Ayomo

With a motto of fruit to bottle and nothing in between, Ayomo pressed juices are making it easier to access our daily nutrients by opening new locations around Melbourne.

Their original South Melbourne store on Clarendon Street has recently undergone a facelift and has just reopened to serve all the beloved Ayomo juices we have come to know and love as well as some exciting additions.

The Ayomo Super Bowls were impressive. We loved sampling the Dragon Fruit Bowl which is made form dragon fruit, banana, ago and coconut water that is topped with strawberries, kiwi, banana and buckwheat.

There are also the Power Packs which are a gourmet lunch option. We recommend trying their umami laden Salmon and miso pack... Fresh, beautifully cooked and full of flavour.

On the drinks front, the raw shakes are a brilliant thick smoothie packed with super foods.

There is also a new addition to the frozen dessert section, the Freeze Up! which is Melbourne's first cold pressed soft serve. These flavours are derived straight from delicious Ayomo juices. Garden Green was our favourite and is a fantastic combination of apple, celery, cucumber, spinach and kale juice. There is also a wonderfully delicious Macadamia soft serve which you will not regret getting your hands on.

Location: 226 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne

Phone: 03 9681 8605

Link: http://ayomocoldpress.com.au/

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Ayomo.

Frochella @ Ilya Frozen Yogurt

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Ilya.

Ilya Frozen Yohurt features an array of exciting self-serve frozen yogurt flavours at a weigh-and-pay price.

Gastrology recently sampled 15 delectable flavours at Frochella @ Ilya where we enjoyed their organic, 100% natural, and free from refined cane sugar frozen yogurts.

Owners Natasha and Jason left the corporate world to pursue their passion for good food, (that not only tastes good but is good for you), giving back and having fun - enter, Ilya.

The Ilya frozen yogurt shop is built around the social, consumer experience – we loved the comfortable fittings and furniture.

We loved the array of topping options... 

Our favourite topping was the antioxidant goodness which was a delectable blend of yummy goodness including goji, cacao, maca and mixed-berry powder, chia seeds and pepitas.

We sampled 2 menus - Ilya's core and current flavours (menu A) and the new limited edition spring/summer menu (menu B).

One of our favourite items from the core and current flavours was “Flawless” which was quite simply as its name suggested. It was a beautiful coconut frozen yogurt that was made from coconut milk and shredded coconut. 

Another favourite was “Sexy and I know it” which was a chocolate froyo which delivered rich and wholesome flavours and yet managed to be dairy-free, animal friendly and decadently chocolaty.

The new limited edition spring menu boasted a cacophony of interesting flavour combinations.  We absolutely adored “Lana Del Grey” which was an earl grey tea froyo combined with dried cranberries. We loved the marrying of flavours between the tangy earl grey bergamot notes and the similarly sweet and tart cranberries. 

A healthy dessert alternative, Ilya frozen yogurts are proud to be the first and only organic self-serve frozen yogurt in Australia with no cane sugar used in their yogurt base. Made with fresh organic milk, organic Five:AM yogurt, Ilya offers a superior product offering with their yogurt base sweetened with Stevia and Erythitol, setting them apart from the other froyo offerings around town.

Location: 277 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick,

Link: http://www.ilyafroyo.com.au/

Cuisine: Frozen Yogurt

Carlton's top 3 frozen dessert venues | Win an ‘Ultimate Northside Experience’ | Win a $50 voucher from 400 Gradi

Gastrology have teamed up with hockingstuart to celebrate the inner-north suburbs of Melbourne (from North Melbourne, Carlton, Brunswick, Northcote and everything in between).

hockingstuart are on a mission to celebrate everything unique and wonderful about the north, including its amazing restaurants and food offering.

To celebrate the north, we have compiled a list of our top 3 favourite frozen dessert options (not in any order - they are equal favourites!) in wonderful Carlton.

1. Helados Jauja

Location: 254 Lygon Street, Carlton

Phone: 03 9041 2927

Link: http://www.heladosjauja.com.au/ 

Helados Jauja is winning Melbourne over one scoop at a time by serving delicious, authentic and unique artisan ice creams and sorbets - all meticulously handmade using real ingredients. That means no artificial flavouring, colouring, or gelatine.

Our favourites include the Mango sorbet, Durian (strictly for Durian lovers ONLY), Yerba Mate and the Walnut dulce de leche. 

Helados Jauja’s ice-cream is all about perfecting the basics. The quality ingredients matched with hard work means the results speak for themselves - texturely perfect ice creams with beautiful flavour combinations. The passion for artistic expression using quality ingredients can be tasted in their ice cream. Each flavour is made with love, dedication and artisanship.

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2. Yo-Chi

Location: 194 Faraday Street, Carlton

Phone: 03 9347 7130

Link: http://www.yochi.com.au/

Yo-Chi is a delicious frozen yogurt outlet that has now opened a new store in Carlton. Frozen yogurt has become increasingly popular and it is no surprise why - 98% fat-free with active cultures and probiotics, what’s not to love? 

Yo-Chi is all about self-service. All you do is: 

1. Select the yogurt of your choice and help yourself to as much or as little as you like. 
2. Head towards the counter where you can top your yogurt with fruit and a variety of other delicious toppings. 
3. Your yogurt and toppings are weighed and you are charged by weight (it costs $2.90 per 100 grams, regardless of which yogurt or toppings you choose). 

You get to choose exactly what goes into your yogurt, which means you can choose your favourite things in the proportions you like – brilliant!

There are more than 22 toppings to choose from, including gorgeous treats like halva, crumble and chocolate-covered goji berries. There are also non-dairy yogurts on offer which are great for those who are lactose-intolerant. 

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3. Pidapipó

Location: 222 Faraday Street Carlton, Melbourne

Phone: 0422 004 750

Link: http://pidapipo.com/

Pidapipó has a menu which boasts an array of exciting and delicious flavours including traditional flavours such as hazelnut, pistachio (our personal favourite), fior di latte and gianduja; and some other more interesting (and equally delicious) flavours like yuzu and vietnamese mint and pinacolada.

Pidapipó's  gelato's amazing texture and taste is testament to the perfectly balanced base that is used to make each flavour. 

Each element is meticulously measured, pasteurized on site and left to rest over night. In the cold of the fridge the ingredients bind, creating a distinctively smooth, dense texture. Finally, fresh fruit and raw ingredients are measured with precision to create unity and balance, just before being churned, frozen and served. 

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Win an ‘Ultimate Northside Experience’

hockingstuart is giving you an opportunity to win an ‘Ultimate Northside Experience’ valued at over $4,000 on their facebook page. This includes a dining pass for two to Cutler & Co and Moon Under Water, a private master class for five at Black Pearl, a 12 month full membership to all Yarra Leisure Centre facilities including Fitzroy Pool and gym, and two beautiful stools from Great Dane Furniture. The competition is running until the 1st week of May so be quick! Enter here.

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Win a $50 voucher from 400 Gradi

Gastrology has teamed up with hockingstuart to give away a $50 voucher from iconic pizzeria, 400 Gradi to one of our lucky readers!

How to enter 

All you have to do, is: 

• Follow us on twitter (if you have not already) 
• Send us an email answering “What is your favourite underrated inner-north* suburb restaurant and why?” 

The best entry, as judged by the Gastrology team, will win a $50 voucher from 400 Gradi.

The competition will run until 8:00pm Tuesday the 29th of April 2014 (winner to be announced on this post on Wednesday 30th of April 2014). 

The fine print: 

Only entries made using a valid email address are eligible. Your email address will not be published. This competition is a game is of skill not chance. This giveaway is open to readers in Australia only. Prize is not transferable or exchangeable or redeemable for cash. The Promoter is not responsible for prizes once they have been dispatched to the winner.

*Carlton, Carlton North, Clifton Hill, North Melbourne, Parkville, Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Fairfield, Northcote, Thornbury, Westgarth

[30/04/2014] Announcement: Winner of the $50 voucher from 400 Gradi 

Thank you to everyone who entered!

The winner is…

Alannah K. M. with the following entry:

“My favourite underrated inner-north restaurant is Afghan Gallery in Fitzroy. The food served is authentic Middle Eastern cuisine which is always bursting with flavour. I love how it is always very easy to get a table and that it is BYO! Great for a banquet with friends or an intimate dinner with my boyfriend (with my favourite bottle of red). The service is great and they're always super friendly.” 

… Congratulations, the winner will be contacted via email.

Competition Now Closed. 

Run free and carry on @ Frolic

Frolic's new Fitzroy store

Frolic Frozen Yoghurt has just opened a new store on Brunswick Street just in time for the warm weather.

Frolic's Camberwell store

We met passionate owner Rafi who explained that only the best and freshest ingredients are sourced for both his Frolic stores.

To ensure that guests have a consistent experience whether they are in the Fitzroy store or the Hawthorn store, Rafi takes pride in having invested in the best froyo machines available and carefully calibrating them to ensure the texture and consistency the yoghurt is perfect across the venues. 

To build a Frolic Froyo creation, guests can first choose from a selection of cup sizes, and fill that cup up with any yoghurt flavour they like.

Guests can then add to their favourite froyo flavour any combination of candy, fruit, nuts, or other treats from Frolic’s do-it-yourself toppings bar.

Our favourite froyo flavours were the coconut and the original (vanilla). 

The coconut froyo is beautifully creamy and there was an ample amount of sweetness that did not overpower the twang that comes with a good frozen yogurt. The coconut flavour was beautifully light and refreshing version. 

Frolic’s original (vanilla) flavour was delightful. The sweetness and the tanginess of the yogurt was perfectly balanced. 

By far our most favourite topping at Frolic was their Halva. It was the best Halva we have ever tasted. The heavily sesame-flavoured halva had an almost creamy consistency, a vanilla after-taste and was simply a beautiful addition to Frolic’s yoghurts. 

Frolic yoghurt is a self-serve, choose-your-own-toppings froyo store with 2 locations in Melbourne. Frolic offers a multitude of delicious, traditional and original froyo flavours to suit any taste. Customised with a generous selection of do-it-yourself toppings, Frolic provides a tailored experience that can either be extremely indulgent or innocent fun, self-served in a lively atmosphere.

 

Nuffnang's Food Blogger Meet up & Tasting @ Cacao Green

Location: Lower Level, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Chadstone
Phone: 03 9563 3355
Link: http://www.cacaogreen.com.au/
Cuisine: Frozen Yogurt, desserts

Gastrology bloggers attended a Nuffnang Food Blogger Meetup and Tasting at Cacao Green to celebrate the opening of Cacao Green’s Chadstone Store. We were treated to delicious samples of some of the best offerings from Cacao Green’s menu while learning why organic, fair trade, and all-natural ingredients make their froyo so good.

Every Cacao Green store uses organic yogurt, milk, chocolate and coffee beans. Their unique frozen yogurt is made from organic non-fat milk and yogurt which means it has all the natural goodness of yogurt such as calcium, protein and live cultures.

Cacao Green proudly promotes fair trade and sustainable ingredients to help create a better and brighter future for both their consumers and the farmers and workers in the developing world. We were pleased to hear that Cacao Green’s froyos do not contain any artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, additives or high-fructose corn syrup. And everything including the toppings are freshly prepared daily.

The menu features Organic Frozen Yogurts, Parfaits, Smoothies, Yogurt Drinks/Frappe, Organic Brazillian Chocolate drinks, tea and coffee.

Frozen yogurt: Matcha (green tea) 

The yogurt was beautifully creamy and there was an ample amount of sweetness that did not overpower the twang that comes with a good frozen yogurt. The green tea flavour was surprisingly light. We should note that the green tea frozen yogurt tastes very different to green tea ice cream. So don't expect something that is texturally dense with intense green tea flavour. This is a lighter, much more refreshing version. As expected, the froyo was very creamy and tasted very natural.

Frozen yogurt: Italian Original

The Italian Original froyo was a winner. It is no wonder that this is Cacao Green's signature flavour. We were delighted by every moreish mouthful that melted in our mouths. The sweetness and the tanginess of the yogurt was perfectly balanced. Highly recommended!

Tropical parfait: cacao green original frozen yogurt, mango, pineapple, banana and granola clusters 

Mixed berries parfait: cacao green original frozen yogurt, strawberry, blueberry, banana and granola clusters 

The parfaits were fabulous. Think layers of frozen yogurt, fresh fruits and granola clusters – just beautiful.

We ended our tasting at Cacao Green with some fair trade cappuccinos. 

Fair trade and organic, Cacao Green is frozen yogurt heaven.

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Nuffnang Australia and Cacao Green.

Frozen yogurt battle: Yo Chi vs Cacao Green

Location: 292 Carlisle Street, Balaclava
Phone: 03 9527 7001
Link: www.yochi.com.au
Cuisine: Frozen yogurt
Overall Impression: 6/10 

Yo-Chi is yet another yogurt outlet that now graces the Melbourne foodie scene. Frozen yogurt has become increasingly popular and it is no surprise why - 98% fat-free with active cultures and probiotics, what’s not to love? 

Yo-Chi is all about self-service. All you do is: 

1. Select the yogurt of your choice and help yourself to as much or as little as you like. 
2. Head towards the counter where you can top your yogurt with fruit and a variety of other delicious toppings. 
3. Your yogurt and toppings are weighed and you are charged by weight (it costs $2.80 per 100 grams, regardless of which yogurt or toppings you choose). 

You get to choose exactly what goes into your yogurt, which means you can choose your favourite things in the proportions you like – brilliant!

But how does it compare to Cacao Green? Put simply, the yogurt at Cacao Green tastes better. We found it creamier (despite containing less fat) and texturally superior to the yogurt at Yo-Chi, which displayed a hint of graininess. The yogurt at Cacao Green also has greater complexity with a more pronounced sour "twang" that is the hallmark of all good frozen yogurt. 

While the yogurt at Yo-Chi slightly pales in comparison, the concept is novel. There are more than 22 toppings to choose from, including gorgeous treats like halva, crumble and chocolate-covered goji berries. There is also the choice of a non-dairy yogurt which is great for those who are lactose-intolerant. 

All in all, Cacao Green takes first place in this comparison if judged purely on the quality of the yogurt itself. But Yo-Chi's generous variety of toppings and self-serve concept makes it a more interesting proposition overall.