Juju Cereal Bar in Westwood was created for those intrepid Captain Crunch and Kix mixers who cannot bear the banality of eating a bowl with only one cereal brand.
The store, which just opened in October, lets visitors make their own concoctions, like Cold Stone’s ice cream, but with cereal.
With over 60 kinds of cereal, 50 toppings and 10 milk options, figuring out all the possible cereal combinations would require taking STATS 10.
A regular-size bowl gets two one-cup scoops of cereal, three toppings (which include yogurt pretzels, Nutella and gummy bears) and milk or yogurt. Juju has successfully solved the ever-problematic milk-to-cereal ratio by offering free milk refills for customers who eat inside.
Customers can choose from a library of premade combinations or create their own, but not all the combinations promise to be particularly delicious, as reflected in the name “Juju.”
“”˜Juju’ is a name we came up with meaning “˜charm.’ Like good charm, bad charm, Lucky Charms,” Juju co-owner Han Kim said.
The “Fiber Clops” combination, which comes with Rice Krispies, Kashi Golden Crunch, dried coconut, kiwi and Fiber One, plays with the idea of different textures. However, the mushy consistency of the kiwi adds to the overall soggy cereal effect. Like cereal that has sat too long in milk, the combination was disheartening.
On the other hand, “Let Them Eat Cake” is decadently delicious. Prepared with Chex, Coco Krispies, fresh raspberries, frosting, sprinkles and M&M’s, it tastes like chocolate cake with raspberry filling and vanilla frosting. It is like a dessert but surprisingly not too rich.
For those who prefer a more traditional bowl of cereal, there is “So Fresh and So Clean,” composed of Special K, fresh strawberries, blueberries and banana. Unfortunately, it looked like something I could make at home much more inexpensively.
Juju’s prices are a little steep for the college budget. It currently costs $5.75 for a regular, making a whole box of cereal at the grocery store a much cheaper option. Juju plans to lower prices, however, within the next two weeks to $5.25 for a regular and $3.60 for a new junior size.
Kim cites the cost of property in Los Angeles and the fluctuating prices of fresh fruit as the main factors behind the prices. UCLA students receive a 10 percent discount, in addition to free Wi-Fi and upcoming holiday specials.
Juju won’t stop me from buying ordinary cereal and fruit at the grocery store, but I’ll save some extra funds for an occasional tasty Juju invention.
With a big bowl of combined cereal and unlimited milk, the only thing missing is Saturday morning cartoons.
““ Kristin Aoun