Vampire Penguin

I had heard people talking about this place for a long time and finally gave it a try when I was back in town. It definitely did not disappoint. We got the strawberry cheesecake and Mexican candy which were both pretty good. Loved the texture of the dessert and the consistency. The strawberry cheesecake was def my favorite though as it had some really tasty cheesecake crust crumbles. If you’re big into desserts give this place a shot!

Certainly worth going back. Light and fluffy snow. Tasted yummy. Used a Groupon which makes it more appealing, but I would go here even without.

Yumm! While I’ve frequently had Japanese style shaved ice, this version (I think Taiwanese?) has different texture, consistency and super powdery. Nice selection of specials but I opted for «create your own» that includes one free topping. Large is ideal for sharing and small is a good amount for one person.

It’s a novelty that tastes much better than what I would’ve imagined. When I think of shaved ice, I’m thinking of the Hawaiian version, this is more like fluffy snow ice cream. It’s delicious and addictive yummm. No problems with the ice cream.
The menu is slightly confusing because yes, the options for the ice cream flavors are clearly written, but the toppings are split between two other boards. My boyfriend didn’t even know we could get fruit until I mentioned the board furthest to the right to him.
If you get half and half, its $ 1 extra. It doesn’t say on the board, but «2 flavors-​$ 6» (notice, not written as half and half as the cashier will tell you) is written on the plastic menu under the cash register below your waist.
You can get extra toppings for $.50 each. We added two extra fruits. It wasn’t worth the extra dollar as it was miniscule cubes of kiwi and watermelon each.
Also, they have a extra menu apparently. You have to look at Unilocal reviews for them because they’re not on the 3 boards. It might be on the menu by your waist.
The art work though? What’s going here. Am I back to my antsy high school years?

DELISH!
My significant other and I were in town visiting for the holidays. I had the craziest cravings for shaved iced so we popped by Vampire Penguin after all the positive reviews!
Staff is nice and the place is clean compared to some other spots in Sac.
We ordered the strawberry cheesecake shaved ice and it did not disappoint!
¾ of the shaved ice was vanilla bean and the other part was a tart strawberry shaved ice.
It’s then drizzled with condense milk and strawberry syrup and topped with graham crumbles.
One star taken away because they skimped us on the condense milk, strawberry syrup and here was no cheesecake bites I’ve seen in other pictures.
Overall it was good.

WHY DID THEY TAKE THE SNOW TIGER OFF OF THE MENU?!
Vampire Penguin is usually a must-​visit spot for me when I am visiting. I was extremely let down when I came in to find that they had taken my favorite flavor off of the menu.
Since we had already purchased a groupon, we ordered a S’moreos and a Strawberry Cheesecake shaved snow. Both were decent, but I don’t think they would be enough to convince me to come back. Hopefully they put Snow Tiger back on their menu. :(

Holy fucking shit did this place blow my mind and redefine my definition of what shaved snow should taste like.
This was one of thee best shaved snow places I’ve ever been to.
The halo-​halo shaved snow was PERFECT. My boyfriend and I got the small size because we weren’t super hungry, but it was so good that we finished it in probably less than 5 minutes. We should have ordered the large and we were contemplating ordering another, but we didn’t. In retrospect, I wish we did though LOL.
Their flavors are so unique and you can also make your own with whatever flavor and combination you’d like.
Whenever I come back to this area again, I can’t wait to try their Mexican candy shaved snow. Mmmm.
Service was fast! It’s located in an Asian plaza so just getting there and parking was frustrating because of all the shitty drivers lol. But this place is SO worth the road rage.

I came here really not knowing what to expect. I had heard great things, but its like, when you hear «shaved ice» and I automatically think of those sno cones with the yellow, blue and red maybe green syrup over an cone shaped paper thing with a rainbow ice afro so to speak on top, that you get from the ice cream man as a kid.
but i was wrong.
SO VERY VERY WRONG…(FIRST TIME EVER IN MY LIFE)
it tastes like ice cream… wtf?
we got the S’moreo one
dulce de leche &
Mexican Candy
The menu is pretty easy to read, they have their «specialties» so to speak and then you can make your own, kinda like ice cream places, they make sundaes, or you can create your own… same concept, just with shaved ice.
How do you get shaved ice to taste like this?
SUPER DELISH!
The monsters ask about going back here all the time, but they’re crazy.
But I will BE BACK! yes yes yes!

How have I been here so many times and not written a review? I forget who first introduced me this place, was it Philip R. or Julia K. Huge fan of the halo-​halo shaved snow, clearly I’m biased because I’m Filipino. Glad to support local businesses, and to see it expand from this original location to open up more shops!
There was a time when I ambitiously wanted to try every flavor on the specials menu (and super duper top secret menu combos), even had a stamp card going. My go-​tos were the comes-​in-​size-​large-​only Strawberry Cheesecake, Halo-​Halo, and the VP Green Tea. Even tried the Walters Stash one that has three flavors of snow and bananas all in one long plate! Recently had the Mexican Candy and it’s my new fave, let’s see how long that lasts, haha. Dulce de Leche is calling my name next, or maybe a holiday/​seasonal flavor soon! They also have macaron ice cream sandwiches, macarons, boba.
Sometimes they do run out of certain flavors, but you can always substitute. When it gets super busy it can be difficult to find seating, and orders take a little longer than usual, especially for bigger groups. One time I had a mad craving and raced over there before closing time for a to-​go order. Definitely still tastes good but presentation in the to-​go cups isn’t as pretty. Come here for a nice, light, cool and refreshing dessert to share (or not)!
I may be remembering this wrong, but I think the earliest explanation given to me by a staff member of why the cute name «Vampire Penguin,» the story is the Vampire Penguin and his best friend Walter the Walrus (he has tusks, so he thinks he’s a vampire too) roll flavored snow and live in ice castles at the North Pole. Something like that, haha.

Came here to celebrate my oldest niece’s bday. The girls were so excited. Of course… Each kid want their own shaved ice. What ever happened to sharing just one?!! Bday girl got the strawberry shortcake. The other two got the Halo Halo and the S’mores. I had groupon vouchers and that kinda helped my wallet a lil bit. Too bad I couldn’t use 2 groupons at one time. Kids enjoyed their shaved ice and that’s all that matters!

Always a nice refreshing treat on a hot day. Got the the cookies and cream with popping boba with fresh strawberries. I love this place, very light and refreshing. Excellent service, and clean environment.

Pro tip: bring your own bottle of water or cup of water from a different restaurant.
I asked for a cup of water because the shaved ice was getting too sweet for me because of all the condensed milk and shaved ice. I was told my an employee that he wasn’t sure if he was suppose to offer water to customers (who does that?) because they sold bottles of waters (and soda) inside their little store. I was shocked because I thought every food place was suppose to offer or give water when requested.
I also work in the food industry and although we sell bottles of water and soda, we still offer customers iced water. It is just very odd that water is NOT served here. I guess they’re trying to save some money on styrofoam cups or plastic cups…
There are always not enough chairs and tables for customers. I recall them having two tables outside previously for customers, but I guess they took them out. The other downside to this place is that it is relatively small and people can get cramped up easily. By the way, they may run out of flavors later in the day.
The two stars are for the consistent yummy (yet sweet) shaved ice and also they are always consistent with their portions. Make sure to try something from their secret (not so secret) menu up front. Also they started offering Che (brown sugar) flavored shaved ice! Give it a try when you get a chance Employees are always nice and helpful with suggestions of what to get.
Overall, I like this place but it is a bit too small for my liking, but their yummy shaved ice makes up for it. Lastly, I wish they offered water.

I’ve been wanting to go to Vampire Penguin for what seems to be forever and one HOT day, I finally made my way in. I was surprised to find it was a lot smaller than what I envisioned. The size however did not have any impact on how AMAZINGLY GREAT the treats are. I tried their Halo Halo and it was divine! I was with good friends and couldn’t help but notice how good the cheesecake one looked. I MUST try that next time.
There is a Vampire Penguin downtown which I want to try. I can imagine the parking might be a little tricky as it is near light rail but the parking at this particular location was good because there are tons of options available on the side of the building or in front.
I am very anxious to come back here again and try some delicious treats!

Ice ice baby… When I think of shaved ice I’m usually not very excited, I prefer my desserts with flour, sugar and lots of fat. I had tasted shave ice before and I was not a fan, nothing I really liked or would try again.
However Vampire Penguin’s shaved ice was AMAZING! It was soft and tasted more like ice cream than shaved ice. They had two of my favorite things here, Taro and s’mores. Taro (a tropical Asian plant) which has a unique flavor, hard to describe but I suggest you try it. My biggest problem was picking between the two, so I got both! The taro is made with Ube (purple yam) and was sooooo good! The s’mores following in second place was delicious too! The marshmallows, and cookie crumbles hit the snow perfectly. In case I didn’t convince you to get my favorites, they have quite a selection to choose from.
You can either get a size small or large and make your own or pick what they already have on the menu. The ice flavors are:
Strawberry
Taro
Cookies and cream
Chocolate
Green Tea
Mango Strawberry
The specialty snows are:
Halo Halo
Banana Spilt (includes 3)
Strawberry cheesecake
S’mores
Tuxedo
Mexican candy
Snow tiger
Dolce de lechwe
Twix
VP
They also have several toppings which include things like fruit, lychee, boba, cookies and more!
Honestly I’m only sad I don’t live closer because this would be my go to spot when I am craving something sweet!

I first have to say that I love this name.
I had this amazing shaved ice at this place in Mesa, Arizona and ever since I’ve been looking for something to compare it to. My search continues.
The shaved ice here is beautifully presented. The flavors are creative. They have one called twix, mexican candy, and strawberry cheesecake for example. The flavors back up the names but it’s all ice and minimal toppings. I need a lot more of the extra stuff in order to finish that much ice.
The price can get pretty high depending how much you want to add too. I had a groupon and still ended up paying out of pocket due to a technicality. Order a small or medium. No need for a large.

What an unbelievable shave iced place for Vampire Penguin located at the original Stockton Blvd location in Little Saigon neighborhood. As I came to this place Saturday on 8÷22÷2015. The atmosphere business is very remarkable showing the vintage renaissance feel where black chandeliers hang up, and candle lamps attached on the wall. The inside of the building may looked similar to Savory Fried Chicken at Elk Grove and Cool Tea Bar also in South Sacramento because of the same concept interior format. The customers are always crowded during the summer time as I tried to find a table, and I’m glad I found a spot to sit!
The employees are very friendly and approachable as I welcomed there. They also giving me some good recommendations like V.P.‘s specialty entrees. No issues or concerns at all!
For the food ordering process, I redeemed my Groupon offer for purchasing this specialty food called the «Strawberry Cheesecake.» It’s made of shaved iced with strawberries, graham cracker crumbles, topped with strawberry jam and one raspberry. So far, it tasted fantastic! I can feel like I’m eating an actual strawberry cheesecake! The shaved ice tasted like vanilla bean ice cream which it’s flavorful through my taste buds. The strawberries and one raspberry are very fresh and natural. The strawberry jam and graham cracker crumbles also tasted good which I literally completed my meal entirely! Not a bad creative shaved ice entrée!
The parking is widely available to park, yet sometimes it gets busy, so park early before the crowds come by!
In the end, Vampire Penguin at Stockton Blvd is the greatest shaved ice dessert spot, so you can enjoy all the creative shaved ice creations all summer long! Perfect for friends and family gatherings, date night, and having your weekend’s treat! I’ll come back for more! Highly recommend!

Literally as good as it gets. I can here a couple months ago with my two boys and my sister and her daughter. It was my 1^st time here, but I had here nothing but good things about this place. I could definitely tell it was popular by the place being packed and us having to wait in line. Luckily whem we got to the counter to order a table for the 5 of us opened up.
There was so much too choose from but I decided on the «Tuxedo» which is chocolate shaved iced, drizzled eith chocolate sauce, and then topped with marshmallows, strawberries and chopped almonds. When it came out I thought two things, 1) it looked delicious l, and 2) I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish it. I war wrong. I was under the impression that it was thick like ice cream, but it was so light. The shaved ice melted in my mouth kinda like cotton candy. But it was really good, since it was complimented with the chopped almonds and strawberries, my youngest son was eyeing the marshmallows. So I gave them to him.
For my boys who are under the age of 12, I let them share a chocolate shaved ice and they were abke to finish there’s just fine. My sister got a stawberry shaved ice with chopped up strawberries and condensed milk drizzled on time. She let my boys and I try here, on WOW that was good too. I’ll probably get that the next I go, but then I might get the one with Tajin on it. So many choices… but that’s a good thing!
I left content and not stuffed which I was afraid of. But the shaved ice was nice and light.

I love this place!!!
Ever since my friend got the cookies n crème with white chocolate syrup & granola oats, I had to get it again! what a perfect combination!!! I love it!
The Taro & green tea taste good too! I’ve also tried their S’mores before and I loved it as well. I’m sure the ones that I haven’t tried yet are good too! :D

I must visit this dessert establishment at least once or twice every week. If you like «shaved snow», you gotta try theirs out! Now that the hotter weather is upon us, this place is packed every evening, which stays open until 9pm. This location opened up around February or March and as one can see, is doing very well. My first exposure to Vampire Penguin was a visit to their store across Stockton Blvd from S.F. Market near 65^th Street, just north of Florin Road in South Sacramento. Living in Elk Grove, I would drive all the way down to that location but now since they are located in the shopping center on the NE corner of Laguna Springs and Laguna Blvd. near Mimi’s Café, it is a short trip from my home in Elk Grove.
My absolute favorite prix fixe creation is the“Dulce de Leche”, a caramel delight, 2^nd choice is the «S’mores»… Both absolutely delicious! You can also create your own with the many flavors and toppings. Two sizes are available in the $ 5– $ 8 range.
Stop on by and try something off the menu or «create your own»…
They recently opened stores in downtown Sacramento and in Davis. Look for them in Berkeley also.

It’s like Vampire Penguin sucked the money right out of my wallet!
They are literally turning water into loads of cash!
Think about it, you’re paying for ice and syrup, or some other cheap topping.
Smart business, wish I would have thought of that.
The shaved iced however was hit or miss.
More of a miss for me and a hit for my brother.
I disliked my «Snow Tiger» Thai tea flavor and condensed milk. I added coconut jelly, but the overall flavor of everything was a giant mess.
The Thai tea really tasted like vanilla, which was overly sweetened by the condensed milk, so it tasted like sweet plain vanilla milk.
For $ 6 not worth it. I could buy some vanilla soymilk from the grocery store instead.
My brothers cookies and cream was the thing that bumped this place to 3 stars. Even a 3.5 if Unilocal gave half stars since it did taste like cookies and cream.
Overall, I think their flavors need work, and also their employees are super slow and unorganized.
When I was there they messed up 2 desserts which they didn’t remake since the customers didn’t want to wait longer, even though their orders were wrong.
Better to have penguins working behind the counter I think!