Update Feb 4, 2011: This restaurant is now closed.
There’s a new froyo kid in town!! And it goes by the name of Tuttimelon!
It seems like the frozen yogurt craze down South has gained momentum here in the Lower Mainland. The newest addition is located on Alexandra Road a couple doors from Kam Do. I’m so happy that some of them decided to open in good old Richmond. Boyfriend and I were fortunate to receive an invite from Gary and Benson to try out their yogurt products.
Boyfriend: On the left wall, the ‘wave’ contours is actually a set-standard for all Tuttimelon stores. So are the white tables and green/orange seating.
Tuttimelon is well established in the States but this location here is the flagship store in Canada.
The usual suspects are here. Obviously they have the Original flavor, but unlike other similar places, Green Tea flavor isn’t a staple offering. So far, they have Mango and Lychee in addition to Original. The flavors will rotate but not on a set schedule, mainly according to popularity. I see on their corporate website that they also have Blueberry, Pomegranate, Peach, and Grapefruit. Those sound extremely interesting to me and I hope they’ll offer those soon.
From previous experience, it seemed like frozen yogurt made from fresh yogurt was the “gold standard”. So naturally, I asked Gary about it. Apparently, powdered yogurt base is not allowed here in Canada. Therefore, they use a liquid base, as does all other froyo places I’d assume.
Before we dove into the fancy stuff, we tried out the three flavors. My favorite is still the Original. Boyfriend liked Lychee, which was very well-flavored but it was a bit soft. Gary explained that it’s due to the liquid base. However the Original flavor was firm enough so I wondered if it’s the flavoring that contributed to the consistency. Mango was a bit mild. You could tell it’s flavored but it was nothing compared to Lychee. It however had a firmer texture also. Those comments were forwarded to Gary and Benson as they were adamant on us giving opinions.
Flavor-wise though, we found it was on-par with the other similar local froyo parlors in that it was neither better nor worse.
They are another frozen yogurt parlour to offer fresh fruit toppings. Gary tells me that they are handcut every morning and they only cut adequate amounts to ensure freshness. They have quite a selection here.
And of course they have the dry toppings also. More than 20!
And my favorite MOCHI is available of course!!! Unbelievably though, I didn’t have it this time. We let Gary make the choices for us.
So the first item we tried was a Smoothie. Gary picked a concoction that they’ve only recently come up with. It’s a mixture we never would’ve thought to combine together – Blueberry and Watermelon.
It was indeed very good. Very refreshing and light at the same time. Despite the amount of yogurt they added it wasn’t heavy at all. We really enjoyed this and encourage all of you to try it!
As the Boyfriend, I happily engaged in multiple conversations with Gary and Benson on what offerings Tuttimelon has and what is needed for a successful operation. But of course, the review takes precedence. Gary suggested we try the parfait. All I had to do was to pick two fruit flavors. The picture above shows the final product of a Dragonfruit-Kiwi Parfait. The sprinkling you see on the top were some very yummy Granola that totally lifts the eating experience. It was made with Original Flavor and I was totally surprised by the amount we got. This is the biggest parfait I had ever ordered and it will definitely fill you up for a bit under $6! A GREAT deal.
To expand on Wendy’s point – I am definitely looking forward to the other yogurt flavors. According to Gary and Benson, blueberry should be next. My fondness for blueberry can never desist and this is absolutely a piece of news to me. When it comes out, I may be the first person in line!
We tried a traditional cup of yogurt. Gary and Benson created one that had a split of Original and Lychee flavors. It was topped off with pistachio and mango pieces. What a great mix! The mango was very sweet and I particularly enjoyed the texture and crunchiness of the pistachios. It was interesting to be able to compare the Lychee and Original simultaneously in this cup. I would have never thought to create a pistachio/mango mix. I would recommend our readers to do so next time they go!
I agree. Pistachio was a surprise hit. Obviously if it were up to me I would’ve just picked mochi again. I’m glad I tried something new.
Aside from yogurt products, Tuttimelon also offers gelato/sorbets. They are made by a local supplier but using their own recipe. I tried a few and I really liked the Pomegranate sorbet and the Taro gelato.
One of the things that bother me most about driving in Richmond is 1) PAID parking on open streets, 2) TERRIBLE drivers that often have neck problems so they don’t check anything that is not in front of them, 3) LACK of parking spaces in very busy areas such as Alexandra Rd. I was SO pleasantly surprised that TM has decided to rent out two parking spaces in the back exclusively for them. Two may not sound like a lot, but on the night we went to TM, it was busy and we actually got a spot. It was definitely a great first impression. Trust me, it was a big deal.
The Grand Opening will be held this Saturday, August 22, 2009. The special would be free small Originals for customers between 2pm-4pm. Thereafter, for a limited time, 99cents for the same. Try it out and feel free to comment here at Eat ‘n About.
The fact that Tuttimelon is a successful franchise in America should allow great support for the Canadian team here for a successful operation. Having a good brand name does ensure a higher quality experience for us consumers due to an already set business model of success – which comprise of higher quality foods, training and marketing. I relayed an important message to Gary and Benson that customer service should take a high priority as it has often taken a far backseat in Chinese-owned places. The staff were great tonight and I do hope that with continued support and a strong training program, great customer service will keep us from going anywhere else for yogurt. Now, I am aware that some of our readers may think that we got good service because we were invited; however, I was being very observant of the staff during my time there and I can say that the service was on an equal standing with other customers. I am totally looking forward to my next visit.
Gary and Benson also seems very passionate about their store and welcomes any and all opinions/suggestions. We hope they’ll keep this ethusiasm up.
Oh one more thing! We are in talks with Gary and Benson to offer a sweet deal for Eat ‘n About readers. We’ll definitely keep you posted if it works out so check back soon!
P.S. We have 2 coupons for “1 Free Topping” when you buy any yogurt. Leave a comment and you will be entered into a random draw for one of them. Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you! This mini-contest will be held for 2 weeks ending midnight Sep 3, 2009 PST.
Omo, I just left a comment about Qoola and now this. I must try it.
Please enter me into your contest :).
I know holly! I was just thinking “Wow! Holly you have impeccable timing!!!”
What is up with all these frozen yogurt places?! I loved Qoola…will definitely want to try Tuttimelon!
Wendy,
So I’ve had a chance to check out Tuttimelon today. I found the interior decor was very much similar to Qoola’s in their colour scheme and choice of furniture. Their music was very loud which may be attractive to the younger crowd, but was annoying to me.
Let’s get to the frozen stuff. The best selling feature is their prices. Lower than the competitors for both the yogurt and toppings which I find very attractive. However, the amount of toppings given was not as plentiful as in your picture. Currently, their 99 cent deal for a small is available for about a week, and will be free on Saturday as you mentioned during 2 – 4 pm.
On the negative side, their mochi needs a bit of tweaking if possible. I found it just like Qoola’s at first, which is firm and chewy like candy, rather soft and fluffy like marshmellows.
In terms of yogurt taste, the lychee flavour was not as strong as Qoola’s, and the original was more of an icy soft cream texture. Qoola’s is creamier.
As you can see, I still prefer Qoola, but I can’t say I won’t take advantage of any promos or freebies.
I agree with you that the lack of parking is a pain – this place looks very tempting with all those toppings though, maybe it’s worth the trouble.
Richmond eh? Alright, just because you said so Wendy, I’ll try it out… LOL…
Wow.. I’m sure frozen yogurt is getting popular now. Qoola just opened not too long ago. And now Tuttimelon opens. I have tried both stores. Comparatively I like Tuttimelon better. The renovation is very refreshing; the price is lower and most important… the portion size is bigger!!!! I still remember the first time I bought a medium frozen yogurt with three toppings at Qoola. It costed me 8 dollars and there were only like 8 blueberry (Yes, I counted it!) Feel kinda ripped off. And I personally like Tuttimelon yogurt better. It tastes less sour.
Anyways, the only thing that I don’t like is parking. other than that, I still recommend Tuttimelon to everybody! 🙂 Enjoy.
I am a regular at Qoola, so after I heard that there is this new froyo place in town, of coz I went to check it out. To my surprise, I really like this place. Very chic decor, the wavey wall is really cool and I love the bright green cushioned seat. It is really comfy.
I never really like green tea froyo so mango is a perfect alternative for me. And I found that the froyo at Tuttimelon is a lot more smoother, which is sth I really like. They have quite a big variety of toppings. It is a shame that I can only choose 3. Still have a few that I wanna try. Tried Mochi, Harvest crunch, and chocolate shavings. I quite like their mochi–soft and chewy =)~.
And the gal there also told me I can add toppings to my Gelato!! never really thought of that…what a great idea!!
Overall, I quite like this new froyo place. It is a good place to hang out and even study, as they have free Wi-Fi and open late…a nice alternative to Blenz and Waves.
The yogurt god must be listening.
I took advantage of their opening special today, free yogurt and the texture was much improved since the last time. It was not icy and very smooth. Also, the topping was so plentiful that I ended up with more topping than yogurt at the end. That’s a first.
I am impressed and will be back for more as I intend to eat as much froyo as I can before the end of summer.
Mmm must try it some time, haven’t had flavored frozen yougurt for a long time :p
Just visited Hong Kong and they had a fantastic frozen yogurt at a new Tuttimelon that opened in early 2011. I’ve never had a frozen yogurt before from a fast food franchise and I must say it was fantastic. We need one in the UK.
It was 100%self serve including the toppings. It cost $50 HK which I found reasonable. Approx £5 sterling or $8US. I hope this helps