Sul & Beans Black sesame bingsu: Different asian countries each have their unique take on shaved ice, though they all seem united by a combination of textures soft and chewy. Korea’s is bingsu, a dessert often topped with red bean, fruit, and condensed milk. I had my first experience trying bingsu today in Los Angeles’s Koreatown at a chain from Korea called Sul & Beans. My sister and I shared an enormous black sesame shaved ice (there is only one size), which was dusted with black sesame powder and topped with red bean, chewy rice cake, and crunchy date pieces. I was most impressed with the texture of the ice, which closely resembled that of finely shaved coconut. The dried dates were a fantastic accompaniment that I wish existed on other desserts, and the cylindrical rice cake had very good bite and a largely neutral flavor. The black sesame powder, though, left a dry mouthfeel, and the red bean was fine but overly sweet for my preference. The dessert would be best shared among a family rather than two people, as the flavor never develops and there’s a lot of it. Still, I love the play of crunchy, chewy, and soft textures that they achieved. 3.5/5.0

desserts la shavedice sulbeans black sesame bingsu 3.5