red mango love.

whenever spring time rolls by, i look for any awesome-weather-days as an excuse to get a cold treat for myself (regardless how full i am and how much i know i should be adhering to my diet plans). i even plan for future days in the week (based on the somewhat-unreliable-weather-forecast since chicago weather is highly unpredictable) for trips to ice cream/gelato parlor or in my case to a frozen yoghurt place called red mango.

last year my craze was this gelato place called italian coffee bar that served awesome tiramisu and pistachio gelato. their gelato has bits of the real deal in their gelato (i.e. bits of tiramisu cake in the tiramisu gelato and chopped pistachio in the latter) so it was kinda like a fun hunt for those while enjoying the cold, creamy gelato on a warm day. plus, it has less fat than regular ice cream cos gelato has more milk and egg yolks and less heavy cream. the reason for its dense, creamy taste is gelato has no air incoperated in it during the churning process. basically:

gelato = less fat + no air added = rich cremier taste.

p.s. you can read all these info here!

so how does the frozen yoghurt compare? well first, some of you might think, "ewwww frozen yoghurt. what a health freak!" okay, for one, the frozen yoghurt at red mango is yummy in my tummy and two it is good to be healthy. what can be better than a satisfying cold treat that is both yummy and healthy AND less fatty?  there is a whole lot more benefits to eating frozen yoghurt which you can read all about on their website.

p.s. got this picture from yelp.com

let's see... i think i've been to red mango three times now for the past two weeks! located fairly close to where i live in evanston, it is quite difficult to resist the temptation to walk/drive there for some of the good stuff. the store is rather small, enough to have eight to ten people to place their orders over the counter and in one corner two petite tables enough to fit perhaps six people.  but usually with good weather, a lot of the people prefer to sit outside to enjoy the sun so the small space isn't much of an issue. although i have to say, i would be more swayed to make visits to red mango even during winter if they had a bigger space. it is brightly decorated with mostly red and white, but it gives a cheery and fun atmosphere.

before i go all crazy about the frozen yoghurt, red mango also offers frozen yoghurt smoothies,  iced teas and parfait. their parfait looks really good and makes me want to order one for lunch sometime :)

now with that out of the way, back to my favorite frozen yoghurt. to order, now this is sort of the fun part. firstly, i have to choose my type of frozen yoghurt - original, pomegranate or tangomonium (or sometimes limited time seasonal flavors - this time it is madagascar vanilla). my usual choice is the original which has a creamy sweetness but a hint of tangy-ness.

next is to choose toppings! with an additional 50 cents for each topping, one can be creative with the combination of toppings they'd like to have. red mango has a variety of finely diced fresh fruits to choose from (which is what i usually go for) and they also have crunchy toppings namely cereal, granola, chocolate chips and even cookies and cream. i don't think they limit the number of toppings you can get but it would be real funny if you have way more toppings than you do frozen yoghurt. hehe.

my usual order of frozen yoghurt is usually a regular, original with mango! occasionally i also order some other fruits like strawberries or blueberries. one of my friend's favorite is original with strawberries and honey. i think what i like about theirs is that their frozen yoghurt still taste like yoghurt but at the same time it reminds me to a soft ice cream cos it's also creamy. i have friends mention to me that they have had better yoghurt places but i guess i might be biased since i've only been to this one.  everyone seems to love mochi in their reviews on yelp.com so i might give that a try the next time i go.

mmm.. the picture makes me want to get myself another cup of red mango this evening. hehe. well it is good weather today with temperatures at high 70s which is such a great excuse to spend some time out in the sun. :)

plus.. while i was checking out their website i found this!

similar to my argo tea "loyaltea" card, collect points and get something free when you get enough points purchasing the yummy fro-yo. means more red mango!!

don't get me wrong. my love for red mango doesn't mean that i have totally kicked my favorite gelato aside. i still love my doses of gelato once in a while but i'd have to make those as special treats :D

disclaimer this is written based on my personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others