Grk Ygrt
Grk Ygrt is where to head to in Kensington Market if you're looking for fresh and frozen yogurt. Boasting all natural, all homemade and all healthy recipes, you can choose from the fave combo list or mix it up and make your own yogurt concoction.
This is Jesse Ewart and Jennifer Batler's first location, taking over the spot where Le Ti Colibri used to reside. They tell me they chose this location obviously for the great exposure Kensington Market offers, but also because their main principles (simple, homemade, healthy) tie in nicely with the general aesthetic of the market.
If you're craving ice-cream, but looking for a healthier option, you've found it. Just start with a fresh yogurt, frozen yogurt or a chia seed pudding vegan base, and choose from the 8 different combos ($6-8) or select some of the 10 different toppings to make your own mix.
We start with a top seller - the classic ($6). The fresh yogurt is topped with raspberry preserves, homemade granola (oats, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, currants and honey) and homemade toasted seed mix (chia seeds, hemp seeds and buckwheat). The tartness of the raspberry is a welcome mix with the granola and the actual fresh yogurt is light and tasty.
The granola is so good that I ask if it's for sale, but unfortunately it's not as they only make it in small batches to keep it fresh. However, they do sell the honey they use from Golden Orchard Apiary ($12) that is local, natural, unpasteurized and so pure that they say they has to be careful to not use too much or the yogurt gets a floral taste.
Next we go for a slightly sweeter combo - the b-a-n-a-n-a-s ($6). Once again with the fresh yogurt as a base, this is mixed with bananas, almond butter and dark chocolate. Even as one of their sweeter mixes, it is not overwhelmingly so and it's still light, creamy and fresh, making for a perfect snack.
They tell me they get the yogurt from a dairy a couple hours away and then mix it with milk, honey and lemon juice to make their own frozen yogurt.
We try a frozen yogurt ($4.50) with blueberry preserves and condensed milk cookie crumble. The frozen yogurt, while very similar to the fresh yogurt, is arguably even better. The condensed milk cookie crumble (which is the only non-gluten item on the item along with cookie butter), is a nice touch as its both unique and tasty.
The also offer a section of soft drinks, Mighty Leaf tea ($2.50) or Alternative Ground coffee ($1.75). In warm weather expect a lineup, but with the quick, friendly service and a wide range of options to choose from - I'm going to say this one will be worth a wait.
Photos by Hector Vasquez.