Yogurt splash

      Lost your faith in frozen treats? Think ice-cream and sweet desserts are why you have to wear a bigger size? Downtown’s newly opened yogurt and dessert shop Yowapa tells a different story.
Accented by contemporary pop music and nouveau-chic furnishings, this yogurt shop attracts a cream-craving yet health-conscious crowd.
Just as the name suggests, Yowapa serves up yogurt, yogurt and more. “Yo” stands for yogurt - its main product, “Wa” means waffles and “Pa” is an abbreviation of the small Italian rolls known as panini.
“These are the house specialties. I want to create not only the very first frozen yogurt chain in Vietnam but also a place for those who look for healthy and reasonably priced dishes,” says the owner, Tran Chau Minh Thuong.
Yogurt products take up most of the drink menu and include non-fat selections like yogurt ice-cream, yogurt shakes and yogurt blends.
Boasting no fewer than 50 flavors of fresh fruits, caramel, sunflower seeds and marshmallow cake, there is something for everyone at Yowapa, and they have smoothies too.
At 63 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, District 1, customers can make their own glass of yogurt from a mix of flavors and toppings. You can add all kinds of fresh fruits like kiwi, mango, apple or pomegranate.
For those with a sweet tooth, there are plenty of traditional toppings like chocolate chips, cocoa pebbles, and cookie bits plus straight sauces such as caramel, honey, chocolate and strawberry.
Yowapa also offers an array of Western and Vietnamese dishes. Be sure to save room for tuna cabbage salad, fried rice with honeyed chicken drum, or yummy beef spaghetti with yogurt sauce.
And whatever you do, don’t miss the panini selection to experience the combo taste of either hot crispy baguettes or soft sandwiches.
Despite the owner’s primary concern with products and services, you can really chill out in the well-designed two-story establishment, where a green floor and bright walls balance the contemporary style.
The open space and pastel palette provide a sense of welcoming lightness. Tiny plant pots can even be found along the glass windows overlooking some greenery. And it is certainly a great place to watch the world go by!