritional facts that they posted inside their store.


Nutritional Information (per ounce)
Total Fat 0g
Saturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0m
Sodium 12.5m
Calories 18g (average)
Sugars 4g
Carb 5.25g

They also posted a sign that states their yogurt's health benefits.


Health Benefits
1. Boost immune system
2. Lowers cholesterol & increase metabolism
3. Builds clear skin & help prevent acne
4. Help overcome lactose intolerance
5. High in calcium, protein, potassium





Price
You have a choice of either getting the medium cup or the large cup when you enter Yogurtland. Regardless of the cup size, the price is 30 cents an ounce after you have filled your desired amount of yogurt and toppings. You basically get what you pay for. If you add a lot of toppings with the mixture of different yogurt flavors, you're likely going to end up paying around 5-7 dollars or even more. However, on average, if you get a moderate amount of yogurt and toppings, it can range anywhere from 1-4 dollars.




Environment
Just like Pinkberry and Cefiore, Yogurtland is a desired place for the younger crowd to go to and enjoy frozen yogurt. Yogurtland offers free wi-fi connection, which attracts college students since many college students carry their laptops wherever they go. There are only a few tables inside, so those who are fortunate enough, get to enjoy their yogurt inside, while others will have to sit outside or somewhere else. Yogurtland gets packed during the weekends, especially at night. You can see a long line of people waiting for their turn to self-serve themselves to a special treat. Yogurtland benefits from being next to Chipotle and Pick Up Stix, because after people have eaten their lunch or dinner, they can opt for a healthy dessert afterwards since it is only a few steps away. We were unable to take pictures inside of Yogurtland because they have a no camera policy like Pinkberry.

Ratings
The frozen yogurts: 6/10
Price: 10/10
Environment: 10/10
Overall Rating: 8.7/10

Yogurtland is definitely innovative for being the first self-served frozen yogurt shop. At 30 cents an ounce, the price is great. You ultimately dictate how much yogurt you want and what you want in it. You get what you pay for and that is why people constantly come back to Yogurtland. Though the frozen yogurts itself does not taste that great, it offers a different approach on how people should have their yogurt. You can mix and match flavors, add as much toppings as you want, and there are no servers that are measuring your yogurt on a scale to make sure they did not give you over the amount you are paying for. You choose and put your flavors in the cup, add the toppings, put it on the scale, and then pay for your yogurt at 30 cents an ounce and enjoy it.


Check out the listings on their website to see if there is a Yogurtland near you http://yogurt-land.com/

Where else would we start our first yogurt review other than Pinkberry? Pinkberry started the yogurt frenzy and is still considered the most popular yogurt shop around.