Brian's Shave Ice

Shaved ice is happy to see you

Brian's Shave Ice
11301 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Open Monday-Sunday, 12-11pm

Review:
The conversation mid 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. But this is all foreshadow.

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, azaki bean, mochi, 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!