The conversation at Brian’s Shave Ice went something like this:
Sallie: I want a snow-cone machine at home so I can eat it every day. All day. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Nick: That’s a lot of sugar and not so much health.
Sallie: I’ll sprinkle it with protein powder and fiber powder.
Nick: We can go back, you know.
Sallie: Tomorrow! … Tonight?
You know it’s that good when you start plotting your return before you’ve even finished your first. And that is the unwritten step 6 on Brian’s menu: how to satisfy your new addiction.
On the sidewalk front of Sawtelle right after you turn off Olympic and on to “the street with all the Asian fare,” as I reference, Brian’s is a one-stop shop for everything you can think that relates to shave ice.
How-To Order at Brian’s Shaved Ice:
1. Pick your size (kiddie, regular, large). Unless you revel in regret, go for the large ($4.50).
2. Choose your fillings: dole whip, azuki bean, mochi, or ice cream. I went for half dole-whip, half vanilla ice cream. What is dole whip, you ask? It’s pineapple soft-serve, basically. The kind that you can get at Disneyland, apparently. Tangy and creamy, it’s the stuff people will pay $90 for admission just to get a tuck.
3. Choose your flavors: The list is the length of Santa’s, but don’t freak. The cashier will guide you to “most popular,” and/or if you pick one or two, she will advise as to “what goes with that.” I selected green apple, POG (passion fruit, orange, guava), and Tiger’s blood (strawberry colada).
4. Choose your topping: condensed milk, sour spray, and a few typical sauces (chocolate, caramel) and some other available dousings that don’t matter because you’re always going to get condensed milk.
5. Get a stamp card (after 9, the 10th is free!).
6. Fantasize about your next flavor combo as you mercilessly suck down your creation.
7. Get parking validated (so it’s free).
A blessed replacement for all those “self-serve” yogurt shops, Brian’s is a welcome summer (and hopefully year-long to forever) addition to the daytime (nighttime, and every-time) list of dessert options. Slurp up!
Brian’s Shave Ice
11301 W Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Open Monday-Sunday 12-11 pm
310.231.3450
