A YogurStory-book Tale

Now here’s a story I heard tell, about an enchanted land where delicious things dwell. ‘Tis a magical place where boys and girls too, can eat dessert for breakfast, or whatever they choose! A world of wonders made by one man — a guy with great vision, and one heck of a plan. He decided, “Let’s play pretend, we’re never too old — we’ll open a restaurant and let the story unfold!” And the rest is history…

When the original owner of YogurStory (a Korean businessman), first created the concept of his restaurant, he wanted to style the business model — from decor to dishes — on a look and feel likened to the popular Korean soap operas all abuzz these days.

In fact, YogurStory was first established simply to offer light desserts, breakfast and mainly frozen yogurt. In Korea, yogurt is spelled “yogur” without the T — hence the mysterious moniker. And the name stuck, although the menu keeps growing — adding items straight from the imaginative mind of executive chef Andy Dalan. “We are always looking to expand the menu and broaden our horizons creatively,” explains Dalan. “I’ll even take trips to Los Angeles, or research online for hours, just to keep up-to-date and current — so customers have the best options available.”

That dedication certainly shows, as YogurStory now serves up a little bit of everything. From breakfast to brunch, lunch and dinner (even an expanded evening menu coming in March), there is a delightful dish perfect for every diner. And vegetarians rejoice, as there are endless offerings for animal-friendly fairies, charming patchouli princes — and even a few frogs in this Asian-inspired fantasy.

The YogurStory chef will even custom fit orders to your specific tastes. Dalan assures me that he already has plenty of practice in this area. “We’ll have really specific requests like no bread, hold the eggs, light on the syrup, replace the bun with a bed of spinach — all kinds. We can accommodate that and more, with pleasure.” So, what he’s basically saying is that even the pickiest of people (I assure you I am including myself first here) can come and play their own veggie-version of “Let’s Make a Deal” — and no “stink-eye” shall be seen. Guaranteed.

Ready to order? No switch-ups needed when it comes to YogurStory’s yummy Hurricane Rice Bowl ($15). A veggie-friendly adaptation of its original bowl, chef Dalan replaced the meat products with a savory smattering of rice, carrots, spinach, shiitake mushroom, cucumber, lettuce and assorted roast vegetables. The highlight of the dish is its sidekick sauce, Kochujang, a Korean hot red pepper paste meant to be stirred-in to suit individual tastes. Equally impressive, Grilled Vegetable Panini ($13) features roasted veggies, pesto, Swiss cheese, tomato and Balsamic vinegar tucked within ciabatta bread before being perfectly pressed into a panini.

So if you dream of a world that is sweet as can be, where oceans flow with chocolate waves and wishes still come true — we have found it for you! Upon delicious dishes, come feast with good cheer. Thus ends my tale, you must take it from here.

YogurStory

815 Keeaumoku St. Ste. 105, Honolulu
942-0505
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Note: Parking is available on both sides of the restaurant.

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