For sheer "Oooh's" and "Aaaah's" upon walking into any eatery for the very first time, few places can rival Yogurstory on Rycroft St. Actually, the address listed through media outlets is 815 Keeaumoku St., but the place is, for all intents and purposes, not accessible nor even visible from Keeaumoku St! Instead, from this main drag, turn Diamond Head on Rycroft at Sorabol Korean restaurant, and only then can you turn left into the large 2-story building you see here:
Yeah, I know - doesn't look like an "Oooh'er" or "Aaah'er" kind of place, right? I mean, the building itself, though impressive in sheer size, isn't the most design-friendly of places to behold. In fact, it looks a bit warehouse-ish, even, as the drab, tan-colored walls come with about as much personality as a Costco or Wal-Mart, the only features breaking the monotony being the logo sign and a single row of umbrella'd tables. But it's all about functionality sometimes, yes?
Forget functionality once inside, though. Instead of using 2 whole stories of practical floor space, half of the top floor is gutted in place of a high, very dramatic ceiling dominated by a waay-cool lighting feature. The Asian/European look as a whole embodies a bright, spunky aesthetic combining a smart, modern feel and a high degree of cutesiness woven tightly in and throughout its walls. I guess you could say there's an American element, as well, just by virtue of being so huge, boldly-designed, and young-people-cool.
According to Melissa Chang and the other excellent band of reporters at Non-Stop, there's a very interesting tidbit of info regarding the unique name here - Yogurstory was actually a spelling faux pas that was detected only after it was too late to make changes! And there's a reason it sits in the Koreamoku vicinity and is popular with many Asians, as it's a Korean-owned joint and similar to spots found throughout Asia.
Yogurstory is the name, but during my two visits, I saw not one individual step up to the self-service yogurt bar, not even to take a look-see! It's a shame, too, as it looks pretty darn good to me. There's all kinds of flavors and the counter of toppings is clean, colorful, and full of every kind of foo-foo sweet stuff you could ever hope for:
Yogurstory is popular with college folks, who love the stylish decor as well as the use of free Wi-Fi, which you access by a password given through anyone on staff. Jolting, awakening coffee also helps with studies, too, although I do have one word of warning - it tastes like someone extracted just the sugar out of both a Starbuck's frappuccino and a McDonald's iced latte and incorporated it into a single cup! Not saying I didn't enjoy it, though - there was a deep, yet non-bitter, fresh-roasted kind of taste in the grinds that was designer-excellent in every way. A few steps back on the sweet stuff, though, and I'd be coming back waaay more often.
Here's a chocolate macadamia nut, a white chocolate macadamia nut, and a passion fruit iced tea:
But this ain't no sissy joint serving only latte, yogurt, and tea for sipping. Besides all the above, there's a rather eclectic, ambitious menu closely mirroring its atmosphere (Asian, French, and American), encompassing an array of salads, sandwiches, omelets, bennys, waffles, and even a fat pig fried rice (ok, some local, too!) featuring bacon, ham, and pork adobo! I hear the croissant sandwiches are great, with a fluffy-light, buttery breading and a mix of different stuffing options.
Omelets are a big part of the menu here, and Kumi went with one of the more healthy options:
Yep, that-there's a caprese omelet ($9.75), full of fresh basil, tomato, mozzarella cheese, roasted garlic, a dressing of balsamic vinegar, and a wrap of 3 whole eggs that were a bit on the firm, dense side.
Herbed potatoes, which come with most omelets and bennys, were probably the weakest link we've found, as they were dry and starchy inside. Small fruit and vegetable garnishes were cool, though, just for a touch of care and presentation's sake.
The man behind the menu here is a pastry chef from Wes Zane and Elmer Arcano's family of restaurants, and you can tell he's got the skills. Mom's Santa Monica Benedict ($10.95) was a thing of beauty!
Sitting on the same herbed potatoes and a Mexican baguette called bolillo, it comes with ham, spinach, asparagus, poached egg, and garlic basil hollandaise. As with many versions of eggs benedict, the bread base was a bit on the hard side, prompting mom to use a knife, but it's usually better that way since it has to sufficiently stand-up to the sauce, as well as a perfectly runny egg yolk:
My personal favorite is their eggs la Jolla ($9.95). For anyone at home who loves the combination of chopped bacon and mushrooms with whatever else (particularly shrimp!), you're gonna love this dish! The same type of bolillo bread actually comes topped with your choice of all veggie, beef, ham, chicken breast, or bacon, but c'mon now - you gotta go with pig fat!!!
It's basically a kind of rich stir-fry ladled over bread, utilizing bacon, mushrooms, spinach, cheeses, herbs, and a topping of over-easy egg. With all these great ingredients, you just can't go wrong!
Waffles are another large part of their menu, and varieties like a red carpet (red velvet w/taro cream cheese), West Hollywood (oreo w/white chocolate mousse), sweet potato (w/coconut haupia sauce), and Belgian provide some of the fanciest waffle presentations anywhere! Our Dolce de Luche was love at first sight!
A stunner for sure, it comes topped with caramel, dolce sauce, pecan pretzel bits, whipped cream, and a caramelized half-banana. Our first impressions, however, were tempered a bit after digging in. The use of pretzels was a tiny bit cheesy compared with the other excellent ingredients, and the waffles themselves seemed to have been cooked, then left in storage for quite some time. Had the waffles been fresh, I'm sure this would have been absolutely killer!
The banana on-top was caramelized masterfully, producing a crispy-sweet finish on its flat side, while the rest was left in its own natural glory. Nice touch!
If you want a sure chick-pleaser kind of place, Yogurstory will absolutely not fail you. I mean, the cutesy-cool atmosphere, beautifully presented dishes, and that jolting buzz of caffeine - it's all perfect for gazing into each others eyes, getting mushy, and getting as Elmer's glue-close as possible. Don't think this place is only for lovers and young people, though - there is a healthy mix of students, middle ager's, and grandparents, all sharing in the benefits of such a spacious, casual, and attractive spot. As always, make sure you check it out yourself!
Take care, and Aloha till next time!
Stan
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