Red Mango.

I was reading an issue of KoreAm(?) quite awhile back about the Pinkberry craze. This is back when it was a craze and not the sad empty shell it is today. I heard the original Los Angeles location closed down. And the few that I passed by recently were nearly deserted even on warm days. Yep, we are a fickle town. We all jump on a trend at the same time then we leave it, with no explanation, no guilt. Your favorite Korean taco place is probably feeling pretty lonely now too. Who is the hot new food truck this week? Maybe those 2 takoyaki guys who set up shop on 2nd everyday?

Anyhow, whatever the hell magazine I was reading noted that Pinkberry founders--Korean Americans--actually stole the concept from a long-established Korean company called Red Mango. Maybe 'stole' is a strong word. I don't really know what's what. I'm not even going to get into that because I don't really care who was first in this case. It's all just yogurt to me [or NOT yogurt, as some consumer advocates have discovered]. I find that the few different chains I've tried are essentially the same taste, concept, price. They've come to rely on gimmicks just to set themselves apart. Designer spoons. DIY versions. More flavors. Unique toppings.

Well I don't really go for the fancy schmancy. I typically get the same thing no matter what. Plain yogurt, strawberries (or whatever berry looks freshest), mango, mochi nibbles. You may be surprised that Pinkberry wasn't ever my favorite. CeFiore (the now closed Little Tokyo location) was king. Even when a cousin met me downtown for lunch, he insisted on CeFiore for dessert, tho Pinkberry was right across the street. Can we really tell the difference? It was subtle, but I guess so.

A good friend of mine suggested I try Red Mango. I'd been curious about "the original" for awhile and they finally opened a location convenient to me. Okay, done. I went after work the day she mentioned it.

Uhhh... You guys, it's really fucking good.



This is real yogurt and good stuff. And they have good looking other items on the menu. My Pinkberry stamp card will go unstamped. I've been converted.