LoveMi Yogurt

When I was just in NY, I randomly stumbled into a soft opening for a new yogurt drink place, LoveMi Yogurt.  It was across the street from where I was staying, and I saw the business name and was hoping it was a froyo place, but, the doors were never open, the lights never on, etc for the first week I was there.  Then, one random afternoon, the door was open, so I looked in to see if it was indeed a froyo shop. It is not, but the staff very eagerly greeted me.  They were doing a soft opening, and literally no one was there.  They said they could make me any drink I wanted for free, and just asked me to post to social media.  Um, ok?  #score

My research shows me that this is their second location, their first opened in Chinatown just a few weeks prior.  Very ambitious business owner to be opening two locations right away!

Anyway, I became a big fan of yogurt drinks, particularly ones with rice in them, when I was in Sydney years ago and fell in love with Koomi. I've never found anywhere like it in the US, although I've tried (yes, I've tried Yomie, and no, I don't care for it).  I was eager to try their offerings.

Menu.

I spent a moment to take in the menu. Avocado drinks are a big part of their range, which I moved right past, given my allergy.  They also have standard milk or fruit tea options, and thick milks, but the yogurts where were I honed in.  I was most excited for the Five-Grain Yogurt Series, in particular, for the purple sweet potato yogurt.  But, alas, they didn't have that yet.  I nearly went for the purple rice yogurt instead, but at last minute, decided I wanted something fruity, and went for the mango yogurt.  Mango pomelo sago was also an option, but that one uses coconut yogurt, and I really wanted standard, tangy, thick yogurt.  So, mango yogurt it was.

Mango Yogurt.

I asked for it less sweet, as the menu said options were 30%, 50%, 70%, 100%, but I was told I couldn't modify it.  I tried to add crystal boba, or anything really, but I was told I couldn't do that either, although the menu listed these options.  I'm not sure if this was a pre-opening restriction?

Anyway, the drink was ... ok.  It did have tons of mango, strong fruity flavor.  Fresh and ripe mango.  It was well blended, lightly icy and refreshing.  The yogurt was on top (not just blended in), so it gave me a chance to try it on its own.  That was the part that let me down.  It wasn't as thick and tangy and decadent as Australian yogurt.  It kinda was just generic yogurt, not even very tangy by American standards.  It made the overall drink pretty boring.

I really wanted some crystal boba, sticky rice, or something in here to jazz it up.

I'd still consider trying another drink, but this one just wasn't very compelling to inspire another visit. **+.