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    MadLab Kakigori

    4.1 (33 reviews)

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    Strawberry cheesecake
    Gerald A.

    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!

    Strawberry cheesecake kakigori
    Miriam W.

    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!

    Strawberry Cheesecake
    Ashley C.

    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!

    2 scoop kakigori with mango yuzu syrup, fresh berries, and yuzu whipped cream
    Jaky Y.

    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.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Kakigori
    Adam B.

    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

    Kakigōri - Signature: Strawberry Cheesecake ($12) + BYO: Pistachio gelato & classic snow w/ dark cocoa, 24k gold flakes (S-$9)
    Cherylynn N.

    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!

    Custom Snowy Single Scoop (Mango Sorbet, Mango Yuzu Syrup, Added Whipped Cream)
    Hong N.

    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

    Menu
    Connie N.

    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!

    Strawberry cheesecake
    Lyee C.

    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!

    Look for the business name embedded on the wall.
    Jimmy C.

    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! ;⁠-⁠)

    Lilian M.

    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!

    Ian L.

    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!

    Eunice T.

    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.

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    6 months ago

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

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    Ask the Community - MadLab Kakigori

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    MadLab Kakigori - icecream - Updated July 2026

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