Yōzen Frogurt

Ever since Pinkberry became a hit in the city a few years back, everybody and their mom has been opening up their own frozen yogurt shop.  I’ve not only seen stores imitate Pinkberry’s tart yogurt taste and fresh fruit toppings, but even try to name their stores “Redberry” and “Kiwiberry” to draw customers in.

In the Valley, there’s one great place for the cool, healthy treat.  In the shopping center on Platt and Victory (right next to the Dollar Tree, another hot shopping area during recessions), there’s Yōzen Frogurt. Some friends have mistaken it for some kind of Finnish dessert place because of the line over the “o” but no. It’s just frozen yogurt with the first one or two letters switched.

Personally, it’s one of the places I have to go when I come back to the Valley for breaks.  With a simple and clean interior, the real draw is the variety of fro-yo flavors from tart – Mango Tango or Pomegranate  – to sweet – Carmel Pecan Praline or Peanut Butter Gold.  Also, there seems to be new flavors every month to spice things up.  There are more options for sizes (hence cheaper prices) here than at Pinkberry with the kids (4 oz) at $2.15, junior (6 oz) $2.45, up to a large (12 oz) for $3.65.  However, for fresh fruit/nuts/hot toppings, you need to at $1.25.

Their tart fro-yo is called white cloud and it’s a little creamier and more yogurt-tasting than Pinkberry, but what I really like are their other tart fruit flavors.  Yōzen Frogurt opened 2 years ago because the owner, Karen, was passionate about frozen yogurt.  She wasn’t there when I visited her store, but her employee Ashli Mckernam attributed the success of the store to her innovative recipes for new flavors and her supportive family.

Pomegranate Fro-yo with Fresh Strawberries

I ordered a kid sized-tart pomegranate frozen yogurt with a strawberry topping as a cold treat on my way home and the fro-yo was delish as usual, but I regret not getting my usual topping combo of strawberry, mochi and mango.  It was missing that perfect degree of texture and sweetness to complement the tartiness of the frozen yogurt.  Oh well, you live and learn…all without feeling guilty (check out the nutrition facts below!)

Rating: (I’m starting to feel like my ratings don’t mean anything…) TRY IT FOR YOURSELF!!! Leave a rating in the comments

Location: 6450 Platt Ave, West Hills, CA 91307