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Chill Out with These Shave Ice Offerings

So cool

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Sure, it sounds like a summer thing. But while it's unlikely to spot seasonal slush peddlers such as new food truck on the block Pacific Twist or Bethesda Row fixture Clayboy's again before next summer, other visionaries have taken to slinging artfully-crafted mounds of crazy refreshing ice scrapings year round.

Mind you, these aren't the rainbow colored pops still buried in the back of a parent's freezer, or drippy paper cones heaped with granular ice chips doused in sickeningly sweet syrup. These folks deal in crave-worthy creations featuring ribbons of
cold — which can be pre-flavored or cut with milk — and typically layered with fresh fruit, funky toppings, exotic mix-ins and lip-smacking drizzles.

Don't let global warming (Nelly tried to warn everyone) dictate when and where to enjoy a brain-freezing pick-me-up. Shave ice is the keeps-you-hydrated and satisfies-a-sweet-tooth treat that diners deserve any time they feel like it.

It's cool like that.

Have another favorite destination for shave ice around town? Share in the comments.

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Breeze Bakery Cafe

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This Korean stronghold does bing soo to the nines, dressing up its oversized bowls of shave ice with luscious produce (think: honeydew melon, cantaloupe and pineapple) and dreamy sauces. Add some bite by selecting mountainous indulgences bolstered by frozen yogurt or gelato.

Dessert Story

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A shared entryway feeds both Dessert Story and the adjoining Bonchon Chicken, providing wing lovers the opportunity to wind down their meals with elaborate “stories” including a coffee-themed offering laced with two shots of espresso and a Christmas-y looking tower of green tea-flavored shave ice ringed wreathed by gelatinous red beans.

The Royal

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This LeDroit Park hangout adds oomph to shave ice by weaving the cold stuff into rotating cocktails. The current crop of icy eye-openers includes the Arctic Sunrise (vodka, lychee, lime) and Trade Winds (rum, pineapple, cinnamon). Cheers to that!

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Shilla Bakery & Cafe (Multiple Locations)

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The regional chainlet broke into the Tysons Corner market last winter, introducing mallrats to its particular brand of bing soo. The latest addition boasts chocolate-flavored ice studded with crunchy Oreo cookies and chewy mochi.

Official

Snowbots

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This strip mall gem specializes in Taiwanese-style “snowcream,” a hybrid chiller that walks the line between traditional shave ice and standard ice cream. Flavors range from sweet cream (moo moo milk) to pumpkin spice (seasonal), while toppings (matcha green tea Pocky, anyone?) run the gamut.

SnoCream Shavery

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This refurbished bus is always ready to school newcomers in the art of snocream appreciation — assuming one can find them. Tucked away in the rear of a Kmart parking lot, SnoCream rewards adventure seekers with robust flavors (taro root, almond, Thai tea) and far out additions (Fruity Pebbles cereal, aloe jelly, passion fruit-filled boba “bubbles”).

Ten Ren's Tea Time

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Why settle for a singular sensation while hunting for frozen goodness? In addition to producing some industry standard (chocolate, strawberry, mango), Ten Ren blends together an octet of sweet beans into its “Eight Treasures.”

Breeze Bakery Cafe

This Korean stronghold does bing soo to the nines, dressing up its oversized bowls of shave ice with luscious produce (think: honeydew melon, cantaloupe and pineapple) and dreamy sauces. Add some bite by selecting mountainous indulgences bolstered by frozen yogurt or gelato.

Dessert Story

A shared entryway feeds both Dessert Story and the adjoining Bonchon Chicken, providing wing lovers the opportunity to wind down their meals with elaborate “stories” including a coffee-themed offering laced with two shots of espresso and a Christmas-y looking tower of green tea-flavored shave ice ringed wreathed by gelatinous red beans.

The Royal

This LeDroit Park hangout adds oomph to shave ice by weaving the cold stuff into rotating cocktails. The current crop of icy eye-openers includes the Arctic Sunrise (vodka, lychee, lime) and Trade Winds (rum, pineapple, cinnamon). Cheers to that!

Official

Shilla Bakery & Cafe (Multiple Locations)

The regional chainlet broke into the Tysons Corner market last winter, introducing mallrats to its particular brand of bing soo. The latest addition boasts chocolate-flavored ice studded with crunchy Oreo cookies and chewy mochi.

Official

Snowbots

This strip mall gem specializes in Taiwanese-style “snowcream,” a hybrid chiller that walks the line between traditional shave ice and standard ice cream. Flavors range from sweet cream (moo moo milk) to pumpkin spice (seasonal), while toppings (matcha green tea Pocky, anyone?) run the gamut.

SnoCream Shavery

This refurbished bus is always ready to school newcomers in the art of snocream appreciation — assuming one can find them. Tucked away in the rear of a Kmart parking lot, SnoCream rewards adventure seekers with robust flavors (taro root, almond, Thai tea) and far out additions (Fruity Pebbles cereal, aloe jelly, passion fruit-filled boba “bubbles”).

Ten Ren's Tea Time

Why settle for a singular sensation while hunting for frozen goodness? In addition to producing some industry standard (chocolate, strawberry, mango), Ten Ren blends together an octet of sweet beans into its “Eight Treasures.”

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