Snow Flower Ice

I’m not a huge fan of shave ice, but I’m pretty sad this place closed. The Snow Flower Ice was pretty good after a heavy meal at YardHouse next door. Best of luck to the owner (s)!

Delicious shaved ice cream. I love that they have fresh fruits here. The only thing they’re missing is boba :) I got the banana shaved ice cream and it was delicious but my friend got the vanilla ice cream and it was really good! Probably gonna get that one next time. Always get condensed milk on top!

+1 for continuing to expand the shaved snow/​ice scene out here on the Westside beyond Blockheads.
I got the Strawberry Shaved Ice (#7), which came with strawberry squeeze (their more appealing name for syrup, I guess), popping pearls and frozen raspberries. I really liked how they make both shaved snow (milk-​based) and ice (water-​based, but the ice is still shaved fresh and finely enough so that it’s just as fluffy as the milk-​based snow. Yayyy.
They also have this Vanilla Protein Snow which has like 31g of protein in it for the large size lols. So like if you want to get your protein fix while nomming on desserts, there you go. Definitely a good move, because I know a lot of people that would probably be interested in a protein-​loaded dessert.
There’s very limited seating inside, so don’t expect to hang out here — there is a Starbucks next door, though!

Try this place out for a legit asian style shaved ice experience. Different than hawaiian shaved ice, they flavor the cubes of ice with green tea, vanilla, chocolate, etc before shaving. This adds a creamy base flavor to the desert. Then add fresh fruit, gelatin «popping» bubbles, and other froyo like toppings to mix up the flavors and textures.
They have premade selections or use your stoned artistic prowess to create something novel. It’s up to you, just put one foot forward and don’t look back until you’re face first in your frosty delight.

So glad people are discovering this gem! I should’ve written a review about a month or two ago, but I forgot. Terrible, I know!
Well thank goodness for the coupon I found in those random junk mail booklets, because that HONEYDEW is just the absolute greatest thing ever. Ever. How could I have forgotten about it?! It tasted exactly like any Asian, melon-​favored food item such as the melon bar ice cream or gum. Too bad it’s only seasonal. I shall have to return before it’s gone forever!!!
I will return again in the fall for sure just to try their PUMPKIN flavor…
Speaking of flavors, they use REAL FRUIT in the shaved snow, which makes it way healthier. The Milk flavor was pretty good, too. They also have a WHEY protein flavor for all of you overly health-​conscious folk…
That last flavor came recommended by the owner. I have to admit I’m a little scared to try it haha. Speaking of the owner, he remembered us about a month after our first visit. I love that kind of service, which is why I bumped my rating up to 5 stars (also because I will rave forever about that honeydew.).
And lastly but most importantly: their snow. The TEXTURE is phenomenal. Creamier than most snows but not too milky like ice cream. It sort of refuses to melt in your mouth, holding its flavor and shape, and then decides to give in and melt (your heart) all at once. Might be one of my favorites…
Great parking as there is a garage underneath. Also, who doesn’t love check-​in offers?
I truly hope this place does well and stays around for a while. I will definitely be returning… and based on this review at least 3 more times in the near future!

I’d feel like an ass if I didn’t give this place 5 stars since everyone else seems to be obsessed with it, but I think they might actually deserve it. I’ve been to blockheads several times, which for those of you who don’t know, is the same concept as this place. The first time I went to blockheads I think I was caught up in the hype, but the second time I went, i accepted the fact that it just may not be as amazing as everyone says.
Thankfully, Snow Flower Ice is what blockheads should be. The guy at the front is super nice. Their combinations are amazingly good. I highly recommend the Taro with coconut and milk. Sooo bomb. And the junior size is plenty — although if you’re sharing or are extra hungry, don’t be afraid to splurge.
I believe for the junior size it’s $ 4.50 but you also get 10% off w a Unilocal check in so don’t forget about that. The true test of this place will be when I try their #6 (banana ice cream w strawberries and other stuff). Banana ice cream is very hit or miss at places, so if they get it right, I’ll be super impressed.

I was pleasantly surprised by the cotton candy texture of the shaved ice here. You can add 1 syrup type topping then all the other toppings are 50 cents extra. The workaround is that you can order a shaved ice that they already bundle for you.
I got the green tea and it’s not sweet; tastes like green tea without added sugar. Love that they give you plenty of condensed milk. The friendly guy at the counter even told us to let him know if we wanted more! I got strawberries and green tea mochi as well. They were okay, but next time I’ll swap out the strawberries for some other fruit. I’ll try the sweet milk shaved ice next time.
10% discount for a Unilocal OR facebook check in. There’s a parking lot, but also street parking or a lot down Maxella near the DSW if you can’t find a spot.

Not sure why the ratings are so high here. The flavors are typical. The toppings are typical. This is not comparable to any snow places in SGV at all.

We enjoyed a nice desert after lunch here Thursday and Sunday of last week. We didn’t get enough the first time so we went back Sunday with a couple of our family members yea that good! Lol Service is excellent. The place is nice and clean. We had very berry shave ice with raspberry and pink boba that was refreshing & good (junior$ 4.50).We also had the coconut cream base shave ice with coconut flakes and pineapple so yummy (regular $ 6.25). My mom had the tropical mango with mango boba, mango piece and coconut flakes it was a bit too sweet for our taste (regular $ 5.25). My fiancé had the banana sundae cream base shave ice with strawberry and chocolate sprinkles that was good too (junior size $ 4.50).
Con: The place is small with only benches for inside seating!

This place is great! Great for a short little date, outdoor seating is available in front of Starbucks next door.
I ordered the green tea and my mom ordered the mango one. Loved them both! The texture and consistency of the ice is very unique (in a good way), and the store prides itself on that.
The owners were very patient, informative, and genuinely wanted us to like what we ordered. One of them ran out to where we were sitting 10 minutes later to check in to see how we liked it– now that’s commitment!
My only con is that it was a little more expensive than the other shaved ice places. We got a promotional discount because it was their grand opening, and even then it was a bit pricey– more expensive than my Rubio’s lunch!

Second time checking in ! (: I guess you can unlock the 10% Everytime you come here which is pretty cool ! this time I got the #6 which is the banana snow flower sundae because last time I was here the guy recommended it but I ended up getting something else, ANYWAYS it was good, I still prefer #1 because it was sweeter, probably because of the condensed milk… But I mean if you want something light & somewhat healthy then this is the place to go…
People underestimate this place because they always compare it to blockheads because blockheads is obviously more popular but I mean this place has parking, no line & their milk fluff tastes good. The only problem is you might have a hard time finding it cause the location, other than that it’s pretty good.

Perhaps I may be biased because I have had far superior snowflakes elsewhere. We decided to order the mocha ice with chocolate sprinkles and coffee jelly. It was quite a combination. Interesting, to say the least. Not my favorite, but interesting. I still prefer the fruitier combinations. I was shocked that they didn’t have taro or green tea flavored shaved ice? Those are 2 key staples at any shaved ice joint.
10% off if you check in to Unilocal!Too bad we didn’t know about that until we walked out the door!
There’s really not much seating, except for the bench on the side of the wall. It’s not conducive to folks hanging out like in Starbucks!

It’s okay… nothing special about this shaved ice place. The person who was working at the register was extremely helpful and nice, but the flavors and options was nothing unique or special.
With the spring of many shaved snow ice places on the Westside, this location is kind of out of the way… They are smart to open in Marina Del Rey where the competition is low, but its tough to like this place, I was looking to get more options like ice cream and desserts but this is just a solely shaved ice place… I checked in on Unilocal and they honored the 10% off the price which was cool. I got the coconut shaved iced with condensed milk but it was way too plain and sweet for my palate.

I’m so excited to have a snow ice place in the neighborhood. Happy that the west side is hopping on the shaved ice/​snow ice train.
I had a great shaved ice experience in Arizona and have been on a hunt for somewhere in LA and on my Unilocal search I was lead to Snow Flower Ice. The owner is so nice and happy to inform you about their products.
I like mine simple, they have a nice selection of toppings but I prefer to enjoy the snow ice flavor on its own with some condensed milk. I’ve had the Matcha Green Tea and May’s seasonal flavor, Black Sesame. What I love most is the flavors are so fresh, not too sweet leaving room for toppings. The best way to describe it is frozen cotton candy. And a regular size is about 150 calories!
I prefer the Taiwanese take on shaved ice over hawaiian style any day. Wish they had a punch card!
Check in on Unilocal for 10% off your order every time!

We love the shaved ice! It amazing the combos you can make! Amazing!!!
It’s so much better then frozen yogurt and is healthier!
So far this is a flavor I don’t like!
Even the jelly coffee is amazing!!!

If you haven’t noticed yet, snow ice has replaced froyo as THE frozen dessert of the moment. In fact, Snow Flower Ice occupies what used to be a Pinkberry in this strip mall in MDR. While these types of places might be ubiquitous in the San Gabriel Valley or on Sawtelle, there’s not much to speak of when it comes to ‘ethnic’ desserts around here, so it’s novel and very welcome.
The best part about this place is the friendly and personal service. The owner chatted us up as we enjoyed our dessert and he really seems to have a personal touch on things.
The ice itself was also tasty. I’ve definitely had better toppings in other places (more fresh fruit, maybe almond jelly, maybe taro… just some more interesting things), but I went with a pretty simple combo and I was very pleased. The other great thing about snow ice is that it comes in HUGE portions since it’s basically just ice, so you feel like you’re getting a ton but you don’t feel sick afterward.
I’m all for this trend and glad it’s invading the Westside!

Super sweet staff and super sweet shaved snow … plus 10% off Unilocal Check-​in Deal make Snow Flower Ice a choice in Marina del Rey if you have a craving for Shaved Snow.
Olivia Z. and I stopped in for dessert. She got Green Tea with Red Beans and Mochi while I tried Sweetened Milk with Chocolate Sauce, Mochi, and Almonds. A regular is $ 4.75 plus $ 0.50 per topping.
We both had the same reaction afterwards … Snow Flower Ice was ok, but there is room for improvement. The Shaved Snow was way, way, way too sweet, the Mochi tasted stale, and the texture/​consistency of the snow wasn’t fluffy, flaky, or light. It was gooey and stringy. Skimping on toppings didn’t help either.
Snow Flower Ice is a small shop at the corner of Maxella and Lincoln. There is only a small bench inside to eat at; however, Starbucks is next door with patio seating. Parking is free.
Luckily, the folks working in the store are super sweet and friendly. I’d easily go back to chat with them more whenever I need my fix for Shaved Snow and don’t feel like driving north or to the other side of town.

Came here after seeing the great Unilocal reviews. It was a cute little place in the middle of a busy shopping center. Upon first impression, the service was insanely friendly. I felt so welcome here. Parking was a small lot and really tight, but we found a spot right away.
My husband and i shared the vanilla whey protein flavor. It was served with mangos, strawberries, and granola. Packed with protein and was so refreshing to eat. Great for my vegetarian husband who is always looking for ways to get some more protein intake. The taste of the whey protein was definitely there and even had a bit of an aftertaste. Either way, it was the best tasting whey protein dessert i’ve ever had.
The sizes look huge when you order, but the ice is so light don’t let the sizes intimidate you. Next time I go, I’ll try one of the less healthy options. I’m sure I’ll love it.

Snow Flower Ice is a new shave ice place similar to Blockheads but not as good.
We stopped by Snow Flower one weekend evening for some dessert. Thankfully they weren’t too busy and the parking lot wasn’t too full. This shopping plaza is a headache to get out of and navigate around when it’s full. It doesn’t help that it’s right on a very busy intersection and the plaza is tiny. There is more parking on the lower level of the parking lot so that helps a lot.
There were five shaved ice flavors offered. We tried the banana and the coffee. The banana flavor isn’t too strong. The coffee one was good but not great. It could be because I had a bite of their granola with the banana flavored shaved ice and it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Don’t get the granola as a topping. It tastes funny.
I may have had too high of an expectation for Snow Flower by comparing it to Blockheads but it just doesn’t measure up. The consistency of the shave ice is different. It may be that this one is more syrupy. When you separated the shaved ice. they stuck to each other. How else can I explain this?
I hope they improve their recipe. I want to love this place but as of right now it’s not quite there yet so I’ll stick to Yogurtland, Pinkberry, Yogolicious, or Bonaventura Gelato Lounge which are all closeby to Snow Flower Ice.

A great option for Blockheads and SGV snowy fans.
Compared to the above «originals,» the snow is not quite as fluffy, and the green tea mochis we got were a little on the «tough» side (maybe the original white mochis would be better). My husband (the green tea snowy conneissuer) says the flavor is not quite as good, but I think it’s more «authentic» and not as sweet as the Blockheads version.
All in all, will definitely be back to try the mango and strawberry — 100% worth saving the drive. The owner was super nice and eager — I hope this place does well!