The world of frozen yogurt has once more bumped into Kathmandu. And this time it looks like it is here to stay.
Froyo in Uttar Dhoka, an area with a couple of decent places to hangout and in the same building as Barista Lavazza, is perfectly located. The open area in front of the Metro Park Complex has been transformed into a fun vibrant area with pink signboards, fluttering parasols, greenery and a pink mottled cow who claims that ‘a Froyo a day keeps the doctor away’!
The main attraction at Froyo is their frozen yogurt. Theirs is 100 per cent natural, low-fat, gluten free and can be enjoyed without worrying about loading on the calories. You choose your cup size and your preferred flavor and can opt to add a selection of fresh fruit, chocolate sprinkles and nuts as toppings. Prices start at Rs 90 for a small cup and goes up to Rs 290 for the large cup.
Or you could sample one of their frozen yogurt parfaits, smoothies, or shakes. I did not find the taste so different from a regular ice-cream, although fellow foodies say that it is not as sweet. I must say I enjoyed the tartness of it and tried three different cups at one go. The small cup came with a complimentary stick of wafer and the two mediums had fruits and sprinkles. The one with fruit was my favourite - clean, fresh and just what the doctor ordered for a hot summer’s day. The scarlet lusciousness of strawberries, the golden tanginess of pineapple and the fresh crunch of apples not only make this extremely palatable and healthy, but also very pretty.
Froyo is also a good place to catch a quick lunch. Their chicken Panini (Rs 300) could be improved with a more generous serving of chicken, and was also on the dry side. But their ham sandwich (Rs 250) was perfectly adequate - nothing to rave about but not bad either, serving its purpose to quickly quench my hunger pangs. Froyo’s lemonades and iced teas (Rs 70 onwards) are also perfect to beat the heat, although I found their smoothies kind of expensive.
Check their counter for the dessert of the day - it was yogurt cheesecake (Rs150) on our visit and it was marvelous. The grainy crumbliness of the chocolate cracker base provided a perfect foil to the creaminess of the yogurt custard, creating a dessert that was paradoxically light and fresh but decadent at the same time.
PIC: RUBY TUESDAY
In our obsession for fitness and health, tasty food often takes a back seat. Frozen yogurt thankfully goes against this norm and this in part explains why it happens to be the dessert-loving world’s craze du jour. Frozen yogurt is having its moment in the sun around the world and now thanks to Froyo, we can enjoy it in Kathmandu too.
How to get there: Froyo is located on the ground floor of the Metro Park Complex, opposite Uttar Dhoka in Lajimpat.