Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt
Everywhere
www.pinkberry.com
“Sarah, you will love it.”
"Everyone loves it."
Despite the common birth-order beliefs and stereotypes about ethnicity and gender that would pin a first-born Asian girl as an eager-to-please, subservient geisha, I am, in fact, highly sensitive to being told what to do, what to think, or how to feel. Perhaps it’s a little bit of a rebellious streak. Perhaps it’s a control issue. Perhaps it’s the natural reaction of an egoiste. Whatever the underlying cause(s) may be, any outside attempts to guide my decisions or actions make me bristle and immediately put me on the defensive. So extreme is my sensitivity that any such assumptions about how I will feel ("you will love it"), particularly when supported by an unqualified statement that herds me with the sheep ("everyone loves it") will automatically guarantee that I will feel the exact opposite.
fresh fruit matrix
My reaction may not be visible nor audible though, because the “Really? Oh, really?! Oh, re-he-he-heally?!?! We’ll never see about that!” that I hiss silently in my head comes out of my mouth as a sweet, polite “Maybe.” *smile* “Maybe I’ll try it.” (I'm not a geisha, but I play one on my blog!)
Obviously, I have absolutely no intention of ever trying it because I already know I will hate it.
Though someone else’s assumption about my personal preferences and an entire group’s approving opinion will put me on alert, nothing triggers a full-fledged hellno defense like something that also happens to appeal to my senses. It always turns out to be too good to be true.
“Sarah, you will love him.”
“Everyone adores him.”
“Maybe.” *smile* “Maybe I’ll go out with him.” Never! Never will I even consider ever going out with him.
But by some off chance, if the cosmos misaligns for a nanomoment, I might go against my natural instinct of stubborn refusal until I’m 43 years old, alone in this same apartment with two cats and a one-cup rice cooker. I might go out with him because everyone else seems to think I will like him.
But I’ll be on alert.
Alert will flare up into full-fledged defense systems when I meet him for the first time because his cashmere V-neck sweater and flat-front charcoal pin-stripe trousers painted onto his 6’1” athletic-to-lean frame will appeal to my senses. And defense will be justified when he opens his mouth to talk because it will be two hours of pure velveeta cheese. Cashmere V-neck sweater and 6'1" was too good to...you know.
appeals to my inner Sanrio senses
If by some off chance, the cosmos misaligns for a nanomoment and I happen to find myself shopping at the Century City mall, I might step into Pinkberry, but I’ll be on alert. And alert will flare up into full-fledged defense systems because the clean, bright white and pastel Sanrio-on-a-Canadian-prescription-of-Soma aesthetic will appeal to my senses. And defense will be justified when I open my mouth because Pinkberry frozen yogurt tastes like freezer-burnt icy cream cheese.
I knew I would hate it.
Matrix of fresh fruit and breakfast cereal? It was too good to...you know.
FoodieBear says
I wait patiently by your feet awaiting to hear every word. You had me hooked since
FruityPebbliciousMetroGaytini!
sarah says
foodiebear: funny, i think pinkberry had fruity pebbles in the matrix.
Anonymous says
Oh please. You weren't giving it a chance. You told yourself you weren't going to like it and you went in there just so you could write something mean on your stupid blog.
SJK says
The first time I tried Pinkberry, I liked the novelty of the taste. The second time, well, it wasn't too appealing. I agree with your assessment of the taste.
sarah says
anonymous: you are so right. i suck. i should be spanked.
sjk: i like tartness, and in fact, i don't dislike this type of frozen yogurt, as i quite liked cantaloop in hollywood, but pinkberry was just too thick and cream cheese-y. but now i wonder if, like you, i am experiencing pinkberry as bad because it's the second time i'm eating this type of yogurt.
Anonymous says
"You'll hate it. Everybody hates it."
Me? I splash a little Bacardi 151 over a cup of the original flave, hit it with the Zippo and it's sublime, baby, smooth as silk.
Da'ight
Anonymous says
Love, love, LOVE your blog!!
H. C. says
Pinkberry frozen yogurt tastes like freezer-burnt icy cream cheese.
Ha! I personally don't mind PinkBerry or any of its froyo cousins (especially with the mini mochis!); but it's one of those things where I can handle a few bites and I'm done. I'm also a bit disturbed by how it melts into something that's midway between those asian yogurt drinks & slushie.
sarah says
anonymous #2: aw, thank you! you just made'a me-a *blush* like geisha ;)
hc: i have always believed these korean frozen yogurt places to taste like yogloo or yakult!! (which i used to drink by the CASE, but can't stand anymore - might have to do with one too many mornings-after all night with yogurt soju - ick)
TaraMetBlog says
dang, just try it!!
ChristianZ says
"So extreme is my sensitivity that any such assumptions about how I will feel ('you will love it'), particularly when supported by an unqualified statement that herds me with the sheep ('everyone loves it') will automatically guarantee that I will feel the exact opposite."
But that means other people can still control your opinion. You can still independently form your own opinion on something even if it happens to match another's expressed opinion on the same thing. Okay, I'm done philosophizing. BTW, I don't think you'll like the specials I found out Taco Rosa is going to have next month.
Anonymous says
I totally agree...Pinkberry is NOT worth the hype at all! Its ok, but $4 for a small cup of just ok, is not worth it. Its only a matter of time before all these Pinkberry-type yogurt places are replaced by another food fad.
Choul Kyu says
frozen yogurt...fruit...
what a concept...
and definitely not worth the hype...
RT says
I'm not that big a fan of Pinkberry, or many of numerous knockoffs like Kiwiberry, etc., but I really like Barenaked Yogurt, which is upstairs in the food court at CC. Barenaked uses real yogurt (like you'll find in the grocery store milk case), unlike Pink Berry which apparently doesn't have enough active culture to qualify as yogurt, and doesn't really taste like yogurt to me, so much as tart ice.
The frozen yogurt at Urrth Cafe (not sure if they still have it) is also really good.
RT says
I'm not that big a fan of Pinkberry, or many of numerous knockoffs like Kiwiberry, etc., but I really like Barenaked Yogurt, which is upstairs in the food court at CC. Barenaked uses real yogurt (like you'll find in the grocery store milk case), unlike Pink Berry which apparently doesn't have enough active culture to qualify as yogurt, and doesn't really taste like yogurt to me, so much as tart ice.
The frozen yogurt at Urrth Cafe (not sure if they still have it) is also really good.
Tall Medstudent says
You'd think that your friends would have moved on to reverse psychology long ago...
Anonymous says
This frozen-yogurt "craze" is ridiculous, especially when something as unappealing and ill-tasting as Pinkberry is leading the charge. I'm fairly convinced there must be some nicotine-like addictive substance in the ingredients that some of us are immune to, but the masses are not.
Anonymous says
I like your bold move into retro-blogging. This post really brought me back to 2007 when blogging about pinkberry was hip.
sarah says
tarametblog: i did..didn't love it. hell, didn't even like it. honestly, because it tasted like icy cream cheese, it means it sort of tasted like a a frozen sara lee cheesecake.
christian z: i know. i hate that. which is why i know i will eventually eventually try it (as anonymous #5 has noted, a year later). too bad with pinkberry it didn't disappoint.
anonymous #3: let's see...we started i think with yogurt (tcby? do you remember that?!) then bagels. then smoothies. then super coffee. then yogurt. if we're true to cycles, then we'll be back to bagels again soon.
choul kyu: but these days, what IS worth the hype? I WANT TO KNOW.
rt: and do they use real sugar?! because i'd like to try a frozen yogurt that is full of fat and made with real sugar. or honey, or something.
tall medstudent: i think they have, but LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THAT I ON TO THEM SO when they tell me that i'll hate something to reverse coerce me into liking it, maybe i WILL hate it.
wow. this is like, so meta.
anonymous #4: luckily, many of the "followers" taste better.
sarah says
anonymous #5: i just blog when i eat or experience something, not when it's trendy. sorry if the delicious life *gasp!* misrepresented itself as "hip" because if there is one thing WE SHOULD ALL KNOW BY NOW, it's that TDL is painfully unhip.
toro says
Very mmm!
I was in Japan, which own an art beside a bakery, ice cream and cake, such as those who write a blog.
Arbitrary, but in the future I hope it will help link.
If it's okay, my blog also links please.
toro says
Very mmm!
I was in Japan, which own an art beside a bakery, ice cream and cake, such as those who write a blog.
Arbitrary, but in the future I hope it will help link.
If it's okay, my blog also links please.
sarah says
toro: hi toro! good luck with your blog!
sarah says
toro: hi toro! good luck with your blog!
Anonymous says
Pinkberry really is garbage, I don't understand what the fuss is all about. Out of all frozen yogurt and ice cream shops in LA area the one worth trying is Menchie's (http://www.menchiesyogurt.com/). I wait patiently until people realize that Pinkberry is not only a rip off, but also an unimaginative attempt to market something absolutely tasteless.
RT says
Sarah, I don't know if either Barenaked or Urrth use sugar at all in their frozen yogurt: the stuff literally tastes like they took yogurt from the milk case and froze it. But they both claim that their yogurt is all natural, so if either of them do sweeten their yogurt, it had better be with real sugar/honey.
BUT, if you want really, really good traditional-style frozen yogurt, next time you're out in Old Town Pasadena or in Claremont, try 21 Choices. It's my favorite place, and I go their almost every time I visit my parents in Claremont. They change their flavors every day (save for vanilla and chocolate, which of course remain constant), plus you can mix in whatever topping you want.
http://www.21choices.com
sailorpikaangel says
Living in southern Cali before unwisely deciding to go school on the East Coast, I was able to try various "knock off" fro yo places.. I actually really enjoy eatting it! I really like Yogurtland and they have such a variety of flavors like Taro, Green Tea, and Coconut! Then putting mochi balls and red bean on top, and paying 30 cents an ounce!! A MAJOR deal! there has been alot of trends going on in the food world.. another one of my favs is the crawfish! super delish! I have to wait another month before I'm released to go back home!
Anonymous says
I just blogged about this last month and how much I hated it. Delicious, Pinkberry is not.
ed says
There is this place Smoochies in Manhattan which I personally enjoy over Pinkberry. (It really is all natural)
http://www.smoochies.biz
hermz says
I want to somehow scale the positive and negative comments here, and plot them on Excel. I think it might make a cool pattern.
Anonymous says
LOL PINKBERRY IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
GOOD, YOU SHOULD TRY IT WHEN YOUR OFF THE CRACK-PIPE AND "HUNGARY"
Anonymous says
i found this blog when i googled the taste of "cream cheese frozen yogurt" after finally trying one of these things, i wondered if i was the only human being who actually thought it tasted like crappy cream cheese. im glad to know im not, the ONLY redeeming value of the "gurtzberry" here is the freshness of the fruit toppings, and mochi with a flavor that rivals my own recipe, but it also makes me wonder, why would a place like this, serve mochi, something which is made up almost entirely of rice and sugar?
Anonymous says
Pinkberry is not only great because of its taste but also because of how they branded themselves. It is not only a frozen yogurt but now a major recognizable icon! The designers did an awesome job! Check them out, their story is really interesting. http://www.ferro-concrete.com