By Jason Genegabus

Jason Genegabus photos

As a kid growing up in Kailua during the 1980’s, one of my favorite places to visit was Baskin-Robbins.

It was close to my house, they had my favorite flavor (Gold Medal Ribbon!!!) and not once did I ever have to pay, since my parents always picked up the tab.

Then I discovered Penguins.

Located just down the street from Baskin-Robbins, the frozen yogurt shop opened sometime in the late 80’s (I think) and had closed by the time I graduated college and moved home in 1999. But for a while, the mix of flavored frozen yogurt with a variety of candy toppings managed to shake my allegiance to ice cream and try something that was supposed to be “good for me.”

Some 15 years later, frozen yogurt is starting to make a comeback.

Locally, the new Yogurtland near UH-Manoa features self-serve fro-yo and has enjoyed long lines since its opening earlier this year. On the mainland, companies like Pinkberry, Kiwiberry, Yogurt World and Yolato compete with Red Mango, which opened its first Hawaii shop last week.

Founded by South Korean native Dan Kim, Red Mango first opened in 2002 and now boasts more than 130 locations in the United States and Asia. According to the company, their fro-yo is “authentic non-fat frozen yogurt that is gluten-free and certified Kosher, with less than 80 calories per serving.”

Translation: This stuff really is good for you!

Almost all Red Mango shops look the same, so if you’ve seen one on the mainland already, you probably have a good idea what the one on Lewers Street looks like. It occupies the space that used to be Beard Papa:

Unlike Penguins back in the day, where a number of different flavored yogurt was available, you have just two choices at Red Mango: Original and Green Tea.

Both are pretty authentic; the Green Tea, made with all-natural matcha green tea, tastes just like it sounds. The Original flavor has the same taste you get when eating regular yogurt, and both contain the added health benefit of more than 400 million probiotics (active, “healthy” bacteria known to aid digestion).

Red Mango does make sure to let you know how guilt-free it is to eat here. Each store incorporates a minimalist design, but part of the decorations are posters with nutrition information prominently displayed:

Once you decide on a size and flavor, the next step is to choose two toppings for your yogurt.

Here’s what we ordered during a visit last week:

Both of those are the medium size. On the left is the Original flavor with blueberries and Fruity Pebbles; on the right, the Original with blackberries and raspberries. Our total came out to just under $10.

The verdict? My fro-yo companion, who is much more of a health nut than I am, really enjoyed the offerings from Red Mango.

While I liked the texture and taste of my yogurt and the toppings I chose, the only time I can see myself coming here is if I’m already in the area for something else. Parking is a major hassle, as it usually is for locals who make the decision to head into Waikiki.

Still, I’m willing to bet Red Mango will open up additional locations in Honolulu sooner rather than later. I just hope one will pop up in a neighborhood I’m more used to frequenting.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 1:09 am and is filed under Food & Drink, Outside The Club, Grind Time. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.