deKEFIR

Recently, I read «Brain Maker», a book that explores the latest research going on with probiotics and gut health, and so I was excited when I heard about deKEFIR. There’s no definitive evidence but there’s speculation that the probiotic bacterial strains within kefir can withstand the acidity of the stomach and reach your small intestine. The consensus seems to be that you should eat kefir if you like it, and you may or may not experience the benefits of the probiotics, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
Anyways, I visited deKEFIR during the afternoon and it was moderately busy. The servers were really nice and helpful with their suggestions with regards to the toppings. I decided to go with Crackle Bits, Walnuts, Toasted Quinoa, and Pineapple.
The frozen kefir itself is an acquired taste — it tastes heavily of dairy. At first, it’s a weird taste, but I ended up enjoying it as I got used to it. The toppings were great and added different textures and flavours to the snack. I enjoyed the Crackle Bits and Pineapple the most!
The actual space itself is fairly small (only 5 tables), but people seem to come and go fairly quickly.
I’m definitely a fan and find myself craving it frequently. Will definitely be back!
Also, you can use the Ritual app to order! Use my promo code for a free $ 10 credit (That’s like 2 free frozen kefirs!)

promo code: JOSHUA9247

I am an ice cream/​frozen yogurt/​dairy fiend, so it’s probably a good thing that I don’t work downtown… because I would be pretty tempted to eat here every day. At some point in the past, since this place has opened, I have stopped by for frozen kefir for each meal of the day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — I love it that much. I don’t know what it is about it — maybe it’s the tartness of the kefir, maybe it’s the way that it’s light but also rich, maybe it’s the fact that it’s a healthy indulgence, or maybe it’s they way the frozen kefir is swirled sky high and purposefully decorated with your choice of toppings. It’s probably a good thing that I no longer work downtown or all my hard earned dollars would go to this place (it’s not inexpensive… although it’s not particularly expensive either).
By the way, MUST try toppings:
(1) Quinoa crunch
(2) Sesame walnut

I work nearby and this is my go to place for a healthy afternoon snack.
I get the small frozen with 1 topping, but you can get 3 more for only an extra $ 1.
My top 3 favourite toppings are (in order of how healthy I want to be from least to most):
1. Crackle bits (the end when the froyo is melted and covered by cracked bits is heavenly)
2. Candied walnuts
3. Persimmons
The topping selection is fantastic and there’s always variety of rotating fruits. At times I see some interesting exotic choices (ie. dragon fruit, persimmons, goji berries) If you see something unfamiliar and wish to try, they’re happy to give you a sample.
I personally love the flavour of kefir but It’s not for everyone. Some coworkers I’ve introduced to didn’t appreciate the flavour at all. It’s a love or hate relationship. You’ll have to try it for yourself and if it’s love at first taste you should join the stamp program to collect free toppings and work your way up to a regular sized item.
Only complaint is that it’s not open later for those late work nights.

So delicious. The people who work there are so friendly. If they had coffee to go that was more convenient (all they have is French press, which takes 4 minutes), I’d give them 6 stars. A beacon of hope in a world of fake Greek fat free crap. I’m a fan for life.

Must Try: Kefir with fruits, crackle bits, coconut bits
Rating: (⁸⁄₁₀) Food, (⁸⁄₁₀) Service, (⁸⁄₁₀) Value, (⁹⁄₁₀) Ambience, (⁸⁄₁₀) Presentation, (¹⁰⁄₁₀) Cleanliness
My Experience:
Been wanting to try this spot for a long while, but it’s hidden downstairs in the Path and only really open during the work day hours, not my preferred time to get froyo.
There are varying sizes and toppings, with a $ 6 small size serving up to four toppings, each additional topping is $ 1 more. The small size is a very decent portion, but I won’t judge anyone for getting a larger size.
The overall texture of deKEFIR compared to other frozen yogurt is what sets it apart. It is less creamy but softer than most frozen yogurt places, with the actual flavour being a lot richer.

Located right at the bottom of the escalators once you enter the Bay-​Adelaide Centre, this place is a gem, year-​round. It’s also located just around the corner from the Bay-​Adelaide food court, in case you want to stop in for some dessert after lunch. I normally visit around lunchtime or a little after that, around 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM. It’s not usually too busy, with a steady stream of customers. Service is quite pleasant and patient, welcoming any questions you might have about their product.
For one small sized order, it’s $ 3.89 + tax, and includes 1 topping. For an additional $ 1.00, you can choose an extra three toppings. I usually opt to have an extra 3 and normally pick the candied walnuts, toasted coconut, crunchy quinoa, and a fruit they have on rotation (pomegranate, apples, grapes, grapefruit, etc.).
My only complaint is that recently, most likely because I came in mid-​afternoon on a recent visit, the fruits at that point in the day turned very brown and soggy (the apple edges were definitely not cut within the last couple of hours and were brown and wilted, for example). Other than that, the frozen yogurt is delicious — sweet yet tarte and very refreshing. Plus, I absolutely love the candied walnuts topping!
For one small sized order, I pay $ 5.45 with taxes included. You can also pick up a deKEFIR stamp card — for every 5 orders where you spend $ 6 or more on kefir or oatmeal, you receive some item for free (i.e. an extra topping, a free order of kefir, etc). Not bad, and will be back!

It’s the best froyo I have!
I had my first visit two years ago because of good reviews on Unilocal.At that time, I didn’t like it at all.
After two years, I revisited it again. I have no idea why I fell in love with this taste after two years.
I always get a regular forzen with only 1 fruit topping, and I came here at least 2 times a week!

Very nice and non-​expensive place in downtown Toronto at Bay-​Adelaide building.
One topping is free. The servers know the product very well and I got a small sized Kefir with walnuts topping which was recommended by them.
It is a very tasty and healthy option if you are craving something sweet for a snack in the afternoon.
The place also has few tables to sit but if you cant find a place there, then go to the Bay-​Adelaide food court which has plenty of seating.

Don’t like when people are cheap with my food — how much does making kefir cost you really? Fill in half of the cup!

Just meh. It was a new and different taste but nothing out of this world. I love tart flavours and this was nothing revolutionary. I’ll be sticking to my self serve froyo from Menchies

I was convinced to visit this place because of it’s above average reviews and unique take on the frozen dessert, however I was sadly disappointed and most likely won’t be coming back.
Regular frozen deKEFIR (²⁄₅): deKEFIR is froyo, but a little different. I found it way more tart than regular froyo combined with a dryer texture. What do I mean by this? The fro-​kefir more or less comes off in chunks on the spoon like hard ice cream than its creamier froyo cousin. And because it’s so tart I wouldn’t eat fro-​kefir on its own which brings me to the toppings. deKEFIR has a wide variety of toppings: fresh fruits, nuts, chocolate, etc… the basics. You can get 1 or pay an extra $ 1 for 3 more, which I did. Now it was interesting the way the toppings are loaded on. Your first 2 toppings are put into the cup, then they LOAD IT UP with fro-​kefir, and try to sit the last 2 toppings on the edge of cup thereafter… It was a strange experience to eat because —
1) I was forced to eat a ton of fro-​kefir on its own due the sheer amount they put in the cup
2) I lost half my coconut flakes because they were falling off on the side of the cup (thankfully the walnuts stick to the kefir) and
3) when you get near the bottom you finally reach your last 2 toppings however you don’t really have much fro-​kefir anymore to eat with it…
ALTOGETHER, I’d rather go to a self-​serve froyo place.
KEFIR Waffle (¹⁄₅): Buttermilk bubble cake/​waffles are one of my favorite snacks to munch on, so I decided to try out what it would taste like with a kefir twist. It looked great in a picture that was posted on Unilocal,but I may have set my expectations too high. I might have been unlucky that day but my kefir bubble cake came out with wrinkly bubbles, parts were definitely under cooked, and it was covered with many bits of char as if the machined hadn’t been cleaned in awhile. Despite the way it looked, I decided to try a bit anyways… don’t judge a book by its cover right? Let’s say, I had to concentrate on my taste buds to find the little hint of sweetness in the cake. I couldn’t work up the effort to eat rest and I wouldn’t recommend this experience to anyone, you are better off just trying the fro-​kefir if you’re up for it.
Price (³⁄₅): The regular fro-​kefir + extra toppings and waffle came to just under $ 12 for me. I have no complaints, feels like a fair price.
Service (⁴⁄₅): Upon arrival, I was greeted by a very friendly and chatty lady who manned the station that day. She gladly gave her recommendations on toppings, brought the waffle to my table when it was finished cooking and offered up a loyalty card straight away. Definitely one of the better aspects of this place.
Ambiance (³⁄₅): It’s a cute place situated in the Bay/​Adelaide center (the suits building!) and they have a good amount of seating to just chill and eat fro-​kefir. It was very clean, almost minimalist but with a modern flare.
If I were to come back, I’d probably ask for less fro-​kefir in the cup, order flaky toppings first so they are at the bottom and bigger toppings last so I don’t lose half of it falling off the edge of the cup.

One of the best frozen yogurt I’ve had, if not THE best! I got a medium sized yogurt with 4 toppings ($ 6) – the walnuts and granola toppings were great! Definitely will drop by again after work! It was a bonus that the service lady was very friendly too.

The most delicious frozen yogurt I have ever had.
How do you describe the taste? It’s like regular tart froyo with an extra dairy taste. I don’t even know what that means.
A small «frozen» with four toppings (one topping included and three extra for $ 1) is $ 6. I got the glazed walnuts (yum), goji berries (it was weird and unenjoyable), bananas (they’re bananas), and some type of pie crumbly dust that resembled graham crackers (yum).
The weird thing is they put two toppings underneath the yogurt and then two on top, so by the time I was done my yogurt and reached the bottom toppings, there wasn’t much, if any, yogurt left to accompany the toppings. You’re kind of left eating dry toppings on their own. The first solution that comes to mind would be to have larger Menchie’s-sized cups so that there’s enough room for you to move the yogurt around and mix it with the toppings.
Either way, the yogurt was delicious. In the future, I’ll probably order a larger size yogurt and pass on the additional toppings.

This is BLISS.
Favourite frozen (and healthy?!) splurge-​y treat to get in the financial district. Located in the Bay-​Adelaide building, deKEFIR is welcoming with its dimly lit storefront. Servers are always friendly and fast!
I usually get the regular or medium FROZEN with the extra toppings ($ 1 extra) with fruit and quinoa crunch… and drizzled with honey. No extra cost for the honey! Total: ~$ 5.

I expect that the lady behind the counter is an owner or partner. She’s very invested in her product and excellent customer service. The frozen kefir is less sweet than chain fro-​yo shops and the toppings include health options. All wins in my family!

I’ve tried both the regular and the frozen kefir, and I prefer the frozen one since it’s sweeter due to the added cane sugar :)
It is on the pricier side as it’s $ 4 with just one topping, which I don’t find is enough. You add an additional $ 1 for 3 extra toppings, which I’ve always done cause it makes the kefir tastier with all the crunchy bits and fruits you can get: D They offer dragonfruit sometimes!
Dekefir also has a daily lunch special for those looking for a healthy lunch option in the PATH.

Delicious corner of the PATH!
If your are familiar and enjoy the taste of kefir the flavour is prominent.
The server was extremely friendly as she explained the different options in front of me.
Looking forward to this healthy treat now that summer is here!

Despite it being all cold and wintery, I do love me some froyo, so I took the opportunity to try out deKEFIR when I was working in the area. After my first try, I came back twice in the span of two weeks and introduced my co-​workers to it, so you can tell I’m definitely a fan!
On each occasion I’ve been here, the staff have been super friendly and helpful. I’ve only tried the frozen (small) and I always pay the extra $ 1 for 3 additional toppings because I think it’s totally worth it. They have a pretty good selection of toppings (obviously not as much as Menchies), but they are 100 times healthier and some of them are really interesting. I’ve gotten pineapples, berries, grapefruit and pomelo, shredded coconut, in-​house made granola, toasted sesame walnuts, chocolate chips, and crackle bits. I would definitely recommend the crackle bits and walnuts! Also, unlike Yogen-​Fruz, their fruits are fresh and not frozen: D
After tax it ends up being $ 5+, which is a tad pricey, but I justify it by thinking about the pro-​biotics and healthiness and the fact that you get a pretty good amount. The kefir is less creamy and has a slightly more ‘icy’ texture than regular froyo. It has a really natural taste though and is a little bit tart, but I looooove it. It might be an acquired tasted though — the first time I came with my co-​worker he said he didn’t like it, but then it grew on him and he dragged me back with him like two days later. I can definitely see myself coming a lot here especially as the weather starts to warm up, and hopefully they’ll keep changing up the toppings and will have some new ones to try by then.
Tip: They have a loyalty program/​stamp card thing going on, so grab one if you think you’ll be coming a lot, and you can easily get free toppings, or free treats! (I think it only takes 4 stamps to get something: D)

I work in an office in the PATH. There are days where you just need an afternoon pick me up but you don’t want to bus the waistline.
Dekefir is a great place to satisfy your sweet tooth but still get nutrients! They have a range of items to choose from, from frozen Kefir with a wide range of toppings, smoothies, and breakfast bowls. I usually get the single serving of the frozen Kefir. Its not too sweet, and has a really good tang to it. If you want to sweeten it up, there are different toppings to choose from. The ones that I’ve chose that I like are: any fruit based ones, toastes sesame walnut (must), chocolate chip (not so crazy), and granola.
The service is great, they are quick and you can get your treat and eat it on the way back to the office.
Make sure to get a Stamp Card, as the incentives include free toppings and eventually free yogurt!

$ 3 something for a small cup of low fat and low sugar still delicious frozen yogurt with one topping at a downtown financial district is not bad at all.
The staff knows the product well and is very friendly. The place is kept very clean. There are several tables provided inside the store for people like me who want to just chill and enjoy the yogurt during an afternoon break from office:)
There are a lot of toppings to choose. Some Unilocalers recommend crackle bits, I tried. The staff told me that it was like cookies crumble. It was so good! The staff there suggested fresh cut mango and walnuts. I will try them for sure.