Yogurt World - Kearny Mesa

I have taken on a quest of discovering the best yogurt shop in San Diego. As part of this search, a friend told me that Yogurt World in Kearny Mesa is "The Original - the yogurt shop that started all yogurt shops in San Diego." I definitely had to check it out.

Upon walking in I was initially impressed - they had the full range of flavors, the yogurt was only $0.38 an ounce. I sampled the yogurts (they give free samples), and I made my decisions. Like most self serve yogurt shops, they have only large and huge sized cups. I was used to this, so it was no surprise. I filled my cup with flavors, and then I went to the toppings.

The toppings, to be frank, were a little nasty. They looked kind of old, and things were not clearly or consistently labeled. They did have a large wall of "dry" toppings, like granola, sprinkles, chocolate chips, dried coconut, etc, etc, etc. This looking moderately clean. However the "fresh" toppings, such as the fresh strawberries, bananas, canned pineapple, caramel sauces and such were all kind of brownish. The crushed up butterfingers kind of stuck together in clumps like it had gotten wet. The snickers crumbs had been dropped into the oreos.

I continued onward, and I paid the tab. It was reasonable. The yogurt was pretty tasty. I admired the shop. It was also a little run down, like the toppings. The walls were marred. It was clean enough, though.

The walls boasted all the health benefits of yogurt - clears up acne, improves digestions, and so forth. I inquired at the counter about the nutritional information; it was not available. They gave me a website. I looked it up; it didn't work. They gave me another website. I looked it up. It worked. However, I found out that not all their flavors are yogurt. Some are ice cream; some are custard. This doesn't bother me per se, except that because of the name of the store it is implied that all options are actually frozen yogurt.

The yogurts they sell are certified to contain live and active cultures. They are moderate in sugar content. Most are fat free or low fat (though the ice creams and custards are not).

I also noticed they have only one register, which I suspect is to create an artificial line. This is a southern California practice to manufacture the perception of extreme popularity, and it drives me bonkers.

Overall, this place was okay, but needs to be cleaned, to be better labeled, refreshed toppings, and a second register.

Yogurt World
4646 Convoy St
Ste 113
(between Dagget St & Opportunity Rd)
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-1688

Hours:
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

SipZ

SipZ (stress the "Z"), is a vegetarian Asian-fusion restaurant in Kearny Mesa. The dishes are affordable, usually just under $10 for a full size entree, and they serve up a range os Asian dishes from sushi to curry to noodles to salads. They offer a number of "faux meat" dishes.

The sushi is very tasty, though the flavors of the different rolls don't seem to vary greatly. I love the wonton soup, mostly be cause it is nearly impossible to find vege wonton soup anywhere! You can't go wrong wit ha noodle dish in taste, but they can be a little greasy.

I took my boss and a couple colleagues there a few weeks ago, all of whom eat meat, and they were all impressed by the dishes! This from a group of men with whom the conversation focused on the last hunting trip one of them had taken! And he even got Boba Tea, to boot!

Two Locations:

5501 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117
858-279-3747

9450 #114A Scranton Rd
San Diego, CA 92121
858-457-1103

www.SipZ.com

Toby Wells YMCA in Kearny Mesa

The Toby Wells branch of the YMCA is part of the San Diego YMCA, which includes the Mission Valley location and the Hazard Center Annex, as well as the Downtown YMCA. Yes, that's right, these are all under one membership!

The Toby Wells YMCA is located in Kearny Mesa, and for many people it is quite out of the way. But if you work in the area it can be a very convenient location for getting in a workout or class. (I would have said "if you live or work in the area," but who lives in Kearny Mesa?)

It is clear that this location caters to the working world of Kearny Mesa. For example, they offer 45 lunch time workout classes Monday through Friday! They have 45 minutes pilates classes Monday through Thursday, and they have 45 minute yoga Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They also have some one-hour yoga classes, though if you only have an hour for lunch the 45 minute classes are already a tight squeeze.

They are also located next to "San Diego Spectrum," a generally generic strip mall, but worth noting because they have some (sort of) healthy lunch options like "Robeks" cafe and juice bar.

Toby Wells YMCA also has a pool, a hot tub, regular exercise equipment (you know cardio machines and weight machines, if you're into those things), and of course fully equipped locker rooms. They also offer childcare for up to two hours while working out, and full daycare facilities. Worth checking out if it suites your location!

Toby Wells YMCA
5105 Overland Ave.
Tel: (858) 496-9622

Hours of Operation
Mon. - Fri. 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat. & Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m

Kid's Place Sitting Service:
Mon. - Fri.
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Green Tea House Cafe

The Green Tea House Cafe in Kearny Mesa is one of my favorite boba tea shops in town. Word on the street is that they were sold about a year ago, shortly after the Tapioca Express went in three shops down from the Green Tea House Cafe in the same complex. (This is very poor management by the complex owners, IMHO.) I tried the Tapioca Express once, and Green Tea House is way better. it is much more natural tasting (though not sure if any boba is really all that natural...)

The Green Tea House sometimes has DJs or other events on the weekends and in the evenings. I could take or leave these events; I just go for the boba. What I love is that they have a great selection of flavors (tremendous, really). You can get green, black or mixed boba and with or without milk (actually non-dairy creamer, as is standard at boba tea shops). My favorites are the flower teas, like jasmine green or rose black, with milk.

The Green Tea House Cafe
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 715-9500

Yoga , Pilates, and More at the YMCA

Now you might not expect the YMCA to be listed as a destination on a traveler’s website, but it’s just the place to look if you want to squeeze in a yoga or Pilates class while out and about in San Diego. There are many studios around San Diego, and many of them offer great classes. But the YMCA offers classes all day long, very extensive when compared to the limited evening classes of most studios. And the YMCA charges only $10 to visitors, compared to the $12-15 that most studios charge.

The place to look for yoga or Pilates classes through the YMCA is at their Mission Valley Hazard Center location, 7610 Hazard Center Drive. This location is in the heart of Mission Valley, a central San Diego location. They offer a huge variety of classes including: eclectic blend yoga, fitness yoga, gentle yoga, hatha yoga, iyengar yoga, kundalini yoga, mat-based Pilates, NIA, power yoga, stretch, tai chi, and other specialized classes for back health, athletes, cancer-survivors, arthritis, Parkinson’s, and more.

The teachers are as diverse as the classes, with some of them taking you through rigorous workouts, while others are more relaxing. When you pay to take a class you are welcome to use the facilities as well. Every location has all the basic workout equipment, including cardio machines like treadmills, bikes, and cross trainers, as well as weightlifting circuits, as well as locker rooms with showers. In this sense the Hazard Center location is the most limited, as the other locations also have pools, saunas, basketball courts, childcare, snack bars, and other amenities.

The classes run pretty much from 6 or 7 AM until 8 PM Monday through Friday, and about 8 AM to noon or 1 PM on the weekends. The YMCA also has locations in Mission Valley on Friars Road, in La Jolla, in Kearny Mesa, and Downtown, though the yoga and Pilates classes at these locations are more limited. Check with each location for details on what they offer.

The San Diego County YMCA website is: www.ymca.org

Mission Valley YMCA at Hazard Center
7610 Hazard Center Drive
619-298-3576 X2202

Mission Valley YMCA
5505 Friars Road
619-298-3576

Toby Wells YMCA in Kearny Mesa
5105 Overland Avenue
858-496-9622