CEFIORE (362 Bloor, at Walmer, 647-350-5602) Open Sunday to Thursday noon to 11 pm, Saturday and Sunday noon to midnight. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
California always seems to be on the cutting edge of culinary fashion, whether it’s chop suey, sushi pizza or Mission-style burritos. But the latest craze currently taking health-obsessed La La Land by storm started out in Toronto back in the 80s: frozen yogurt.
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It’s a rather circuitous route. Yogen Früz grows from the original in Thornhill’s Promenade Mall to over 1,100 franchises worldwide. The Früz proves so successful that a South Korean outfit, Red Mango, clones the concept but tweaks the fast food’s nutritional aspects. The folks behind Pinkberry – aka Crackberry – take note and bring upscale health-conscious frozen yogurt to Los Angeles in 2005 (900 stores), which spawns Céfiore (40+) the following year.
Enter Lida Chang, a Toronto fashion student studying in L.A.
“I used to go to Pinkberry and Céfiore all the time and thought we needed something like them back in Toronto,” says Chang.
Such a regular at the latter, she becomes friends with the owners, who encourage her to open the first one in Canada. Fast-forward two years and she launches Céfiore in the Annex last September, bringing frozen yogurt back to Toronto full circle.
The difference?
“Our fruit is fresh, not frozen, and all of our yogurt is fat-free,” says Chang, pausing. “And it’s better, too.”
We agree. The Yogurt Combo – tart, creamy frozen pineapple yogurt topped with mango, blackberries and chopped walnuts ($4.40 small/$5.45 medium/$6.60 large/$8.75 family) – is far tastier than anything we’ve sampled at Yogen Früz and claims to promote “more vibrant skin,” “decrease risk of colon cancer” and “help prevent Alzheimer’s.”
See for yourself this Friday afternoon from 5 to 8 pm when Chang and company will hand out free coupons in front of the store for a small frozen yogurt with one topping. Flash mob, anyone?
