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

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Her daughter, Loralyn Willis, announced the death. The hubbub over the hoop started when her husband, Wayne, saw opportunity in the object and decided to pitch it to Wham-O, a toy company that soon became known for the Frisbee. As it happened, he was acquainted with one of Wham-O's founders, Arthur Melin, known as Spud, so he arranged a meeting. Advertisement The encounter, she recalled, occurred in a parking lot outside Wham-O's offices in San Gabriel, Calif. The Andersons opened up the trunk of their car and took out the hoop. 'There were no witnesses,' Ms. Anderson said in the documentary. 'Just Spud and my husband and myself.' 'We told him, 'We've called it the hula hoop,'' she continued. 'He said: 'Looks like it has some merit. If it makes money for us, it's going to make money for you.'' The deal was sealed with what Ms. Anderson characterized as a 'gentleman's handshake' and nothing more. Wham-O began experimenting with the hoop, developing a plastic version of it and trying it out on children at a Pasadena, Calif., elementary school. The company also started giving them away to generate buzz. By the time Wham-O was selling the hoop, lines were forming outside department stores. As the popularity of what Wham-O trademarked as the Hula Hoop grew, Ms. Anderson said, she and her husband heard less and less from Melin. 'We called Spud and asked him what was going on, and he kept putting us off,' she said. 'Then they just ignored us.' The hoop quickly became a national sensation. From Ms. Anderson's home in the suburbs of Monterey Park, Calif., she watched as newspapers landed on her porch with headlines like 'Hula-Hoop Sales Soar to $30 Million in 2 Months.' Over the years, stories about Wham-O's success sometimes spoke of a 'friend' visiting from Australia who first told the company about the hoop. 'I think that bugged me more than anything,' Ms. Anderson said. 'It was never reported correctly at all. I was not a 'friend.'' Advertisement In 1961, the Andersons filed a lawsuit against Wham-O. But the company presented records demonstrating its own woes. Just as quickly as the Hula Hoop sensation took off, it swiftly ended, entering the annals of American fads. Wham-O was left with heaps of unsold hoops and argued that it had not made a profit after production costs. The case concluded in a settlement, and the Andersons walked away with just a few thousand dollars. The couple moved on with their lives. Wham-O went on to release the SuperBall, the Slip 'N Slide ,and Silly String. Melin died in 2002. (Wham-O was sold in 1982 to the Kransco Group Cos. for $12 million. It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors, and it has continued changing hands ever since.) 'We often talked about the money we could have made from it and maybe changed our life a little bit,' Ms. Anderson said in the documentary, 'but it didn't work out that way.' 'The world isn't fair. But life goes on.' Joan Constance Manning was born Dec. 28, 1923, in Sydney to Claude and Ethel (Hallandal) Manning. Her father was a real estate broker. As a young woman, Joan was a swimsuit model known as the 'Pocket Venus' because she was 5 feet 2 inches tall. In 1945, Wayne Anderson, a US Army pilot on leave from duty, approached Joan on Bondi Beach. They married a few months later and moved to California. Anderson, who went on to run a prosperous woodwork machine manufacturing business, died in 2007. Advertisement In addition to her daughter, Loralyn, Ms. Anderson is survived by two sons, Warren and Gary, and six grandchildren. Another son, Carl, died in 2023. Over the years, Ms. Anderson's brush with hula hoop history faded into family lore. When her children grew up, they sent letters about her story to Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, but nothing came of it. Fate intervened in 2016, when Ms. Anderson's daughter was recounting the story to coworkers while dining at a restaurant in La Mesa, near San Diego. At a table nearby, eavesdropping, was the mother of Amy Hill, a filmmaker. She asked for her telephone number and passed it along it to Hill. Intrigued by the tip, Hill began vetting the story with her husband and collaborator, Chris Riess. They decided to pursue the project and interviewed Ms. Anderson at La Costa Glen, the retirement community where she lived. The resulting short documentary, 'Hula Girl,' premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. At 94, Ms. Anderson flew to New York to promote the film, and a writer for Vogue interviewed her for an article. The documentary was also shown at the Sydney Film Festival and received coverage in The Atlantic and Smithsonian magazine. It was screened as well for Ms. Anderson's fellow residents at La Costa Glen. Her friends watched in fascination as they learned about her connection to the hula hoop. At La Costa Glen, Ms. Anderson stayed fit by swimming every week and taking ballroom dancing lessons. She also became a formidable bridge player. And in her apartment, she kept the original wood hoop that her mother had mailed to her from Australia, although it mostly sat collecting dust. Advertisement 'I do it once in a while for exercise,' she said, 'but not as much as I should.' This article originally appeared in