Frozen Yogurt Review

The last time I went back to Honolulu I went a little crazy trying all the frozen yogurt places! I just love frozen yogurt and am so glad to see their return after a couple of decades absence. When growing up, frozen yogurt was all the rage and Penguins was definitely my favorite! My BFF and I used to go to the Penguins in Kailua after school and would get our favorite combo- strawberry with cookies and cream scrapple. Yum! I was sad to see all the frozen yogurt places close, but was delighted to find that they've recently made a comeback! In the old days, the workers used to put on the toppings for you, but now they are smarter and let you do it yourself and charge you by weight.. Smart no? There are so many new frozen yogurt places in Honolulu- I don't know them all. I've only tried a handful of them and they all have their pros and cons. I guess it depends on your taste preference and geographic locations. I am hoping one of them will make their way to Hilo soon, but I'm not holding my breath (we don't have Costco or Genki Sushi yet, so I'm not optomistic). So, like everything else, I feel the need to overindulge myself in frozen yogurt every chance I get when I go home.... Looking forward to the next couple of weekends since I'll get my next fix! OK- so here are the frozen yogurt places I've tried so far... If you know of other good ones to try, please let me know the name and approximate location so I can try them out when I'm in the area. Yogurtland (University): This is the first one I heard of and now I know why all the buzz. The yogurt is very creamy and very Penguin's like. (Please note that I will be comparing them to my favorite Penguins!). They had a pretty good selection of topping and flavors to choose from. I went with my Aunty after a long day of craft shopping and it hit the spot! I had strawberry and coconut and cookies and cream. She had pistachio and a couple of other flavors that I forget, because the pistacio flavor stood out. If you get a chance, choose that one! Yogurtland was one of my favorites! Plus its conveniently located near all my scrapbook store stops when I go shopping. Perfect for a cool pick me up in the afternoon. The only junk thing for me was that I wanted to buy some to take to my BFF's house but they didn't have any that were pre-packed. You had to make it yourself- I guess that's not such a bad thing. The other downside is the lack of parking. If you go when its crowded, you may not find any. I have no idea if there are any other yogurtland shops- maybe Linda or Edward knows?? Menchies (Ward Warehouse): Menchies was recommended to me by my BFF. The location is good since there's lots of parking. This was actually the first frozen yogurt place I tried, so of course I thought it was awesome! Now that I've tried some other places, I think its fallen in ranking, but I'd still go if it was nearby. Its been awhile since I've gone there, so I can't remember what flavors I tried, but I remember it was not as creamy as some of the other yogurt places. They also have several workers there at a time, so I always got good service. Yogurt Mama (Kailua): This is my other favorite frozen yogurt place! Not only is it in my hometown, so its very close to mom's, it also has the cutest logo (made by TGF creator Marie). I must say that their yogurt is very creamy and yummy! The first time I went there, they had a toasted marshmallow flavor. I haven't seen it since but if you ever do, I highly recommend it! The only downside is the parking lot is small and shared by a bunch of businesses. We were always able to find parking though- so maybe its not that big an issue. Orange Tree (Kailua): This place just opened in Kailua, but I hear that they are all over the island. We stopped there after a hard day of cleaning the yard and before going to the Bon Jovi Concert. It was very refreshing, but the texture reminded me of Menchies. Still good, but not as creamy. I had the green tea, which was excellent- I would definitely get that flavor again if they have it! They have a parking lot in the back of the building, so you shouldn't have any problems finding parking. Overall, I am thrilled to have the option of having frozen yogurt again! It totally brings back good memories for me but has an updated flair. Can't wait to go back and have some more!! Please let me know what your favorite frozen yogurt place is so I can try them out too!