Highly Opinionated: An Editor's Favorite Shaved Ice in Los Angeles

Eater

3 days ago

For me, shaved ice is the best way to beat the summer heat in Los Angeles. Every culture has its own version — kakigori in Japan, bingsu in Korea, raspados in Mexico. I grew up having Thailand's version, waan yen, topped with condensed milk and cubes of grass jelly.
Los Angeles is one of the best places to dive into this frosty world because not only is it sunny year-round, but there are so many variations. If you want shaved ice that's more crunchy than fluffy, there's a spot for that. If you prefer creamy and chocolatey to fruity and fresh, there are options for that. Some spots even import special ice specifically for shaved ice, so you can really get fancy with it. Whatever the case, these are my favorite places to grab a shaved ice and cool off in LA.
Best flavors: Sul & Beans
Taro shaved ice with red beans and toasted coconut. Matthew Kang
Perhaps it was the atmosphere that night — a warm summer evening with my colleagues spent around two mountains of delicious and refreshing shaved ice — but Sul & Beans impressed me more than any other place I visited on the quest to find LA's best shaved ice. The flavors at Sul & Beans toe the line between traditional Korean taste with modern sensibilities. And what really takes Sul & Beans to the next level and sets the sweets shop apart from other shaved ice places are the details; there's a thoughtfulness to each flavor, and texture is highly considered.
Take, for example, the taro bingsu: the mound of light and earthy tuber-flavored shaved ice is paired with nutty, toasted coconut flakes; a gooey heap of sweetened red beans, and cubes of mochi. There's cold from the shaved ice, of course, but you can take a break from a brain freeze by diving into the generous pile of red beans. Where the shaved ice is frosty and melty, mochi provides a welcome chewiness. It's just fun to eat toasted shreds of coconut against the ice.
And that kind of consideration is implemented with every flavor they have: a coffee bingsu topped with slivered almonds and granola; a chocolate bingsu loaded with chocolate truffles, whipped cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder; a strawberry cheese bingsu with fresh strawberries and generous cubes of cheesecake. At the time of my visit, there was a seasonal corn flavor with pops of actual sweet corn kernels that I pray makes it to the permanent menu.
Whichever flavor you get at Sul & Beans, whether you prefer fruity shaved ice or something more dessert-forward, you can't make a wrong decision here. — 621 S. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90005
Best for a solo cup: Ululani's
Shaved ice from Ululani's in Hollywood. Kat Thompson
Eating a bowl of shaved ice from Ululani's is what I imagine frozen cotton candy would taste like if it could freeze and maintain its thread-like texture: cold and fluffy, each bite dissolving on the tongue in a blissful moment that feels like childhood summers. Ululani's is unlike any other Hawaiian shaved ice I've had before. The ice isn't crunchy at all — the way it scoops, yielding instantly in a spoon, almost feels like a luxurious sorbet. Pair that with the fresh fruit syrups in classic Hawaiian flavors — like coconut, lilikoi, and li hing mui — and you've got a winning combination.
The keiki, or kids' size, is ideal for a post-dinner treat, but I can also easily tackle the ulu, or original size, on my own. You can add vanilla, macadamia nut, or haupia (coconut custard) ice cream to any dish, as well as red beans. I love that you can opt for creating your own shaved ice with three different syrups or opting for one of their tried-and-true combinations. If you're going for a more tart mixture, li hing mui (salty dried Chinese plum) is the ideal topping. For a sweet and creamy shaved ice, pair your creation with a snowcap or condensed milk mixture.
It may be a chain, with locations across the Hawaiian islands and the continental U.S., but I can say with confidence that the Hollywood outpost serves one of the best versions of Hawaiian shaved ice in the city. — 4661 1, 2 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Most creative take: Tokyo Noir Bar
Kakigori cocktail from Tokyo Noir Bar. Kat Thompson
I truly think Kevin Lee, the acclaimed bartender who dreamt up the menu at Tokyo Noir Bar, is a genius — specifically for coming up with the First Love drink, a towering kakigori cocktail made from shochu, grapefruit, guava, milk, and a boozy makkoli whipped cream. The ice at Tokyo Noir Bar is imported from Japan, which is especially evident in the refreshing, light, and delicate First Love. Grapefruit is the prominent flavor, which is then mellowed out by sweet guava and further tempered by milk. The whipped cream feels especially pillowy against the tiny shards of ice.
Although I love the experience of eating this cocktail, it's especially delightful to drink every last drop once the ice has pooled and the whipped cream has melted. There is no other shaved ice like it. — 1731 E. Fourth Street, Long Beach, CA 90802
Other fantastic shaved ice around Los Angeles
Kanomwaan's mango sticky rice shaved ice. Wonho Frank Lee
Kanomwaan
Kanomwaan only offers three flavors of shaved ice, but the three they do offer feel fundamentally Thai and well-conceived. If you're a mango sticky rice fanatic, the mango sticky rice flavor nicely replicates that classic dessert in frozen form and comes with a mango sauce and a scoop of mango ice cream. The bua loy flavor is inspired by the traditional Thai rice cake dessert and comes with a side of bua loy, a scoop of salted egg yolk, and candle-smoked ice cream. Lastly, the Thai tea shaved ice is crowned with a scoop of Thai tea ice cream, served with crushed Oreos, and a Thai tea sauce.
YESS Restaurant
There is a duality to the two kakigori options offered for dessert at YESS. One feels extremely classic: fresh strawberries and macerated strawberries, condensed milk, and pillowy bites of mochi are all nestled with hand-cranked shaved ice (the ice is even imported from Japan). The other feels like a creative post-dinner coffee cocktail in shaved ice form, with a coffee-whisky syrupy, chewy dates, and a dollop of cloud-like whipped cream. I'm partial to fruit flavors when it comes to shaved ice, but admit that the coffee version is too interesting to skip.
Salju Dessert
For a solo shaved ice outing, Salju Dessert in Alhambra is the best spot. You can get individual cups of shaved ice starting at $6.50 with over 15 flavors to choose from — including Southeast Asian classics like pandan, durian, and Vietnamese coffee. The list of toppings is also vast. Choose from fresh fruit, like jackfruit and kiwi; boba shop go-tos like taro pudding, rice balls, and grass jelly; and syrups that include caramel, passionfruit syrup, and condensed milk. Everything is completely customizable, so you can truly create your ideal shaved ice.
Anko
Anko has everything you need in a shaved ice shop: a warm and clean environment, supremely fluffy shaved snow, and fresh toppings. The shaved ice menu is small but expertly executed. The strawberry shaved ice is loaded with chopped strawberries and topped with an airy mascarpone whipped cream and real strawberry syrup. There's also an earthy hojicha flavor paired with a nutty chestnut cream, as well as a bittersweet matcha flavor loaded with red bean and a matcha mascarpone cream.
Oakobing
The shaved ice at Oakobing is so aesthetically inviting, especially the mango melon flavor that is served in an actual hollowed-out honeydew melon and topped with spheres of the melon. There's also a classic strawberry flavor, a green tea flavor paired with red bean and mochi, a nutty injelomi (roasted soybean powder) flavor, and an Oreo tiramisu that's served with a side of espresso. The shaved ice arrives in delicate ribbons, and the frozen, milky base provides a ton of creaminess.
La Casa De Las Frutas Locas
I am somewhat of the mind that the best raspados are the raspados closest to you, found either under rainbow umbrellas from streetside vendors or in a small frutas and raspados shops. Eater contributor Bill Esparza swears by Raspados El Chilango, which has been operating in Hollywood for 17 years. I am partial to La Casa De Las Frutas Locas in El Monte, a small mom-and-pop that serves their chamoy-streaked diablitos (tamarind is my favorite flavor) with a tamarind straw.