Inspired by the 'fro-yo' craze of shops such as Pinkberry and Red Mango, which have people queuing around the block in the United States and South Korea, Candice Suen, director of the local Triple O's by White Spot burger chain franchise, is expanding her empire. Frozen yogurt shop Yo Mama opened recently in the up-and-coming Star Street area of Wan Chai.
Yo Mama serves two flavours of frozen yogurt, 'original' (mildly sweet and tart) and green tea - and you can also order a 'twist' on both flavours. The yogurt base, which is imported from Italy, contains live Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures, a probiotic bacteria that is believed to be good for the digestive system. It's mixed with Kowloon Dairy milk and blended and frozen in a special machine. The yogurt is a good source of calcium and contains only trace amounts of fat (0.25 per cent); a regular size serving (140 grams) contains 125 calories, not including the toppings, while a large (195 grams) has 175 calories.
There are more than 20 toppings, ranging from fruit such as toasted coconut and fresh mango, pineapple, strawberries and blueberries, to more caloric ones - M&Ms, shaved chocolate, marshmallows, sprinkles and gummi bears.
The only other item sold at Yo Mama is bottled water. Suen says, 'As at Triple O's, our menu is basic. We only sell core products because we really believe if you can't make the best in your category, don't make it at all. We might do smoothies later, if we can figure out some really nice recipes.'
The 400-sq ft shop has a small sit-down area and is at 16 Wing Fung Street, Wan Chai, tel: 2865 5600.
