Hailing from Hawaii, brother and sister duo Cole and Karlen Kunitomo have owned Brian’s Shave Ice on Sawtelle since 2016, the very location where Cole was founder Brian Kim’s first ever employee back in 2011. Today, the siblings have expanded to a second location along the Venice Beach Boardwalk and begun a catering operation, all serving Hawaiian shave ice made from finely sliced block ice soaked in flavored syrups, with prices running $5.75 for a kids size, $7.50 for a regular and $9 for a large. The menu is defined by the sheer volume of choices — first, decide between the three sizes; then choose a filling, which is optional and adds $1.50 but is highly recommended; third, pick from more than 30 flavors; lastly, decide if you want to top off your creation with condensed milk, sour spray or Ghirardelli chocolate — first topping for free. Brian’s Shave Ice can also be found in Tarzana and Sherman Oaks, where the locations are owned by different operators who have shifted their menus to prioritize boba drinks as well as shaved ice.

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A late-night fixture for Korean bingsu in Pasadena and Koreatown, Oakobing’s not-too-sweet creations are soft, airy and fluffy, resembling fresh snow on your tongue. Founded by James Kyung in 2016 with the slogan “light, fresh and guilt free,” Oakobing sources its ice from a company-owned factory in L.A. and prioritizes clean, natural ingredients. Signature desserts include fruity combinations likemango melon, its most popular flavor, served in a real half-melon. Oakobing also serves Asian-inspired flavors like green tea and injeolmi, the popular Korean rice cake made with sweet rice. A small size shaved ice is $9.50, and large size costs $18.99.

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Raspados El Chilango owner Daniel Velázquez has earned his stripes serving cups of fresh scraped ice desserts as a street vendor for nearly two decades. Hailing from Mexico City, Velázquez found himself in the spotlight last summer after his June 2025 TikTok video racked up millions of views, showing an exchange with a strip mall security guard who appeared to threaten to call ICE on Velázquez. After a brief closure in light of increased ICE activity around the area, Velázquez returned to his corner in Hollywood the next month, serving raspados to his longtime cult following and a slew of newcomers drawn from the social media spectacle. Flavors span salty and sweet, including mangonada (mangoes, lime and Tajin) and coconut strawberry. After Velázquez packs your cup with hand-scraped ice and covers it with condensed milk, he hands you a spoon to scoop up fruity toppings and a thick straw to sip up the slush as it melts. Raspados are $7 for a medium, $8 for a large and $15 for extra large.

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The menu at this Koreatown cafe spans coffee and matcha lattes, shaved ice, smoothies and taiyaki. Owner Hannah Yoo, who is originally from Korea, runs the business with the help of her daughter Soomin Kim. Anko offers a hojicha shaved ice flavor made with chestnut cream and premium hojicha powder, an ingredient that Kim says is difficult to source.Her favorite shaved ice flavor is the strawberry mascarpone ($13.50), a concoction with fresh strawberries, house-made strawberry puree and cream. In addition to popular flavors like matcha ($14) and mango ($13.50), the menu features sweet pumpkin ($14) , served with kabocha pumpkin cream, caramel sauce and red bean.

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Mewame owner Ben Kang worked at a shaved ice shop for more than five years before opening his own business in West Hollywood last summer. His lactose intolerance inspired him to create a menu of dairy-free options that are also free of gluten and artificial colors. Each shaved ice is $8 or $8.50, made with a coconut or oat milk base, topped with a dollop of coconut whipped cream and a small gluten-free cookie.

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Korean Ice Co. is one of the newest dessert shops to open in Sawtelle, with a playful selection of bingsu. The menu has a colorful array of flavors including a Fruit Pebbles-speckled “cereal milk” ($9.50) served with condensed milk and a strawberry on top, and a popular take on mango sticky rice ($9.99) made with mango chunks and black sesame seeds. The shop also offers options that pay homage to traditional Korean fruits, such as honeydew melon and mulberry. The shop encourages customers to take free photos with a Polaroid camera, making it an Instagrammable spot to grab a treat.

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The shave ice chain first opened over two decades ago in Hawaii from married couple Ululani and David Yamashiro and business partner Brad Edgerton. Ululani grew up on O’ahu and met her husband on the island. As an adult living in the Pacific Northwest, she missed the shave ice of her childhood and dreamed of opening her own shop. Now, Ululani’s has locations throughout California, serving Hawaiian shave ice with an extensive menu of flavors. One popular flavor combination is Sunset Beach, a tropical medley of passion orange, mango and guava. A regular size shave ice is $8.25, and popular add-ons include “snow caps,” a mixture of condensed milk and cream, and toasted coconut. To ensure the syrups and toppings are spread throughout, Ululani pokes holes through the top of their shave ice, creating a look that’s unique to the shop.

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The portions at Kanomwaan are gigantic, making it the perfect place to take a friend or partner for an afternoon treat. Its menu features creamy shaved ice drenched in condensed milk and covered with thick cream, served alongside a selection of sauces and toppings to make the dessert your own. Founded by husband and wife Champ Chansaeng and Chanita Maneekarn, each item at Kanomwaan is a new take on traditional South Asian and Thai flavors. The shaved ice flavors are constantly changing, but one of the most popular selections is the Thai tea shaved ice ($15.95), which is served with sides of Pandan gelato, Oreo cookies and grass jelly. Kanomwaan sits next door to Ruen Pair, the long-standing Thai restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard that Champ’s parents founded in 1996.

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