Is Yo-Chi worth the queue and money? Our Food Scout finds out!

This was the crowd on a Tuesday evening, by the way :"D

Ever since Yo-Chi opened on our sunny island, it’s been the talk of the town. I kept asking myself, “Should I just go for it?” Then out of the blue, a friend texted if I wanted to grab Yo-Chi together. Honestly, I’d been waiting for the hype (and queues) to die down before trying it, but in the end, I caved in spontaneously.

For those who haven’t heard of it yet: Yo-Chi is a popular Australian dessert chain. Think self-service froyo and açai where you can swirl your base, then go crazy at the toppings bar. Instead of paying by cup size, it’s priced by weight... $3.50 per 100g. So the heavier your bowl, the pricier it gets (choose wisely if you’re like me and everything looks tempting!).

What really caught my attention though, aside from the giant disco ball dangling in the store, were the flavours and the whole DIY concept. Who doesn't like a bit more control at the toppings station (even if it may cost a little more/less?)

There were 10 to pick from, all made with real Aussie milk. They’re low-cal, 98% fat-free, and packed with prebiotics. I went safe with my base: original and chocolate. The original wasn’t overly sour, while the chocolate had that “lighter chocolate milk” vibe that didn’t feel sickly sweet.

This disco ball in the store caught my attention!

Then came the fun part: toppings. There’s the usual line-up of fresh fruits, sprinkles, and choc drops, but Yo-Chi Singapore has three exclusive toppings you won’t find elsewhere: coconut jelly, nata de coco, and mango popping pearls.

I built mine with strawberries, watermelon, milk choc drops, chocolate soil (dark cacao nibs with a subtle sweetness), cookie dough (my weakness), and finished it off with a warm Nutella drizzle.

A refreshing yet indulgent bowl!

My final pricing and verdict??

It came up to $10.73! A little steep for froyo, but considering the flavours, toppings, and the DIY fun, I eased into it. (I’m usually wary of pay-by-weight places!)

The mix of flavours worked better than expected. The original wasn’t as sour as most froyos I’ve tried, and the chocolate had that lighter-than-milkshake sweetness. Texture-wise, it hit the sweet spot: not icy, not watery, not heavy (music to your ears, I hope).

Toppings-wise, the surprise MVP was the cookie dough. As an uncertified cookie lover, it sent me straight back to school holiday afternoons baking choc chip cookies.

Well, was it worth the $10.73? Maybe I should've toned it down on the base (since I couldn't finish the whole thing). And should you attempt this pay-by-weight endeavour? Only if you're a froyo-lover who wants fun and variety. There's also a 20% off if you download their app.

How about the queue? We waited 25 minutes on a weekday night. Personally, I’d skip the weekend (Fri to Sun) madness, but on a weekday evening when you’re craving froyo, it could be worth it. Maybe drag a fellow froyo friend along for the extra fun.

Although we couldn’t snag a seat (full house), I still had fun. Half the experience was cracking jokes with my friend while we debated toppings. And honestly, that’s the best part of Yo-Chi: full creative freedom to build your dream bowl.

So, should you try it? If you’re a froyo fan who loves some DIY fun, go for it… just be prepared to queue.

📍 Yo-Chi, Orchard Central #01-06