Lately I've had a bit of an ice cream problem. I'm not sure if it has to do with the waning summer or what, but I have been consuming a lot of ice cream. I have replaced lunch with ice cream on a regular basis. Just being honest. It isn't always Jeni's, although of course I've had my fair share of that. I've been particularly fond of Hagendaaz chocolate peanut butter. Unfortunately, it is one of the most calorie-dense ice creams out there. You might see where this will eventually become a problem.
I first heard of Red Mango last year when a friend visited them while traveling. I trust this person's taste, but I was still a little skeptical when she said it was great.
Red Mango is a franchise chain of Korean-style frozen yogurt (Red Mango and Pinkberry have been all the rage on the coasts, and they are finally starting to make their way inland). Unlike the frozen yogurt fad of the 80s and 90s, where the yogurt was intended to be nothing more than a sickly sweet low-fat ice cream substitute, this is supposedly the real thing. Not too sweet with the authentic tang of real yogurt.
Columbus' brand new Red Mango store is located on Campus (old, real, North Campus) at around 15th and High, directly across from the main entrance of the Wexner Center.
The space is sparse and clean - gleaming even (for now) - the walls are red but other than that there really aren't any decorations. That's find with me, as I didn't plan to hang around socializing with freshman girls. The girl working the counter was very helpful, asking first if I had ever been to a Red Mango store before she went into her spiel about the fresh fruit toppings (not sugar-filled sauces, just chopped fruit) and the dry toppings, such as cereal and dried coconut flakes. She reassured me I could taste every flavor if I wanted. Pretty good service for a new shop.
Hoping for something reminiscent of cheesecake, I selected original with graham cracker crumbs. Indeed, the yogurt was very tangy and not too sweet, just as promised. The graham crackers crumbs provided a nice texture with just a hint of sweetness and yes, hinted to the flavor of real cheesecake. The yogurt is creamy with just a hint of the wateriness that reminds you there is no fat. This is fine, because after snarfing down the entire bowl, there was no heavy feeling.
The medium (regular) size with one topping was $4.50. I'm not sure I'll be able to shell that out every day, but I did start planning my next trip before I was finished with the treat. For someone who can consume frozen treats in the amounts I can, indulging in a more expensive but low-calore treat might pay off if I want any of my winter clothes to fit. (The medium size is right around 200 calories, according to Red Mango's website.)
Red Mango lists all sorts of healthy claims on their website, and while I know probiotics are good for you and all that, I think I'll just think of it as a less-fattening option when the ice cream monster starts growling.
info: Red Mango 1866 N. High St (Campus)
