SCV Spotlight: Ubatuba Açaí
February 8, 2022
Açaí bowls are wildly popular smoothie-like treats which are sure to please those looking for a healthy dessert or a refreshing snack. Ubatuba Açaí, located at the Westfield Valencia Town Center near The Cheesecake Factory and Xevichez Sushi Bar, offers a variety of açaí bowl options and other menu items.
Company owner Daniela Demetrio said, “Ubatuba Açaí is a family company serving authentic açaí bowls and empanadas. I love working for it because we handle it with passion and care, and it is a creative company where we can design the bowls and create beautiful food.”
“Overall, I had a welcoming experience,” said West Ranch senior Chris Taguba. “When I walked in, I was immediately greeted by the employees upfront.”
Ubatuba Açaí allows customers to completely customize their bowl by choosing from a wide selection of bases, toppings and drizzles. The bases include açaí, agave coconut, pitaya and matcha. There are many options for toppings including different types of granolas, fruits, chia pudding, overnight oats, nuts, shaved coconut, oreos and chocolate chips. Other options range from chia seeds, flax seeds, goji berries, bee pollen, hemp seeds and milk powder, which all offer various health benefits. To top off the bowl, customers can choose from a drizzle of almond butter, peanut butter, condensed milk, Nutella, agave or honey.
The Paw Print tried the agave coconut, açaí and matcha bowl with toppings of fresh fruit and other options.
Ubatuba Açaí fills up the bowl so the customers get the most out of their bowl customization. The agave coconut base featured a muted coconut flavor, which worked well with the rest of the incorporated toppings. The base didn’t overpower the bowl, so customers enjoyed a balanced dessert with the best quality ingredients and flavors. Likewise, the matcha base was also very light, and was a great match-a for matcha lovers.
“We prepare our açaí ourselves, we don’t buy from someone else,” commented Daniela Demetrio. “We make sure not to water it down with a ton of juices so it stays true to how we eat it at the beaches in Brasil. We have a lot of people in our team who love the company and dedicate their full heart.”
The anticipated açaí base was distinct and tropical, which added a sense of freshness to the bowl. The texture was icy, and customers enjoyed the bowl with a spoon to pick up the perfect amount of açaí smoothie and various toppings. Ubatuba’s açaí bowl lives up to the hype with a burst of fruit flavor and healthy goodness.
Chris Taguba tried the dragon fruit base during his visit to Ubatuba Açaí. “It had the soft and fluffy texture of a fro-yo, while also being on the milder side of sweet. The color also looks really pretty!”
To add on top of the bases, The Paw Print decided to try the honey almond granola, chia pudding, strawberries, mango, banana and toasted coconut.
The granola provided a nice crunchy texture to contrast the smooth texture of the base. The fruit added even more flavor without completely overpowering the bowl. It complimented each of the bases with freshness and subtle sweetness. The chia pudding had a thick, creamy, tapioca-like consistency. This was the perfect topping to balance out the sweetness of the base and fruit. It had a very light vanilla flavor that complimented the bowl very well. Lastly, the toasted coconut added a slightly nutty and sweet flavor that pulled the bowl together.
To top it all off, The Paw Print tried the Nutella, almond butter and agave drizzles.
The Nutella drizzle brought the whole açaí bowl together, since the notes of hazelnut and chocolate were the most different from the rest of the fruit and granola mixture. While some may want to stick with the fruit bowls, the nutella was truly a winning point and a highly recommended option for bowl customizations. The creamy topping, icy base and fresh fruit balanced each other out, and the addition of granola also added crunchiness and nuttiness to the bowl.
The agave syrup did not noticeably change the bowl, but customers may enjoy the lightly sweet flavor with other topping options. However, even without the syrup, the bowl is naturally sweet. The almond butter added a rich nutty flavor to the bowl to bring all the flavors together. It had a thick and smooth texture to pair with the toppings.
Ubatuba Açaí may be a newer addition to the Westfield businesses, but their delicious açaí bowls attract a wide variety of customers who want a healthy, sweet treat throughout the day. Cats, be sure to check out Ubatuba Açaí and try their different bowl combinations and other menu items in true Brazilian fashion!
