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I’ve never been one to frequent frozen yogurt parlors in Manila (that’s fro-yo to the conyos out there) because they’re such chi-chi-looking places, and because the prices deterred me from trying out something I may or may not like. But I developed a taste for this frozen treat at San Francisco last year. The apartment next door to my ex-boyfriend’s had a Quickly on the first floor and unlike the Quickly booths in the Philippines, the ones in the States are small fast-food places that serve frozen yogurt along with milk tea, snacks, and Chinese food. I didn’t care if it was an indian summer day or foggy and obscenely cold – Quickly’s frozen yogurt topped with fruit became my comfort food.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I learned from a friend that there is a frozen yogurt place just five minutes away from where I live. Red Mango, an American frozen yogurt chain, first landed in the Philippines at Trinoma early this year. Soon after the Trinoma branch opened, the new Eastwood mall unveiled the second Red Mango yogurt parlor in the country. To be perfectly honest, Eastwood mall is the tackiest place I’ve ever seen and I swore never to patronize it, but I caved in during a hot summer evening when all I wanted was a frozen yogurt to end the day.

Red Mango serves regular frozen yogurt and green tea frozen yogurt. The regular ones cost P80 (small, 4 oz), P115 (medium, 6 oz), P150 (large, 8 oz), and around P180 or P200 for the family-sized cup. If you want the green tea variety, just add five pesos.

Like the Quickly chains in the US, Red Mango also offers fruits, candy, cookies, and cereals as toppings. One topping costs P20, two toppings cost P30, and three toppings cost P40.

I always top my frozen yogurt with fruits – kiwi, blueberries, and strawberries – and never with candy. Probably a habit I acquired in San Francisco!

Red Mango can be found at the second floor of Eastwood Mall. There’s one in Trinoma too, but I’m not sure where it’s located.