sweet healthy options

Around my office there aren't many healthy food options around, as in serving whole wheat noodles or brown rice. There is a Subway nearby, but despite the few times I have tried the subs filled with deli meat, lettuce, tomatoes and a special sauce, the taste isn't that appetizing.

There are a few places I like to go to, including one that serves "cross the bridge noodles" or 过桥米线 (guoqiao mixian), and a Vietnamese restaurant where I have beef pho and spring rolls. Or for Cantonese fare, I hit Herbal Cafe for their eight-hour simmering soups and wonton noodles or other dishes with a bowl of rice.

So it was refreshing to find out that there's a frozen yogurt place that just opened up last week near our office and just across from Shin Kong Place.

It's called Milk Inn or Maiqi Gongfang, a bright red place that has two floors. Walking in, you just think the small space is the shop, but actually there's marble steps at the back leading to a spacious seating area upstairs.

Right now you can only get the milk-flavoured yogurt and can choose from two sizes, medium or large. If there are only two sizes, why not call them small and large?

The medium cup is 15RMB, the large 20RMB, not including toppings which are 2RMB for one, and 5RMB for three.

This is where customers can either go healthy all the way or indulge, as the toppings range from cookies and gummi bears to mixed nuts and fruits like cantaloupe, pineapple and strawberry.

And yes -- I was good. I tried a medium cup with chopped mango, raspberries and blueberries. Blueberries are an uncommon sight here, as they are quite expensive in western grocery stores so it was a treat to have them in my dessert treat.

I headed upstairs which featured white chairs, tables and floor, and settled into my frozen yogurt.

The yogurt is produced in China from the company's own ranch in Hohot, Inner Mongolia. That ensures quality control and the yogurt has that tangy after taste that's just a touch tart. The frozen yogurt isn't rock hard but not creamy either, which is fine. The chopped mango made the yogurt a bit sweeter and it was great having frozen blueberries and raspberries in it, just like home.

This place will definitely be busy in the summer, a great healthy way to cool down in the humid heat.

Milk Inn
Blue Castle Building
No. 3 Xidawang Road
Chaoyang District
8599 7329