As a lover of ice cream and its cousins, I've been wanting to come here for a while but the limited hours made it hard. Since it was a rare warm day in SF, I suggested coming here after having lunch nearby. We arrived shortly before 2:00pm and it wasn't too crowded. However, the cashier/dessert artist let me know that they were out of some syrups & toppings. We decided to order the Strawberry Cheesecake Signature Kakigori ($12.00) to share. +It's so pretty! We (and everyone else there) oohed and ahhed and took a bunch of pictures of their creations. +Considering there's so many elements it was surprisingly not too sweet! +Vanilla gelato was milky and velvety, with visible flecks of vanilla bean. +Cotton candy crown was fluffy and dusted w/strawberry powder. +Cheesecake pieces were creamy and tangy. +The spoons changed from yellow to green as they touched the kakigori. Such a fun touch! -Normally this has Strawberry-Hibiscus Syrup drizzled onto the snow, but they ran out. The friendly cashier/dessert artist suggested California Berry, but I thought it was too sour. Side notes: 1.) 8% Service Charge added to purchases 2.) Located inside Café Sebastian and next to the Transamerica Redwood Forest and Tower 3.) Restroom available for customers *Verdict: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 d/t service All the staff were friendly, and the owner even provided us with napkins. I definitely want to return to try more of their creations! read more

MadLab Kakigori - Strawberry Cheesecake Signature Kakigori (subbed California Berry syrup since they ran out of Strawberry-Hibiscus syrup) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

Kakigori is probably one of my fave desserts so MadLab has been on my to-try list for a while. Arrived at around 2pm on Saturday and there were plenty of tables available. Made it easy and chose from the Signature Formulas. Kiddo ordered the Zen Matcha. He must've liked it as he wouldn't let us try it. Hubs and I shared the OG. Quite honestly, it was just ok. Pistachio gelato topped with cherry lychee shave ice and yuzu whipped cream. To me, seemed like it was mainly gelato and nothing in particular stood out. Maybe should've tried the strawberry cheesecake which the reviews talk more about. Meh. read more

MadLab Kakigori - Zen Matcha - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Another viral spot that I have been wanting to try since I love gelato and shaved ice. They close daily at 4pm so coming here has been difficult given that I work until 5pm and rarely come into the city on weekends. I didn't realize that they share the same space as Cafe Sebastian but really liked the ambiance inside. There were only a few seats for MadLab so glad we came during a non busy time. I ordered their most popular item, which is their Strawberry Cheesecake. The presentation was 5/5 (the cotton candy was a nice touch), but I was very disappointed with the shaved ice because it wasn't shaved at all. I felt like I was just chewing on ice. I really enjoyed the gelato since it was very creamy. Overrated spot in my opinion and their shaved ice didn't live up to its standards. If I come back, I'll probably just stick with the gelato/sorbet. read more

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Drop whatever you're doing right now and make your way to Madlab to try out one of their diabolical creations!! Their treats can literally turn your day around if you're having a bad day. The place is a bit tricky to find as it is actually located inside Café Sebastian near the Transamerica building. Madlab offers shaved ice desserts that you can customize or select one of their specials for just $12. I chose the strawberry cheesecake which consisted of ice cream/shaved ice cream, fresh whipped cream, fresh and dried strawberries , hibiscus flowers, and cheesecake drizzled in strawberry syrup. Oh by the way it also comes with cotton candy!! The order was also handcrafted right in front of you. Let me tell you, once I took that first bite, I started to get the inside giggles. I wanted to start a conversation with the table behind me who were also giddy with happiness as they ordered the same thing! It is such a fun, creative, and big dessert that just blends perfectly together. Get here by BART, Muni, horseback or by feet. Do whatever it takes to visit this not so hidden gem in the FiDi, you won't regret it! read more

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If you're seeking content-worthy kakigori that tastes as good as it looks, this is the place. Located inside Cafe Sebastian, in the shadow of the Transamerica Pyramid, MadLab Kakigori has a great many choices: syrups, snow, sorbet (it gets overwhelming fast!). If it's your first time here, I highly recommend choosing something from the "Signature Formulas" portion of the menu. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of ordering. We chose the Strawberry Cheesecake and it was delightful! read more

MadLab Kakigori - Strawberry cheesecake kakigori - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

This spot is located inside of the cafe! They have seating available right in front of the corner but they share with the cafe as well so they let us sit at another table since the ones dedicated for MadLab were all taken. The place itself felt a little more upscale but we were there for the kakigori! They have some preset combos but you can also build your own. They have some really unique toppings but the base was a little bit confusing so I ended up just picking the Strawberry Cheesecake kakigori and then I asked to add on the berry furikake since that sounded unique! But then after we started eating I realized they never even gave us the furikake so I didn't get to try that, which was a bummer. Pretty pricey for $16 considering the size but just remember you're in the middle of the city! And it's difficult to find kakigori places. This one was delicious with the fresh strawberry but wasn't as much of a fan of the dried fruit! The strawberry hibiscus syrup was delicious and I liked it with the vanilla gelato. Our kids liked the cotton candy, and the color changing spoons! The cheesecake paired with the sweet syrup and strawberries was the best bite of all. If I am in the area again I'd love to try other flavors and get more creative with the toppings and gelato flavors, but this was a good first experience! read more

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Popped by on a Sunday afternoon to try their kakigori. Madlab is tucked into the same location as Café Sebastian; they share the storefront. There was a decently long line when we walked in, and since there was only one employee making the kakigori, we had to wait approximately 15 minutes to place our order. We decided to make our own kakigori and were surprised that a two scoop kakigori was only about $11. We expected prices to be much higher given location and how beautifully presented the kakigoris are. Because we went in the middle of the afternoon, there was plenty of seating and empty tables. Our kakigori was ready within 10 minutes from placing our order. It was a decent amount of food and we loved that it was made to order. Presentation and flavor were spot on. We splurged for the yuzu whipped cream and it was delicious. read more

MadLab Kakigori - 2 scoop kakigori with mango yuzu syrup, fresh berries, and yuzu whipped cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

A little bit hard to find since it's inside Cafe Sebastian, instead of being a separate entity. Just walking the few paces from the door to the ice cream counter is a bit of challenge with waiters asking if you're there for lunch. Nope, just a huge dessert for me from the counter! Strawberry Cheesecake Kakigori: Looks really fun with a big halo of pink cotton candy behind a mount of deliciousness. The chunks of cheesecake really make this look decadent. Two scoops of gelato underneath a bunch of wispy shaved snow. Love that there were fresh strawberries and dried strawberries for nice texture contrast. The syrup on the snow yummy nice too, not too sweet, unlike everything else. Caramel Fudge Brownie Milk Shake: Logistically this is challenging to drink because of the thin flimsy paper straw and large brownie bits. But with a spoon, it's kinda like a runny sundae. I enjoyed the gelato and caramel sauce and rich brownies. However, the caramel popcorn listed on the menu was conspicuously missing read more

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4.5 STARS You know when a fine dining alum and James Beard recognized chef and his wife opens the newest dessert shop in the city, the quality is going to be top-tier with options to be hella extra like adding flowers, 25k gold, or a cotton candy crown to your dessert. Sorry no caviar for the extra bougie. With the beautiful renovation of the iconic Transamerica Pyramid comes Madlab Kakigōri, one of the new businesses to open on the ground level (opened December 2024). They're located inside Café Sebastian, an all-day café (same owner). M E N U Milkshakes, gelato, sorbets, and kakigōri, Japanese shaved ice. Choose from their signature formulas or BYO kakigōri (shaved ice + gelato) with over 40 toppings; fruits, popcorn, tajín, mochi, cookies, basil, soy sauce, sesame oil, and much more. Prices: Starting at $4 (single shaved ice/single scoop gelato) to a triple scoop kakigōri for $15 (feeds 2-3 people). Toppings are $1 each with premium ones: $2-$5 each. We visited on MLK holiday at opening time and unfortunately, they were out of a lot of toppings + syrups from the weekend. D E S S E R T S * BYO Kakigōri w/ pistachio gelato, classic snow, dark cocoa syrup, 24k gold flakes (Single scoop- $7 + $2 gold flakes): https://tinyurl.com/3ef8nmvf I've been craving the dubai chocolate bar from Hanna's Chocolates so wanted to make a dubai chocolate inspired kakigōri. The pistachio gelato was rich, dense, and deliciously creamy with no air pockets. Not too sweet. It was the perfect complement to the pleasantly bittersweet dark cocoa syrup. They didn't have a crunchy topping similar to kataifi (toasted phyllo) but the crunch from the shaved ice did the job adding a satisfying textural contrast (I asked staff to put my kakigōri in the freezer while they were making the second one). As someone who struggles to finish a single scoop of gelato/ice cream because it gets too sweet, I nearly finished the entire kakigōri myself. * Signature Strawberry Shortcake Kakigōri ($12) A heaping double scoop of vanilla gelato topped with shaved snow, strawberry syrup, fresh + freeze dried strawberries, bars of cheesecake, whipped cream, and freshly spun cotton candy. Since they were out some of the ingredients, they had to sub the strawberry syrup, some fruits, and plain whipped cream. Not mine but they loved it and killed the entire thing! S E R V I C E Friendly lone staff. Since they share the same space and kitchen, management should train additional staff from Café Sebastian to assist when a line forms. Thank you to the kind hostess for opening the doors while I carried out the desserts. Suggestions: (1) BIGGER font for menus! There was only one menu on the counter and it was hard to read. (2) Update hours of operation. When I called to see if they were open, I was told they're open 12 pm - 3 pm (website says, 11 am - 6 pm). (3) Efficiency needs improvement. With no line (at the time), it took nearly 20 minutes to make two kakigōri. And, there wasn't room to wait without feeling like you're in the way of seated diners. Also, it doesn't make sense if you're dining at Cafe Sebastian to have to go up to the counter, order, and wait for your dessert. Hope they consider adding paper forms for ordering and give customers a buzzer. A M B I A N C E Sophisticated café vibes with a large open kitchen. Seating for 60+ indoors and handful of tables outdoors (dog-friendly). Make sure to walk around Transamerica Pyramid's Redwood Park afterwards. Surrounded by redwood trees and statues, it's a serene oasis with water fountain features and comfy chairs for lounging. P A R K I N G On weekdays, take public transit. On the weekends, fairly easy metered parking. Overall, while Madlab's operations needs some fine tuning, we really enjoyed our kakigōri and thought it was a good value for the size + quality ingredients. The ability to customize to your liking is an extra plus. GO WILD! read more

MadLab Kakigori - Kakigōri - Signature: Strawberry Cheesecake ($12) + BYO: Pistachio gelato & classic snow w/ dark cocoa, 24k gold flakes (S-$9) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

On the rare 80 degree San Francisco day, I trekked downtown to go here, paying for parking, checking the hours on Yelp and Google, 11-3 every day. Arrived to find the restaurant MadLab lives within open but the woman behind the counter told us they were closed on Mondays. Drove home disappointed and checked the MadLab website for real hours, which also said open 7 days 11-3. So, who knows what their hours are or how you would contact them as there is no phone number listed on Yelp or their website site. I will not be returning. read more

Great shaved ice/gelato here for reasonable pricing. The scoops are big and ingredients fresh and flavorful as described. Presentation was cute and detailed. The service was pretty quick too. Interior is clean and minimal. You get a color changing spoon too. Would come back to try the other flavors read more

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Inside Cafe Sebastian is this new spot from pastry chef Soraya Caraccioli-Kilgore. They have Japanese-style shave ice and gelato! Soft opening was this week, but the staff is very kind and space is very clean. Excited to have something so close! read more

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Wow! I'm so glad this opened up here as a fun dessert spot. It's right next to the park and it makes it easy to turn a business coffee chat into a sweet treat run too. It's at the Cafe Sebastian, which already has a lovely interior and plenty of seating (not to mention the park again when the weather is nicer). The menu was small and hard to read, and there's so many options I was glad there's signature formulas to pick from. I got the OG and a friend of mine got a strawberry cheesecake. We were both delighted. I especially loved the creamy pistachio base of the OG, and the cotton candy on the strawberry cheesecake was a visual treat. They were both great sizes and you could probably split one with someone if you wanted to (but why would you) Service was fast and friendly. I'll have to come back to try more of the menu. (Update) They got bigger menus which you can hold up to your face and read! read more

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Café Sebastian, I found you! But wait! There's MadLab Kakigori! That's two businesses in one! Why bother? I'm here for just desserts, after I left work. I have yet to try any fancy salad dishes of Café Sebastian. I'm only in a mood to customize my own Kakigori. Despite how expensive my bowl of shave snow was, it came out a beautiful beast. Surely, everyone in the kitchen must move faster than ever; that's the reason some of the contents fell from the bowl. Wouldn't mind waiting before they gather the finishing touches. Still, everything from top to bottom have excellent quality taste, including the pistachio ice cream. Next time I visit, I'll customize the milkshake similar to what I once did for my Kakigori, and you'll get to see what it'll look like based on my personality! ;⁠-⁠) read more

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If you thought playing with your food was a faux pas, think again--MadLab Kakigori is here to rewrite the rules with a frosty flourish. Nestled within Cafe Sebastian, just steps from the iconic Transamerica Pyramid and its majestic redwoods, this spot invites you to unleash your inner mad scientist on a shaved ice masterpiece. From syrupy cascades to fresh cotton candy toppings galore, every spoonful is your canvas, every bite a revelation. I went the tropical route with mango and a whisper of yuzu. Go ahead, mix, match, and revel in the chaos. Because at MadLab Kakigori, rules don't apply--only delicious, melt-in-your-mouth creativity! read more

MadLab Kakigori - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

A fun little dessert place. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was clean, and the service was good. In terms of the actual dessert itself, the pistachio ice cream was the highlight. The yuzu foam and the berry snow were interesting, but the flavours never actually worked with the pistachio. Even on their own, I didn't love them. However, it did come with a fun colour changing spoon! read more

MadLab Kakigori - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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People may scream for ice cream, but I'm constantly screaming for bingsu. Where oh where is there bingsu around here?! Looking for a post-lunch dessert, kakigori came up. If you don't know the difference, bingsu is Korean, while kakigori is Japanese. MadLab is highly recommended for a cute dessert meet up with friends/a date. The shaved ice is refreshing and you can choose to pair it with or without ice cream. They have a prefix menu (kinda like ColdStone) or a choose your own adventure option. There are color changing spoons! Plenty of tables. It's attached to a cafe which serves food, coffee and wine. Bring all your "camera eats first" girlies. read more

MadLab Kakigori - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

I work in the building so I don't want to be too harsh. If you want to try some interesting artisan desserts and don't mind waiting a long time for them, then I can suggest giving this place a shot. However, if you don't feel like waiting 10mins for your shaved ice with toppings or milkshake then maybe don't make the pilgrimage. On the plus side the ingredients are high quality and fresh. The ambiance is typical cafe style seating and the service is average. You can tell they are trying hard but it just isn't fully in gear yet. read more

We don't have very many kakigori / shave ice places around the Bay area, so to see one in downtown SF, and next door to the Transamerica building, was a pleasant surprise. My family loves shave ice so we took a little field trip up to the city to check out the offerings. It's located inside Cafe Sebastian. There are two entrances to the cafe. If you go through the street entrance, you will walk right up to the MadLab Kakigori counter. If you enter through the breezeway facing the Transamerica Building and park, you will be greeted by the cafe's host stand and they will direct you to MadLab. The menu can seem overwhelming at first. And for those who don't like to make too many decisions or cannot decide bc there are too many options lol, there are a few signature items to make it easy. Their signature items are $12. If you're feeling creative or know exactly what flavors you want, you can create your own. Just follow the roadmap of their 1, 2, 3 steps and make your selections. It starts at $7 for the gelato and you can add toppings at $1 each. Ultimately we wanted to make it easy, so we just ordered the Strawberry Cheesecake and the Zen Matcha. Both of these were very photo worthy with pile high toppings, one even including a cotton candy topper. I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor of their gelato. To be honest it caught me a little off guard. I didn't think it was going to be so good. We are used to Hawaiian shave ice, where the ice cream at the bottom can be optional and is a good complement. But this gelato, I could have eaten on it's own. Even as simple as their vanilla, I found myself wanting more of it. And while I'm an ice cream vs. sorbet person, the strawberry sorbet was again another pleasant surprise. My kids and I demolished these two in no time. They are definitely shareable. You can also opt to do a non-dairy dessert with their sorbet, or just shave ice only with syrups and toppings. You can also order just the gelato by the scoop as well. Now, I don't think I could go without gelato in these kakigori though. I got some bites with just shave ice and the matcha cream, or shave ice and the strawberry syrup and it seemed a little plain. I needed the gelato to tie it all together. Service was friendly, but a wee bit slow. We were the only customers there, but there were also only two of them and one was a trainee. Understandable. But they both stopped what they were doing in mid-prep of our shave ice to take a customer's order who had just walked in. Minor bump. I would definitely still go back again if I were in the area. read more

This dessert made me giddy. I split one of the pre designed desserts with a friend. Pistachio gelato base, snow with cherry lychee syrup, and salted yuzu cream with sprinkles. Wow! So delicious. It was huge but the person who made it said it was the smallest of the predesigned ones they have. read more

MadLab Kakigori - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was very excited to visit this dessert bar within Cafe Sebastian which I heard about on instagram. The video made it look fresh and new with many different choices of Kakigori and various Ice dessert treats. Overall, it was a pretty good experience. However there can a bit of a line which could get crowded being in the small part of the cafe. And unfortunately the something was wrong with the ice machine so almost all of their shave ice desserts such as the Kakigori were all unavailable which was quite unfortunate. However they have lots of ice cream flavors which you can get as scoops or even a milkshake. I got their Cookies and Cream Shake which was actually delicious and being someone who orders Oreo Milkshakes from everywhere I go, this was actually one that stood out. Primarily they have a hint of lemon zest in the shake whether it's in the cream or somewhere else it was quite surprising but in a good way. I also got to try their mango and lemon sherbet flavors which were really strong and sweet, not really my thing but I'm sure others would love them. So this place is definitely worth the try hopefully everything would be available. I also found it weird that there was only 1 dessert menu which was by the register so it was harder to pre-decide what you would want to order, this would have probably help the line move faster especially in a dessert place where you're encouraged to customize your own dessert. Another really cool design they had was spoons that changed color with the cold temperature of your dessert. It's a small feature but definitely adds more fun to your dining experience! read more

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I ordered a cookies and cream milkshake for an early afternoon snack. The milkshake was thick so using a spoon was how was able to consume this delicious shake. Lots of pieces of Oreos. It's pretty much made in front of you too which I thought was cool. There's seating inside but also a few tables outside too. It's right by the TransAmerica Pyramid which has a small park where you can enjoy your ice cream too. read more

MadLab Kakigori - Cookies and Cream Milkshake - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

New dessert spot located inside Cafe Sebastian that combines gelato and kakigori snow! I got the Zen Matcha and it was very refreshing! The dessert wasn't too sweet and the strawberry sorbet paired well with the matcha syrup. I like how there's an option to customize or choose from one of their signature formulas! There's lots of seating inside the cafe and the service was great! Definitely want to come back to try their other formulas! read more

MadLab Kakigori - Zen matcha - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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really fun build your own kakigori flavors, appreciate the option for smaller portion sizes. only thing is i asked for it "for here" and they still gave it to me in a to-go cup instead of a bowl. ambiance is nice, will be back to try a kakigori with yogurt base read more

MadLab Kakigori - mango kakigori - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

Madlab Kokigori just opened on 12/10 and is within Cafe Sebastian, an all-day cafe concept by chef Brad Kilgore. It has an open interior with chic surroundings, and right outside is the beautiful TransAmerica Redwood Park. Madlab Kokigori features creative desserts made from a fusion of gelato and Japanese shave ice. Their shave ice machine is especially imported from Japan to make the very fine and delicate shave ice. Combined with hand made syrups, 11 different gelatos or 4 kinds of sorbets, fresh and freeze-dried fruits, and over 30 choices for toppings, you get beautiful and tasty cold treats. You can create your own by choosing the ingredients, or select from their Signature Formulas. On our first visit we opted for the Signature Formulas and tried the OG Itameshi, Zen Matcha and Berries Me Alive. They were all good but the favorite was the OG Itameshi. The cherry lichi syrup used for the shave ice gave it a sweet but tarty flavor that complements the pistachio gelato. As the space is also shared with the cafe, service can be slow. However, we were enjoying the beautiful space and indulging in our guilty pleasures, so we didn't mind! read more

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horrible they didn't give us ice cream because someone was out sick and that was the day that I really wanted ice cream and we took waymo for no reason in the rain read more

MadLab Kakigori - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

their hours on yelp say open till 4pm.. and their website says open till 6pm. we arrived at 245pm and they told us that they're already closed... really wanted to try this place :( read more

Did you know that there are very few places in San Francisco to get decent shave ice? Well not anymore. Madlab is like the Michelin star version of shave ice. Each one is a work of art and delicious. It's located inside the newly renovated Transamerica pyramid area, which is lovely. This is a fun adventure to get one of these delicious dessert creations, enjoy it in their beautiful café, and then walk around the enchanted tiny redwood forest. read more

MadLab Kakigori - This is the strawberry cheesecake one. With cotton candy! Little pieces of cheesecake! OMG! Oh, and the spoons change color. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Located inside Cafe Sebastian, Madlab serves quality shaved ice paired with Italian gelato. We ordered the make your own double scoop gelato which comes with ice, your choice of syrup, and we added on yuzu whip cream and fresh berries for about ~$10. Overall quite tasty and refreshing and would definitely come back if I'm craving kakigori. Each one is handmade so they may take some time if the restaurant is busy, but worth the wait and they'll bring it directly to you. read more

Incorrect hours: it shows it's open until 4pm but it is definitely Closed on Sundays at 1:50pm.

Got a scoop of pistachio gelato, shaved ice with cocoa powder and chocolate sauce. This was the best pistachio gelato/ice cream I've ever had! So rich, creamy and nutty! The whole combination was amazing! Will definitely come again! read more

Website says they are open until 6pm. Was excited to take my son to try it. Got there around 4:20pm. Asked to be seated but was told that they stop making shaved ice at 4pm. Staff person acknowledged that the website doesn't say this. Establishment was nearly empty and the shaved ice counter was opened and someone was making one. But he wouldn't budge. Let disappointed and will not be back. read more

Such a Fun and Delicious experience at this new dessert space. I had just returned from a vacation in Hawaii and Shave Ice is my favorite treat there. The Shave Ice at MadLab Kakigori is fantastic. I chose the cherry-lychee flavor which was surprising because it was not sweet. I am excited to try the other flavors in future visits. I added the $1 cotton candy topping --freshly made in the moment --the best dollar I have spent in ages. My husband enjoyed the delicious gelato option. Definitely going back for more. The servers were so friendly. A fun date option with a friend or romantic partner. Highly Recommend. read more