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High Fashion Frozen Yogurt

Sleek, stylish, cool, green--these are words that come to mind when I think of Tutto Tutti, a new Korean-owned frozen yogurt place on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

It adds so much class to an undistinguished mall at the corner of Melrose and Mansfield Avenues that it almost seems out of place.

An interior designer and art team from Korea collaborated on the look. (Too bad they couldn’t have done something for the market plastered with trashy liquor ads next door.)

The owners, husband and wife team Seung and Soo Kim, worked for months to perfect yogurts as elegant and subtle as their shop. Soo, a chef, has an Italian Korean restaurant in Seoul. She became enchanted with gelato while in culinary school in Italy.

The initial flavors--the shop opened in January--aren’t so much Italian as Korean.

Super Bee blends honey with finely ground pure Korean ginseng root. Freckle Snow White isn’t freckled at all, although made with black sesame seeds. It’s so delicately colored that you have to look closely to distinguish it from other flavors. Double Wonder (sea salt and caramel) is just as subtle.

The base for all of them is organic fat-free yogurt, as verified by a tub of empty Horizon yogurt containers at the door.

The creamiest flavors are White Velvet (vanilla), Seven Grains and T, which combines Ceylon tea, fat-free milk and honey. New flavors contemplated for summer include mimosa, sangria and perhaps one that combines ginger and mint.

The toppings are as fresh and healthy as the yogurts—a puree of blackberries and strawberries; balsamic marinated fruit, fresh blueberries, strawberries and balsamic raspberry puree. The closest the shop gets to candy toppings is caramelized walnuts.

Tutto Tutti opens at 7 a.m. The ideal yogurt to have at that hour would be Seven Grains, because it offers a jolt of protein and fiber. The grains include black beans, black rice, black sesame, oatmeal and wheat, with a bonus dash of seaweed.

The real reason for opening so early is coffee, based on espresso made with organic beans. There’s iced coffee too, produced by an elaborate glass contraption that swirls about like high fashion lab equipment. In 10 to 15 hours it transforms cold water into coffee that is acid free and low in caffeine, yet richly flavored--healthy coffee to drink with healthy yogurt.

Flavored yogurts are $4.50; Virgin (plain) yogurt is $4; toppings are $1 to $2, depending upon the number of layers desired.  Tutto Tutti is located at 6803 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038. Tel: (323) 939-9424. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Lunch at the Samosa House

Whenever I’m in West Los Angeles, I try to get to the Samosa House for lunch.  The food set out each day is irresistible. It’s always different, always interesting. And all of it is vegetarian.

In a corner at the back of this large and well-stocked Indian market (when I first went there, it was called the Bharat Bazaar) is a hot foods counter and a case of sweets and snacks.  People come in for food to go or to eat at tables scattered through the market and outside.

A combination plate is just $6.99 and includes a choice of any three main dishes, rice, raita and freshly made chapatis. The other day, I couldn’t stop at three dishes because there were so many tempting things to try, like a vegetable combination (peas, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes) mixed with paneer (Indian cheese), cashews and here and there a raisin for a surprising burst of sweetness.

What looked like a meaty Chinese stir-fry with bell peppers, ginger and onion simulated meat with soy nuggets. Chinese food is immensely popular in India, so it wasn't unusual to find it at the Samosa House.

A crunchy slice of lotus root embedded with seasonings was delicious, and I fcouldn't pass up spicy lobhia (black eyed peas), okra cooked with onions, potato, tomatoes and ginger and  soft, yellow cake-like dhokla, all of this accompanied by cilantro and tamarind chutneys and chapatis.

Drinks, which are extra, include sweet and salty lassis, mango lassi and chai. When you are finished, it’s time to shop, for anything from Indian tea, basmati rice, garam masala and fresh curry leaves to recipe books, incense  and beguiling figures of Indian gods to watch over you as you cook.

The Samosa House is located at 11510 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066. Tel: (310) 398-6766. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.