starfruit sneak peak

I went to check out the Startfruit sneak peak this evening with a friend who is a loyal Pinkberry fan. After checking in with the Skirt PR ladies, we walked into the sleek white space and was confronted by the first first stop of the counter. I don't know how I feel about the layout, I wish the counter was pushed back a little more to give the customer a chance to take everything in before being asked what they'd like to have. It was jarring having a smiling girl behind the counter asking me what I wanted. I can see how this might be a ploy to force the line of people to start outside instead of having a crowd waiting inside the small shop with limited seating. I like the long curved bar that stretches to the back of the store which allows for 4 bar stool seats. The store's interior has a galactic feel which is the theme they seem to be going for on their website also.

Starfruit is housed under the same Lifeway umbrella that is the leading producer of kefir (kee-fir) products. So unlike other frozen yogurt shops like Red Mango, Pinkberry and Berry Chill, Starfruit frozen yogurts, parfaits and smoothies boast 10 live and active pro-biotic cultures that boost the immune system, fights fatique, and helps the digestive system (I can vouch for the digestive part because I drink a cup of kefir everyday). My friend and I started off with the parfaits. Basically, all this was was a half cup of flavored kefir (straight from the bottle) with all the toppings you want. I chose the pomegranate kefir with yogurt chips, rice crispy's and blueberries. Mixed together, it was tasty. But honestly, did I have to come all the way out to the Ukranian Village to have this? I could've bought a bottle of kefir at Dominick's and a few toppings and made 5 of these parfaits at home. My friend wasn't so impressed either.

So I went back for some frozen yogurt. I got the original flavor which is slightly sweetened according to one of the Lifeway reps. She said their taste testers didn't like the sour taste of the actual original kefir so they sweetened it, whatever that means. Honestly, the sweeteners are the last of their problems. I got strawberry, kiwi and corn flakes as toppings and my friend took one bite and set his spoon down. He then went off on how he wanted to fly to L.A. at that very moment and order 20 Pinkberries with various toppings, place them in an ice box and back to this store. The yogurt was so bland! There was no taste whatsoever. With all other competitors you get this sweet/sour/tart taste. With Starfruit, all you taste is frozen water and toppings. Another problem, the consistency of the yogurt was not smooth and soft like competitors. Sure the color of the product was white, but the consistancy was more like that of a melting snow cone.

The highlight I suppose is the slice of starfruit at the bottom of the cup - but those who have tried the fruit know that there's nothing especially tasty about those either. It's a shame, they have a great patio in the back with tons of seating. Location is key though, and they did pick a great spot. Weekend shoppers will probably pop in for an afternoon treat, but will they come because they actually like it or to just take part in all the fro-yo hype? Hmm...



Prices:

Frozen kefir: S $3, M $4, L $5
Parfaits and Smoothies: S $4, M $5, L $7

First topping $1
Each additional topping $.50

Check it out for the actual opening on Tuesday April 15th. It'll be free all day.