I’ll never forget the first time I tasted yogurt. I was only 8 or 9 years old then. My sisters were planning this family olympics thing for Christmas, I think. The family will be divided into two, and will compete in different contests. There was the usual games: bring me, paper dance, relay race and the yogurt eating contest. While preparing for the main event, I peeked in the refrigerator and saw the four cups of yogurt.
“What’s yogurt?” I asked my sister.
“Basta, it’s like ice cream,” my sister replied.
Just a very small sampling of White Hat’s 21+ toppings
Intrigued and excited by this orange-flavored ice cream, I looked forward to the yogurt eating contest. I insisted that I’d be the first to go, and when my sister shouted “go,” I quickly ran to the yogurts and hungrily put a spoonful of yogurt in my mouth. My eyes widened at the taste, and I spat the vile thing out and went off to wail, amidst the laughter around me.
And that is why I’ll never forget my first yogurt encounter. And why my family would never let me forget it.
More then ten years passed because I came anywhere near a yogurt. I can’t remember how I managed to convince myself to try it again, but I find myself liking the taste. Maybe my taste has matured or maybe yogurts now aren’t as sour as before, but one thing’s for sure: yogurts are no longer my enemy.
My froyo with fresh kiwis, mangoes and yummy ube jelly
Anton brought yogurt back to my conciousness. His quest to find the best frozen yogurt in the Philippines was intriguing, but it was quickly overshadowed by other interests. So when Eric Chao of the White Hat invited me to try out their Italian frozen yogurt, I saw it as my chance see what all the froyo fuss is about.
White Hat boasts of being an authentic Italian frozen yogurt. How authentic, you ask? The yogurt ingredients are sourced from Italy, and an Italian gelatero even flew in to help create a froyo that is authentically Italian, yet catering to the tastes of the Filipinos. Apart from the premium frozen yogurt, White Hat customers are also treated to a wide array of toppings that they can add on to their froyos. There are the nuts and cereals (walnut, almond, fruit pebbles, rice crispies), fresh fruits (kiwis, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, grapes, mangoes, peaches), chocolates (choco balls, white chocolate drops, dark chocolate drops), jellies (ube jelly, green tea jelly) and homemade treats (brownies, cheesecake and the homemade granola).
Eric‘s White Hat with homemade brownies, roasted almonds and white chocolate drops
Taking my first taste of White Hat’s frozen yogurt, the trademark sour/tangy taste filled my mouth. Afterwards, the taste becomes something that my tastebuds craves. Mixed with my topping choices, this yogurt snack became a welcome treat after a week of DSL-hell. My first topping choices were the granola, brownies and white chocolate drops. On my second go, I tried the fresh mango and kiwi with the ube jelly. YUM! The fresh fruits goes really well with the frozen yogurt. The Italian frozen yogurt was actually great on its own. I’d love to try it on a cone ala McDo’s sundae cone (albeit a more expensive yet healthier alternative).
White Hat’s Eric Chao with one of White Hat’s image models
White Hat offers two cup sizes: regular and large. A regular cup costs Php 85, while the large cup costs Php 115. The first topping costs Php 20, while having two toppings cost Php 35, and three toppings costs Php 45.
White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt
2/F Entertainment Mall
SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City
Location Map: (click to view large)