llao llao

I like llao llao and honestly what draws me is not the yogurt itself but…*drumrolls* the chocolate sauce!!! Bummer I know. I am not paying more than 5 bucks just to get a splash of chocolate sauce. The fruit is not fresh, and the yogurt is too sweet for my liking, making me convinced that the sugar level is about the same (if not more) than ice cream. However, when you taste the chocolate sauce you could tell that the chocolate sauce used in Llao Llao is not the cheap kind that other froyo parlors have.
Service at this particular outlet was great — at least when I visited. I came here on Saturday afternoon (June 20) around 11 am, the uncle who helped me was very attentive of my order and even asked me if the topping is enough to my liking. The queue here was much shorter than what I usually witness happening at their other outlets in Orchard area. There was only 2 people ahead of me when I came.
Nearest MRT station: Novena. From Novena MRT, you could take the underground walkway that can link you to United Square shopping mall.

The first I’ve ever heard about Llao Llao was today, so forgive me if I haven’t caught on the to the craze. One thing is for sure, the queues are CRAZY long. Locals sure do love to queue for anything, and I guess that includes me now: D
My point of reference for this review is the Yogurt Chain in the US, Pinkberry. Unfortunately, compared to Pinkberry LlaoLlao just misses the mark. It delivers that great tart taste that both Yogurt Chains are known for, but LlaoLlao’s consistency leaves something to be desired. I ordered the Sanum, which according to my wife is LlaoLlao’s specialty. The toppings I ordered including: banana, strawberry, kiwi, caramelized sunflower seeds, topped with black chocolate sauce were all well and good, but the Yogurt kind of reminded me of a really good ice dessert. In short, the Yogurt was more icy than creamy. Aargh…
If I want an ice kachang, I will order an ice kachang. If I want a yogurt, I will order a yogurt. Darn it! As soon, as I took the Sanum Yogurt outside in the Singapore heat, it didn’t stand a chance. It melted over the course of 10min. Doh…
For me, a yogurt should not have an ICY consistency, even in the slightest bit. In an ode to Iron Chef, I’m sorry LlaoLlao, PinkBerry still reigns supreme.

llao llao and I got off to a rough start the first time we met, with our second meeting a lot better, so for now– 3 stars.
I tried their popular «Sanum», which is a tall cup that has froyo on the bottom, a mix of one crunchy topping + 3 types of fruits, topped again with froyo and drizzled with a sauce of your choice. It’s pretty sizable, so if you’re not too hungry I recommend sharing it with someone.
My first cup was a fail. I chose kiwis, strawberries, and blueberries as my fruit, but the quality of the fruits wasn’t there– the blueberries had no taste, and the kiwis and strawberries were too tart. The way-​too-​sweet white chocolate sauce didn’t help. And on top of that, the yogurt melted really quickly and I was drinking yogurt soup within 5 minutes.
But the queues for this place hasn’t gotten shorter! So I figured I must’ve been missing out on something. The second time, I thought I’d try their Granillao, their take on a slushie, but unfortunately it wasn’t being offered. So Sanum it was again, this time choosing watermelon, mango, and melon as my fruits and a dark chocolate sauce.
Luckily, I was able to snag one of their snazzy green chairs (their small retail area, combined with their long queues have made these chairs quite a commodity) and the result was a lot better. I had a cup of froyo that didn’t melt immediately and the dark chocolate sauce was a good complement to the sweet fruits.
So in the end, I’m a bit torn– I see why people queue for this, but the quality of the fruits aren’t cutting it for me. I have yet to find my favourite combination and at $ 6.50 a pop, I’m not sure if I want to keep on trying.