If you’re a fan of frozen yogurt, Fraiche in Palo Alto is a must. Check out the review below to learn about why this froyo stop is unbeatable. Staff photo by Eliza Crowder.

By Eliza Crowder

Pretty much anytime my friends and I go out to dinner, there is an unspoken agreement that we will be making the obligatory stop by Fraiche before heading home. Since I discovered Fraiche in my freshman year, I cannot even tell you how many times I’ve stopped by for a sweet treat. Fraiche is a European-style fresh, frozen yogurt shop located on the corner of Emerson and Hamilton in downtown Palo Alto that serves organic frozen yogurt with a variety of fruit, nut, and candy toppings.

Unlike other frozen yogurt stops, Fraiche is not self-serve, which might be a disappointment to some. But, to me it doesn’t make a difference whether I serve it up myself or if someone else does it for me, as the employees are usually very careful in making sure they get your order correct. Sometimes, when it’s late at night and the workers are about to close up shop, they will even give you a large size for the price of a small (this has happened to me on multiple occasions).

One thing unique to Fraiche is that many of its flavors rotate throughout the week, which allows for a greater variety of flavors in total. They always have “original,” “chocolate,” and “pomegranate,” but some of the more unusual flavors are only served on certain days. For instance, my personal favorites – the “café au lait” (fancy for “coffee”) and “Chocolate-hazelnut-almond” – are usually only served on weekends. The coffee flavor is not too strong but has a delicious, long-lasting taste to it. And the richness of the chocolate-almond-hazelnut flavor never disappoints. For those of you less-inclined to chocolatey flavors, the “strawberry champagne” and “pomegranate” are also delicious, refreshing options.

Shown above it the chocolate-hazelnut-almond flavor with strawberries and mochi. Staff photo by Eliza Crowder.

Some of my favorite toppings at Fraiche include their homemade Mochi, the chocolate magic shell, and the shaved chocolate. Mochi is a light and sweet Japanese dessert made of rice that has a chewy texture which perfectly compliments the creamy yogurt. That being said, you can simply never go wrong with a hard-shell coating of rich chocolate accompanied by their homemade, freshly-shaved chocolate on top.

Shown above is the chocolate flavor with the homemade chocolate shavings on top. Staff photo by Eliza Crowder.

The size options at Friache include small and regular, both of which are somewhat pricey for their size. That being said, the pricing also heavily depends on how many toppings you order – the more toppings you desire, the more expensive your froyo becomes.

If I had to point out one downfall of Fraiche, it would be its size. Since it is quite popular on weekend nights, it’s often difficult to find a place to sit inside, so I recommend bringing an extra layer in case you have to end up selecting an outdoor table.

The best part about Fraiche, in my friends’ and my opinion, is that it is somewhat of a guilt-free dessert, or at least it seems like it is. No matter how full we are after dinner, we always go to Fraiche afterwards because the yogurt is so light that it doesn’t make us feel too full.

Fraiche is also a great option for busy high schoolers like ourselves who need not only some delicious food, but also good-old wifi to get work done. Fraiche’s wifi is top-notch and the shop is usually pretty quite during the week, making it a great option for when you have your free period right next to lunch or last period.

So, next time you need a treat after school or if you’re looking for a new post-dinner ritual, Fraiche is the spot for you. Its unique flavors and toppings cannot be found at anywhere else and will surely not disappoint.