The amazingly delicious yogurt company Chobani is turning into a brand promoting healthy lifestyle, and organic food with its awesome and super trendy cafés.
The first Chobani café opened in New York’s Soho in 2012, and the second one in Tribeca in 2016. Can you imagine? Hey, New Yorkers, we've been living in this city all these years, buying Chobani’s Raspberry Lemon yogurts and Peanut Caramel Satisfaction flips, dreaming of its Strawberry Banana drink, and not knowing, not even having the slightest idea that right under our noses there were two–not one, TWO–magical places where we could enjoy all of this and more.
Why Choose Chobani?
· It doesn’t use artificial sweeteners and refined sugar
· The number of grams of sugar in each product is relatively low
· It uses all natural ingredients, such as fruit purees, fruit and vegetable juices
· It's being sold basically everywhere
· It's relatively inexpensive
· Its creator and CEO is an immigrant from Turkey
· It has hundreds of varieties of flavors and seasonal options
· It tastes just damn amazing!
So, I decided to be an investigative journalist for a day, and see whether Chobani’s Café was as great as I've always imagined it to be.
It was a rainy Saturday in New York. The subway was crowded, people were in panic, there were floods, and let’s say that I wasn't super excited about going out. But my curiosity, great expectations, and empty fridge pushed me outside of my apartment.
Fully wet and looking miserable, I stepped inside Chobani Soho. When I saw the small but somehow spacious place, the friendly staff, small adorable tables and chairs, and big screens with “Chobani” written everywhere, I instantly forgot the dumb weather outside, and got totally ready to eat.
Let’s discuss the menu.
1. The Creations
· “sweet creations” (yogurt topped with different fruits, seeds and nuts)
· “fruit creations” (yogurt topped with fruit compotes)
· “savory creations (yogurt topped with hummus and za’atar, chickpeas, avocado, spinach, cucumber, feta, and other salty stuff…you get the idea).
2. Simit
Turkish type of bread with different fillings such as salmon, avocado, pastrami, olive tapenade, and other magical words.
3. Salads
With ingredients such as quinoa, avocado, beets, spinach, chickpeas, boiled eggs, and seeds.
4. Breakfast bowls
Four choices of different bowls with a variety of seeds, granola, nuts and fruits served with a cute glass bottle of fresh poured whole milk yogurt in different flavors (and yes, they had a mixed berry acai bowl!)
5. Drinks
· made with fresh veggies and fruits blended with plain Greek yogurt
· lemonades, iced tea, fresh orange juice
Time for the truth: tasting!
They have the cool option of ordering a combo consisting of two halves of anything on the menu for $10! So, of course, I did that.
I ordered a combo of half Simit with roasted turkey, avocado, labne, and pickled onions and peppers, and half “Blueberry+Power” sweet creation with chia, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, toasted walnuts, and agave nectar.
My friend ordered the toasted coconut and mango sweet creation with crushed hazelnuts and mint, and the salmon and cream cheese simit. More than amazing!
The portion was OK–not overwhelming but my gluttonous side desired more.
Warning: not for people who are really hungry and have a hangover (which I did!)
So what are you waiting for? Grab 10 bucks and go to Chobani Cafe! Every day spent without trying their mind-blowing menu is a day spent in oblivion.