Fraiche Yogurt

7/6/2016

After having a nice Barbeque lunch I decided to treat for dessert as we ambled down the street to Fraiche which serves all sorts of hot and cold beverages as well as their own unique concoctions of frozen yogurts with your selection of custom toppings.

We walked in and there was quite a crowd ahead of us which allowed us to peruse the many choices and selections and determine how to navigate through all these choices! A nice lady was making fresh Japanese Rice Mochi right in front of us.  

The other very young lady Karina was taking the frozen yogurt orders and was struggling to keep everything in order and struggling to say in character, which was very entertaining as well.

She got our orders correct, they funny part is the smallest cup she called a 'nano' ($3.95) but on the receipt it showed as a Frozen kids size. Was tempted to ask if they had a 'pico' size as well, but decided not as I think Karina would start blowing smoke out her ears!

I had the Maple Almond Yogurt with raspberry puree, toasted shaved coconut, and shaved chocolate (each topping was $.75)while my former coworker had Meyer Lemon with Blueberries.

The total came to $11.85 for the both of us, but hey this is Palo Alto.

Apparently this location is their flagship store as they have others on Stanford Campus in the Tresidder Student Union, SFO Airport Terminal 3 Gate 81, and in the Filmore District of San Francisco.

Their web page appears to be out of date and does not give menus for the different locations.

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  My Fraiche FoYo!

  My Fraiche FoYo!
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  Front Door to Fraiche Yogurt!

  Front Door to Fraiche Yogurt!

8/16/2016

• 2 check-ins

Right now, my favorite place to get my froyo fix in the bay area. I used to come here all the time when I did a summer program at Stanford during high school for two reasons - soy flavored yogurt, and olallieberry toppings. What is olallieberry? Basically a special type of blackberry. It is blended to a puree perfection that isn't too sweet, and perfectly pairs to the tartness/blandness of original/soy yogurt. Get some graham crackers on the side to make it feel like actual pie with "ice cream" (froyo)!

That summer program was about 7 years ago, so I was super happy to see this place still running in business. But I've got to dock off a couple stars due to experience. I came on a Saturday and was informed that soy is only Sunday-Wednesday. I then came back on a Sunday and they still did not have soy yogurt. To make matters even more unpleasant, their credit card machine was not working. I paid cash, but the cashier had to dig into his tip jar to give me change...

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  Olallieberry

  Olallieberry
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  Olallieberry yogurt

  Olallieberry yogurt
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8/11/2016

• 1 check-in

For an $8.50 ice cream I expect magic and super hero powers....

On the serious note, I have been waiting to experience me some Fraiche.
I have been talking about it, wanting to try it, looking at it, and telling my friends to come with me (everyone shot me down).

But finally fate has found its' way. I was already in the area and my friend and I stopped by to experience this extravaganza yogurt place.

The place was in the populated downtown Palo Alto area where parking is a sore, but the shop was neatly clean and cute.
It was a Tuesday and there were a lot of people. I frantically decided to go with the regular small size ice cream with mochi, blackberries, dried figs, and flax seed.

This small size ice cream with 4 toppings came out to a total of $8.50.
And good thing I forgot 2 more toppings I wanted because that would have set me at $9.50.
Each topping is $.50 and those do sure add up.

I am not usually a stingy person, but for a small ice cream $8.50 is a lot.
Anyways, as the taste wise it was watery somewhat bland, and lacking in flavor. The famous mochi was just okay... A lot of chew and a little too big in chunks for me.

As you can tell, maybe I had way too much expectations but I was not impressed nor did I find it memorizing. I just recall a hefty price tag with something that I didn't care for at all.

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  $8.50 yogurt... And no, it doesn't come with anything else. Just this small $8.50 yogurt.

  $8.50 yogurt... And no, it doesn't come with anything else. Just this small $8.50 yogurt.

6/30/2016

• 1 check-in

• Listed in Yelp 100 Challenge - 2016

A friend of mine praised the natural, organic fro-yo from Fraiche Yogurt so much that I dutifully landed up here a couple of days ago. Fraiche Yogurt is located in downtown Palo Alto so it was essentially street parking, but as I went at around 10 pm I didn't have an issue finding a spot. Even at 10 there was a queue 6 people deep. People really like this fro-yo. Fraiche Yogurt isn't a self serve fro-yo place like Yogurtland but more of a fixed serving sized Pinkberry type joint. I decided to get a small ($5.45) with half soy & half chocolate with mochi toppings and some other topping that I don't remember bringing my total to about $7 for a small.

Taste wise I really liked the soy but didn't like the chocolate at all. It had a weird bitter after taste which is not at all typical or high quality dark chocolate. I should have tasted before buying (was offered but as usual declined). I liked what I ate but I don't think that it provided sufficient value for a regular visit so this will remain an occasional indulgence.

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  Small Soy & Chocolate ($7) - Small serving size for the price.

  Small Soy & Chocolate ($7) - Small serving size for the price.
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  Small Soy & Chocolate ($7) - Soy is great whereas chocolate is passable. Good but pricey.

  Small Soy & Chocolate ($7) - Soy is great whereas chocolate is passable. Good but pricey.

6/22/2016

• 1 check-in

Thanks to previous Yelp reviews I was able to decide that I should get the chocolate yogurt (which tastes more like dark chocolate due to its tinge of bitterness) topped off with Mochi, raspberry purée and Oreos. It was absolutely delicious, all my fro yo cravings were well satisfied. I would recommend getting that exact mix without the Oreos because it made it too sweet. I got in right before it was closing around 10:30pm and was pleasantly surprised to see a bunch of people getting fro yo on a Tuesday night, clearly this place is popular.

I did end up paying around $7 for my nano fro yo (which is smaller than the small) a little steep for a fro yo craving but all in all I was happy. Though I would have been happier if it wasn't so pricey!

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  Purée toppings

  Purée toppings
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  Toppings!

  Toppings!
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  Toppings galore! My favorites were raspberry purée and the Mochi

  Toppings galore! My favorites were raspberry purée and the Mochi
• See all photos from Manasvi S. for Fraiche Yogurt

4/1/2016 Updated review

• 1 check-in

• Listed in Froyo Love, My version of... 100 Things to Try (SF)

Updating this review because they have new (friendly) employees!

-------Wifi-------
Network: Netgear49
Password: magicalsheep185

3/25/2016

• 1 check-in

Came to Fraiche because...look at those reviews!

But ratings can be deceiving....

When I walked in, there were a few people in line but no one working behind the counter. And it took a good 5-10 minutes before an employee actually wandered back to the counter. But by that time, I had already taken a seat to wait for my friend to arrive. After meeting up, we decided to head to the counter and explore our options. I quickly noticed that there were no prices listed anywhere....great. I ended up paying nearly $4 for the fro-yo and $0.75 for each topping, none of which were particularly unique either.

One "nano" meyer lemon with chocolate shavings and mochi cost nearly $7....ridiculous! Flavorwise, this frozen treat wasn't creamy and the chocolate shavings (which was probably a bad call to begin with) ended up being more of an dry obstruction than a chocolate-y pairing. The mochi was good though.

All in all, my experience was definitely not up to par.

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  Pretty (expensive)

  Pretty (expensive)

6/7/2016

I spent over $8 on yogurt and oddly enough, I'm ok with it.  Maybe I've been living in the Bay Area for THAT long.  I came here on an early Sunday morning, surprised that they were open at such an ungodly hour.  I ordered the greek yogurt, because I thought it would be odd to order froyo for breakfast.  However, if I'm ever in the mood for froyo at breakfast, I'll have it, because I am a grown woman.  The greek yogurt was fluffy.  It was like eating wispy clouds.  I topped it off with blueberries and granola.  I wish they had more granola on there, though.  

Something that I usually do all the time that I did not do this time around is check the business' Yelp page for recommendations.  I regret not doing so, because had I known, I would have definitely topped off my yogurt with raspberry puree and homemade mochi.  This is the last time that I will trust myself to order without any aid from you good ol' Yelpers.

Too bad that the closest, most convenient Fraiche location to me is in SF Pac Heights.  I am praying for a client at CPMC nearby, so that I can make a little detour/frolic over to that location.

6/11/2016

• 1 check-in

If it wasn't for their homemade mochi I probably would never keep coming back. Yeah maybe this place is healthy but they charge sooo much for a cup of yogurt!! For a small it's almost $6 without toppings!! Damn Daniel!!

8/19/2016

• 1 check-in

Summer strawberry was fresh and incredibly refreshing! Not too sweet, but just tart enough. They had chocolate shaved off the block and so many other different toppings. Pricey place, but I appreciate the organic health options.

8/1/2016 Updated review

• 2 check-ins

It's been more than a year since we last came here.  We brought my husband's cousins here to try as it's always historically been our favorite dessert place in Palo Alto since our dating years.  We will definitely come by again.  Perfecto!

5/11/2016

• Listed in Eats

I'm sure the ingredients at Fraiche are healthier than that of *insert self-serve froyo chain here*, but the frozen yogurt (I got Oreo with brownie bits) doesn't taste as good as Pinkberry's, which should be similar, if not equal, quality.

With so many great places on University Ave, I would not go back to Fraiche. It is too expensive for my taste and doesn't taste good enough to me.

5/1/2016

Slush frozen original yogurt with the perfect freshness and balance. Fresh fruits toppings include blueberry, strawberry and house Japanese mochi, and the best intense flavors from dried figs and shaved chocolate. It has amazing consistency and quality, always delivered.

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  Nothing beats this shape to chocolate and chewy mochi with fresh sweet blueberries on the frozen yogurt

  Nothing beats this shape to chocolate and chewy mochi with fresh sweet blueberries on the frozen yogurt

5/5/2016

After trying this place a few years ago, I vaguely remembered enjoying it. So when the opportunity arose and I happened to be on the area, I stopped by here with my sister after dinner.

Not sure if the quality has just gone downhill, but this was NOT as good as I remembered. We sampled the natural and pomegranate flavors and I just wasn't a fan of the texture or taste of either. The yogurt lacks the refreshing tartness of Pinkberry's original (my standard that I hold all froyo to), and it had an odd, slightly melted consistency that wasn't appealing. In fact, after sampling the flavors, my sister and I shared a small glance of sisterly telepathic communication before ordering smallest size available of pomegranate, with mochi topping.

I would have generously given the place 3 stars for the yogurt, but the service was so awful that it was almost comical (hence the 2 stars). It felt like I was in a documentary about people who hate their jobs because the two guys working here clearly didn't want to be there.  The cashier rang up our order without much comment, looking so sullen that it was almost comical. He wasn't very helpful when we asked for recommendations; the one making our yogurt slapped everything together before sliding our cup across the counter to us without a word. It was a little awkward to be honest.

One positive -- The fresh mochi topping was good and is made on site (I saw them cutting up a large sheet of freshly made mochi). But that's not really a good enough to come back here when they can't get their core product right and service is so awful.

1/17/2016

GOOD fro-yo, questionable service.

Four stars strictly for the fro-yo. It is not like some of the sugary artificial flavors you may find at your typical chain fro-yo spot. It has less flavors - typically plain, greek, soy, pomegranate, and a seasonal flavor, but all of them are very tasty. They will give you a sample if you ask!

You can choose from a bunch of toppings - my personal favorites are the fresh fruits, the homemade granola, and the mochi. The mochi is just the right texture: not too chewy and not too hard. I usually come to this place after a filling dinner, so I love that they offer a nano side so you feel less guilty for indulging in dessert.

The only problem I have is that the service can be hit or miss. There are usual 1-2 people behind the counter. My hunch is that they may be high school students or maybe even Stanford students? Regardless, they aren't the most attentive or friendly. Often times I will walk in and they will be behind the counter staring at their phones. Obviously I come here for the yogurt, not for lively conversation from the staff, but this is a little off-putting. The yogurt is also a little pricier, but for the quality of the yogurt, I don't really mind dishing out an extra buck or two.

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  Granola, strawberry, and honey plain yogurt

  Granola, strawberry, and honey plain yogurt
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  nano size with two toppings - plain yogurt with mochi and raspberries

  nano size with two toppings - plain yogurt with mochi and raspberries

5/14/2016

Ok, so I was kinda happy with this place before but now it's a no go. Tried to get my oatmeal and the guy just wasn't listening to me and was asking me same questions two or three times each. Really the most frustrating attempt to get something in a cafe in my life. I was pointing to the menu asking for the standard version of an item and he was keeping detaining me ("select five toppings", Jesus, I said five times just give me the standard version listed in the menu, "no, you have to select"), I almost gave up and left on that stage. Like interacting with a poorly written bot. "Do you want your check?" -"No" ...doing something for a while... -"Do you want your check?"

Also, it got too loud (partially because of the music), you can't hear when your food is ready. And they don't bother double checking if you got it or not, it just stays there getting colder. Also they don't ask for your name so it's impossible to know if it's for you or not.

Finally, they do everything at once so by the time I finished with my oatmeal, the coffee was getting cold. The oatmeal is ok though, as well as the coffee (when in a hot condition).

My initial opimism caused by complete absense of good coffee shops in PA is gone now :(

2/2/2016

Note this review is only for their mocha drink - I have yet to try their yogurt!

This place has a delicious mocha drink with chocolate shavings. Just make sure when they give it to you it's hot because I've had it lukewarm once and it was not good... They also have some yummy pastries!

Every time I've visited the service was very friendly. It's a cute place to come for a mid morning or afternoon snack/treat!

1/23/2016

Ah, fraiche. I really like you. I'm lactose intolerant so I stick with the vegan flavors, which are really good! They have soy Sun-Wed, and chocolate hazelnut Thur-Sat. I like the soy flavor a tad bit better :). For the soy yogurt, I get mochi and almonds for toppings. I sometimes get chocolate shavings too. For the chocolate flavor, I add strawberries. There are other options on the menu, but for some reason I always end up getting the same thing. Have been coming for a while and not tired of it yet!

This place is also great for studying - not as packed as Coupa. They have free wifi and open relatively late. When it closes, you can also walk down the street to go to Coupa, which is typically open until 11p.

5/8/2016

• 1 check-in

I am not sure what it is but when I want froyo, Fraiche is my spot. It is light and fresh and the perfect treat with some fresh berries or freshly shaved chocolate. I like this location much better compare to their tiny old spot.

8/31/2015

• 1 check-in

Awesome variety of fresh quality toppings (no frozen mushy fruits here) and cute menu. They open nice and early at 7am thank goodness for a healthy breakfast option besides mcD or the boring overly sugary or heavy stuff at Starbucks. I really liked my Greek yogurt with which I chose blackberries and homemade granola to top (you can pick 2) and the nano size comes out to $4.25ish. Not bad for a super healthy breakfast that is surprisingly filling. Highly recommend adding the honey as a sweetener as the yogurt is on the healthier tasting side.. And maybe even going for whole milk instead of my choice of 2%. As you can see you lots of wiggle room to make things even cleaner/healthier here. Love it!

Friendly, smiling, and hardworking service that opens at 7am sharp.. That's not easy! They also have oatmeal as a breakfast option but it wasn't ready for a few more minutes I guess at such an early time. It's ok though as the fresh yogurt and toppings were good and I have an excuse to come back again.

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  2% Greek yogurt topped with blackberries and homemade granola plus lots of honey = perfect breakfast

  2% Greek yogurt topped with blackberries and homemade granola plus lots of honey = perfect breakfast