Shhh...a top secret topping at Pinkberry

For those who thought that I had abandoned you all, you're absolutely wrong! I was merely busy with work and being on my own with this baby (at least for now), I haven't had the chance to collect my thoughts so I could produce thought provoking posts.

However, I'm back with a vengeance and will prove to you that it was all worth the wait!

Last Thursday, I went to Pinkberry in the East Village with some girlfriends. We sampled their new coffee flavor, which really wasn't my cup of joe. It was tart and bitter, but may be tasty with a few toppings (like crushed Oreo's or coconut).

Then, we tasted the green tea yogurt, which I thought was really delicious! It was tart but had a subtle flavor of green tea. I'd have no problem piling on any topping on this baby!

Instead, we went traditional by ordering a plain vanilla yogurt with 3 toppings. As my sister paid, I overheard a group of girls convincing one of the guys behind the counter to give her an extra topping "rice cakes" because it was her birthday. RICE CAKES? It doesn't take much to convince him and he bends down and reaches for a clear plastic bin full of tiny white boxed shaped "rice cakes." WHAT IS THIS? I watched him as he carefully sprinkled these little candy-like jewels onto this girl's green tea yogurt already covered in strawberries and chocolate chips.

As she passes, I whip my head around and ask her, "Excuse me, what are those?" She quickly replies, "It's mochi but they call them rice cakes." My mouth drops. "Yeah, they're really good, but no one knows about them," she continues. "You have to ask them for it. Don't feel bad. It's not advertised. I only found out about them when I saw someone else order them."

Unfortunately, my sister had already ordered and our vanilla yogurt was already bearing an immense amount of toppings: chunks of strawberries, pineapples and mango.

From that point on, I was obsessed. For about 24 hours, all I could think about were those tiny little pale squares.

The following evening, after treating myself to sushi with my sister and friends, I headed over to Pinkberry on 14th St. and 6th Ave. in search of the "rice cake" topping. I immediately raced to the counter and asked, "Hi, do you have any of those rice cakes?" I waited with bated breath.

Did he know what I was talking about? Should I have explained what they looked like? Should I tell him where I saw them? I swear I saw them. I 'm not crazy.

He nodded yes.

After conferring with my sister, we decided to split a medium vanilla Pinkberry topped with strawberries, mango and "rice cakes." After all, how can you go wrong with a combo like fruit and "rice cakes?"

So, as many of you might be wondering, "How was it?"

It was pretty good! In my opinion, I would much rather call it a mochi topping. When I hear "rice cake," I think of something light and crispy. Instead, it's chewy and glutinous like traditional mochi, but not hard like a gummy candy. I couldn't detect a distinct flavor but I loved the texture. It's powdery surface and chewy middle texture hit the right note for me and broke up the monotony of the cold tart yogurt and soft sliced fruit. This topping can easily go side-by-side with fruit, crushed Oreo's, chocolate chips or cereal.

Even though this frozen treat is fat-free and low in calories, at $6.95 for a medium cup with 3 toppings, it's a definitely something that you can only treat yourself to once in a blue moon. But, when you've got an extra 10-spot burning a hole in your pocket, don't hesitate to drop by Pinkberry and ask the yogurt slinger behind the counter, "Got any rice cakes today?"

And, if you haven't been by a Pinkberry in awhile, they currently have a cute Easter egg yogurt (available for a limited time)!! Please comment and let me know how it is!