Sno-Zen Shaved Snow

Bummer, they are closed?! Well, I already wrote my review, so I’m just going to cut & paste it in…
So, I guess snow is the «new» (as of a couple of years now) updated version of shaved ice. Shaved ice = ice with flavor syrup & toppings poured on. Snow=ice block is flavored, then shaved, softer than shaved ice, creamy, fluffy.
So, this place opened up in the late spring, & I was excited to try it because one of my friends had recommended their Mountain View location, but this location was much more convenient for me. So, no schlepping over to Mountain View to check it out.
You can choose your own combination of snow, toppings, condensed milk, or they have some suggested combinations on their menu if you don’t want to create your own.
I really liked their black sesame snow, but I’m a sucker for black sesame flavored desserts.
I want to say that I showed up twice within a week when I went, & it was especially hot one day, so it was a nice refreshing treat.
Then, another time that I tried to go, they were having plumbing problems, so they were closed.
It’s a pretty small place with just a few tables & chairs.
Parking: street, as far as I know, but I’ve always walked over from elsewhere, so I really couldn’t tell you about lots nearby.
Located on the north side of Santa Clara between 5^th & 6^th St., pretty much across the street from city hall.

Its a little bit of a tight space but their shaved snow is yummy.
convenient location
got the sunset mango i believe and it was very flavorful & the mangoes were super sweet.
their cookie monster is yummy too. but prefer something fruity on the hot summer days

Ooooh, huge fan!
My friends and I wanted to try the Mountain View location, but it was about to close, so we opted to drive downtown instead.
The place is small, and it took forever for an indecisive person like me to decide, but I went with the matcha green tea snow ice with red bean and mochi, drizzled with black sesame condensed milk on top. Sooooo delicious. The shaved ice really is like creamy snow, maybe even better than the ones I’ve had in Hawaii (gasp!!). The flavors went really well together, and service was excellent. Halfway through the large portion I was sharing with my friends, they offered to drizzle more black sesame condensed milk on top. Yes please!

I’m addicted to this place! I tried 3 flavors so far, mango and taro are my favorite! Thai ice tea was alright. This place is perfect for hot summer afternoons or cold windy evenings. I will be back to try all of their flavors. if you are looking for a cool place to spend your summer afternoons, you got to try this place and feel the soft layers of snow melt in your mouth!

The shaved snow at Sno-​zen is amazing! The perfect dessert for a hot July afternoon! my first visit to Sno-​Zen was great. Walked in and we were welcomed by all three of the employees working there. My friend and I stared at the menu and asked the cashier questions about how this worked. She explained to us the difference between their two main offerings — snow ice vs. shave ice. Shave ice is going to be more like Hawaiian style shave ice or like a sno-​cone. Snow ice is the Asian style that’s more fluffy and looks like the ribbons of snow. She explained that for the snow ice, that they used these machines to finely shave down blocks of ice that already had the flavor in them. It was extremely helpful to get this info.
For the snow ice, there are 6 flavors that you can get any time cuz they make them everyday (mango, taro, coconut, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate) and then they have flavors of the day listed. The day I visited, they had BLACK SESAME, one of my favorite flavors ever. I had to get that. And while we were thinking about what to add on to our snow ice, they announced that they also had MATCHA (my other favorite flavor) snow ice available also — they just made it and hadn’t had a chance to write it down yet on the board. Since these were flavors that you can’t get all the time here, we decided to get a small size cup of the black sesame snow, with mangos and black sesame condensed milk, and a small size cup of the matcha snow, with lychees and azuki beans. There’s a base price for each size of snow and then they charge you for each add-​on (the price varies depending on whether you add on condensed milk or fruit or non-​fruit like mochi or boba).
The snow ice was DELICIOUS! So fluffy!!! And you can really taste the flavors — they’re not super strong or overbearing. I felt like it was just the right amount of flavor. The black sesame was especially tasty in combination with the black sesame condensed milk. We were eating the snow there, and the girl told us to let her know if we wanted more condensed milk drizzled in later. Such awesome customer service. And the mangos were perfectly ripe — they were very yummy. The matcha snow was really really good too. And the lychees and azuki beans were yummy too. Everything tasted great.
This place opened up a few months ago. It’s located right across from San Jose City Hall. I believe it used to be an ice cream place before, and a coffee place before that. I hope this place survives and stays forever. It’s not a big place — they have maybe four tables and then bar seating over by the window. What else? They use Square, so you can just have your receipt emailed to you. And it’s going to be street parking, but if you come after on a weeknight after 6PM or on a Saturday, you can park for free at the parking structure that’s on the next block over on 5^th Street between Santa Clara and St. John (it’s the City Hall employee garage and it requires a permit Mondays through Fridays from 6AM to 6PM, but outside of those hours, it’s open to the public).
I can’t wait to come back to try mango and taro snow!

i’d been to the location in mountain view and was very excited to try this new sister store in downtown san jose. this location is right across the st from san jose city hall, but it’s a bit of a small storefront, so look carefully, else you might miss it!
the layout is pretty simple, some counter seating by the windows, 2 large tables on either side, and a smaller 2-​seater table just next to the cashier’s counter. at most, i think this place would seat 16, not a lot if it’s a sunny, hot day and folks are craving shaved snow!
i came with my friend and we ordered 2 small cups to share:
+black sesame shaved snow with black sesame condensed milk and freshly cut mango: this had a great black sesame taste without being overly sweet, and i loved the fresh, ripe mango that was cut on top. the condensed milk gave this snow a bit more of the black sesame flavour which i really liked. consistency of the snow was slightly icy.
+matcha green tea shaved snow with lychee and azuki red beans: this had a powerful green tea kick to it, which i really liked. the consistency of this snow was creamier, and very melt in your mouth! the lychee was good, as were the red beans. i only wish they put the red bean topping on top or next to the snow, as opposed to burying it at the bottom b/​c i was hunting for it!
total was $ 9.75 both cups, a fair price considering the quantity and quality of these frozen treats.
customer service was terrific as the gal who took our order was very sweet and patient, and answered all of our questions.
i’m taking off points for:
–tighter space. around the time we left, there were quite a few guests here which made the already small storefront feel very crowded.
–lack of restrooms. the mv store had restrooms for guests, which was convenient. there were no restrooms or signage at this location.
–shaved snow served in paper cups instead of plates. at the mv store, the snow was served on a large plate, so everything was presented side by side, nothing hidden.
–closed on mondays! some of us might need our frozen sugary fix 7 days a week, so i hope that this location would one day be open everyday.
but overall, i really enjoyed my inaugural visit here and will definitely come back the next time i’m in downtown sj on a warm day! thinking that shaved snow is the next big thing in frozen desserts and i hope sno-​zen opens more locations in the peninsula & south bay!

My friend was coming back from a one-​year long trip to Japan and brought this crazy ice-​shave machine. In fact, it was a monster of a machine but when you handled it right it produced something I have never seen before: fine, shaved ice, flavored, and just beautiful to look at. Almost a magical experience.
This was in Berlin, Germany, about 10 years ago. Fast forward to 2014, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I wandered the streets of Downtown San Jose: Sno-​Zen Shaved Snow is a reincarnation of the shaved ice that I miss ever since.
If you haven’t tried it, stop by in the little store E Santa Clara (preferably after 6 when parking is free) and go crazy on the menu. While the shaved ice is hand-​made in one of the machines some condense milk (for the thick, milky flavor) and toppings (fruits, sweets) will be added. All together, you’ll get a unique dessert experience somewhere between Yogurtland and Haagen Dazs.
Sno-​Zen Shaved Snow is expanding, so you’ll find it probably in a fancy location near you very soon!

First time trying shaved snow! It was magically delicious: fluffy, light and sweet :) But since I don’t have anything to judge it against, I’m willing to bet that there are better places out there. My boyfriend and I shared the Vietnamese Coffee shaved snow + mochi and condensed milk! We got a small but the portion was still ginormous. Sounds amazing right? I love the consistency of shaved snow because it feels so much lighter than creamy ice cream or gelato. The flavor, however, was just decent. There was so much snow but not enough condensed milk! I think they literally just drizzled a thin line on the top. Bad ratio of snow to condensed milk.
The inside is super janky but we came like a week or two after they opened so I’m not complaining. Hopefully this place improves! But I definitely will be coming back to get my shaved snow fix and I will update my review.

SnoZen is magical and lavish of a place. The shaved snow is unique and foreign; a twist on shaved ice, where the flavors are incorporated prior to freezing and shaving. It’s basically diluted ice cream frozen into round blocks, then shaved into silky layers of snow. I really enjoyed it, but I still prefer native Hawaiian shaved ice with condensed milk and natural fruit syrups. Of all locally available choices for shaved ice, this has become my favorite in the South Bay with only one visit. The customer service was outstanding and accurate with our order. They were patient and helpful when indecisiveness struck.
The menu is perfectly laid out with a step by step process to create your own dream snow and a selection of fun combinations. Limited time flavors are also displayed by the register, if you are looking for something unique. We opted out for the Atari combination, as it had tasty ingredients. It includesTaro snow, garnished with mochi, almond slivers and condensed milk that we changed to black sesame version. Additional condensed milk is available per request as you indulge in your snow. I really enjoyed this combination, the taro and almonds are a perfect company and I would invite them to any party. The consistency and fluffiness of the snow is unlike anything I’ve had in the recent past.
Yes, I would say that I’m a fan!

If you are familiar with Pink Berry, Red Mango, or and of the dozens and dozens of Froyo clones, then you are already familiar with the concept of how this place works except it’s flavored shaved ice (they call it snow) instead of frozen yogurt. You chose a small, medium or large container and then have them pile on the toppings of your choice for an additional 50 cents to 75 cents each. 25 cents more for sauce like condensed milk, black sesame, chocolate, caramel etc. I didn’t even know black sesame condensed milk even exist!!!
Too many choices and can’t figure out what toppings works best for what flavor ice? Or just too lazy to fire up those brain cells? Then you would be happy to know that they have preset combinations up on the board to make it easy for people like us.
After what felt like forever racking my useless brain to come up with some kind of combination while the friendly and patient cashier waited, I just gave up and went with the Mango To Tango consisting of mango snow, fresh mangos, passion fruit jelly, and drizzled with condensed milk. I threw in an order of red bean just so that I at least felt like I did something to make it my own.
It was so damn good. So good in fact that I already planned for my second visit for the next weekend right after I demolished what was in the container.
The place carries some limited time flavors that rotates or are seasonal or experimental. Green tea, black sesame, and peanut butter were among the limited time flavors when I was there.
The place is small. Really small. About 2 small round tables inside, two tables outside by the front of the store, and a few chairs facing the window. Don’t be surprised if you have to eat it standing up outside. There are no dedicated parking spot but you could use the metered street parking right in front of the shop.

First time trying shaved snow! Got the regular flavored snow with pineapple and mochi. The snow is like shaved white chocolate! It’s definitely something different and good for dessert.
Small place, so gets crowded. There’s a few tables/​chairs inside and one table /​chairs outside. Price is ok.

Wow! I love this place! Came here with Dee L. since I was looking for a new place to try.
I thought I had shaved snow before, but apparently I’ve had flavored shaved ice which is different. I didn’t understand until I actually tried and experienced the difference myself! I thought this was the same as the korean store SnowIce, but its not! They do have shaved ice, but why get that when you can get shaved snow!
Shaved snow originated in Taiwan. They take the base flavors, mix them together, and freeze it until it becomes like a block of ice. That flavored block is then shaved into thin sheets which is the texture that is seen in each cup. Each bite was so soft, creamy, and melted in my mouth like snow!
You can make your own combinations of flavor, toppings, and drizzle. But because it was our first time Dee & I choose from their «beyond cool combinations.» We got the Mango to Tango and Atari (taro). Both were perfect combos — delicious!
Now if you have to try one thing, try the **Black Sesame drizzle** This stuff was amazing. It’s black sesame condensed milk. Drizzle was still free when we went, the owner gave us the bottle and allowed us to keep piling on more. It went well with the taro.
TIP — Call ahead to verify hours. I tried coming here once on a Sunday night and they closed early. Street parking, no lot.

I’ve been hooked on shaved snow since 2004 when I first had it in Taiwan. (July is my ten year anniversary! Lol!) I’ve tried all the places in the Bay Area and Socal, and even Taipei, and I can assure you that this is among the best (though not the cheapest). Other places serve this in a mountain size, but Sno-​zen wins in quality.
JONASAPPROVED!

Finallllllllly, well it was more like really lucky and glad that I Unilocal or I wouldn’t have known about the new location of SnoZen. I’ve had it bookmarked but just never wanted to make that trip out to Mountain View, so imagine my surprise when I find out they opened one in downtown San Jose AND SO CLOSE TO SCHOOL!
I went the second week it was opened, so the hype wasn’t so big and it was pretty quiet. The five stars wasn’t set up but the owners were really nice about taking down our numbers and then giving us the points after they had it set up. It’s initially hard to find since it’s such a small location sandwiched between other stores. Just look down on Santa Clara between the Mexican shop on the corner and Da Noodle, it’s right there! Parking is alright, there’s street or if you’re sneaky, the grocery outlet/​lees parking lot is across the street!
The hours are decent, I wished they stayed opened later. Maybe when business picks up they will. I’m sure lots of college students would appreciate it, especially since they offer both Hawaiian shaved ice and Taiwanese shaved ice (and it’s way closer and easier to get to than Banana Crêpe) amongst other things. The staff is super sweet and don’t rush you if you don’t know what you want. Plus, they’ve got great suggestions and explain how the entire ordering process works (if its your first time)
To read the menu, basically the left side is the Hawaiian shaved ice which is the crushed ice with syrup of your choosing. The right side is the Asian shaved ice essentially are like sheets of thinly shaved ice but it’s so thinly sliced and together, it’s almost creamy in a way. Absolutely delicious and you top it off with fresh fruit, toppings like frozen yogurt, but better. SnoZen uses fresh ingredients and they even cut the strawberries and mangos, absolutely earned that true five stars. Fresh fresh fresh so fresh that it’s not even precut!
Everything is ordered a la carte you pay for what you want. The size, each topping and then some, and the syrup. I had free condensed milk since they opened which was a super plus! I got the Summer Sunset which had mango snow, condensed milk, fresh mango and strawberries. I also added mango mochi as well in a regular size and it was hugeeeeee! I could barely finish and this is perfect for sharing. I swear, portions are way off (in the best way possible) The menu is set for if you don’t know what you want, they have preselected options as suggestions or better yet, you can build your own! The snozen flavors that’s offered are usually all in stock, if you ask, sometimes they have secret menu flavors like peanut butter or green tea!
They take card and cash, no free wifi, super nice people, just a tiny place but great dessert! Extensive selection of toppings and ingredients and options are just endless! You get to watch them make your selection by hand and that hand craftiness is just legit. Plus, their tables are white so you get that perfect white background for an Instagram picture!
Can’t wait to be back!

1. Are you tired of Cold Stone?
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2. Are you tired of Yougurtland?
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3. Are you tired of Tutti Frutti Yogurt?
**If so proceed to reading the rest of this review, if not please leave this review**
Sno-​Zen Shaved Snow is what all the cool kids are eating these days. Shaved snow is a frozen dessert which is hybrid between Hawaiian style shaved ice and ice cream. I can give you my Slumdog Guaran-​Damn-​Tee that Sno-​Zen is DAMN GOODZ!?!
Walk in, pick your size, your flavor, toppings, and additional liquids (condensed milk is MUST). Place is kind of small so seating is limited, but who cares get it to go if need be.
Cookie Monster — OOOO SOOOO GOOD!
Pina Colada — YUM YUM in the TUM TUM
There are so many other flavors I want to try and I’z can’t wait to go back here, definitely the hot spot in San Jose for desserts!?!

Sno Zen has been on my list forever so you can only imagine my excitement when I found out they opened up nearby :) Located on E. Santa Clara, parking is limited to street but if you’re coming after 6, most of the spaces are free!
During their first week, they included a free drizzle with your shaved snow purchase. The condensed milk was pretty awesome, too bad we finished our cup before one of the owners said we could have the bottle to add more!!! The shop’s pretty small with only a handful of tables but patrons finish up pretty quick because it’s so delicious!
The process is pretty simple:
1) Choose your size: S $ 3.75, M $ 4.85, L $ 5.95.
2) Choose your snow flavor: Mango, Taro, Coconut, Strawberry, Vanilla & Chocolate are regulars. Limited flavors included green tea, Thai tea, VN coffee & more!
3) Choose your toppings: 50 cents for toppings such as jelly, boba & red bean. 25 cents for fresh fruit!
4) Choose your drizzle: 25 cents for condensed milk, black sesame condensed milk, raspberry, chocolate or caramel.
If you don’t wanna go through the process of figuring out what goes well together, they offer some of their own options. Service deserved an A+ since we were checked up on & asked our opinion about the dessert (who does that at froyo places?!) I personally LOVED it! The shaved snow was so light & airy yet super creamy & melt in your mouth. Ooh, my mouth’s watering thinking about it.
Check them out! You won’t regret it :) I can’t wait for their next store opening in the Paloma Plaza in my hood! Whoo hoo, just in time for the hot summer weather, too! Tip: check out their Facebook page for occasional deals. They were offering 20% off for SJSU students during finals week!

FlavorZEN is where you’ll be once your taste buds savour the unique and flavor-​bursting «snow»! Forego the slopes (for now)…come here to cool down!
DECISIONS…DECISIONS…
Their easy, «Create Your Own Snozen» menu will help guide you:
1) Select your size ~ small, medium or large; their small size is pretty generous
2) Select your flavor ~ 6 in which to choose (mango, taro, coconut, vanilla, strawberry & chocolate
3) Select your toppings (extra cost) ~ 27 choices to date, ranging from fresh fruit, nuts, cookies/​candies, azuki beans, plain & flavored mochi, boba & jellies.
4) Select a sauce (extra cost) ~ add the condensed milk!
If you feel somewhat overwhelmed with putting your creation together, go with one of their predetermined, «Beyond Cool Combinations». Being our first time visiting, I opted for this route. I chose their, «Mango To Tango» concoction. I love anything fruity, so this was the perfect choice for me! How can one go wrong with the merger of mango snow, fresh cubed mangoes, condensed milk & passion fruit jelly.
Compared to the traditional shave ice, the uniqueness of Sno-​Zen is with the initial creation of the «snow» and its formation. Traditional shave ice is made from a block of frozen water only. Syrup (s) are added after the blocks have been crushed or shaved. The fascinating aspect of the Sno-​Zen process is the freezing of the premixed liquid, which has the flavor and sweetness already infused. Once frozen, it is then shaved into a texture that resembles something one would find in caves! Flaky, rippled sheets of powerfully infused «snow»!
On top of this «snow», one MUST crown this flavorful mountain’s peak with condensed milk! No shave ice is complete without this sweet ‘n creamy concentrate.
Eventually, I’d like to try all of the flavors and their multitude of combinations; however, if you’re an old school shave ice devotee, you may find the «snow» a little too sweet for your liking. It’s delicious, but perhaps not as thirst quenching as the traditional shave ice, which is also served here.

I found my new favorite shaved snow place. Unlike the traditional hawaiian shaved ice, Sno-​Zen shaves theirs a very unique way. It looks like rows of green onion!
We got to choose the limited quantity Green Tea base and added Azuki and real Lychee drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. Our friends had the mango, the taro, and the coconut and I’m already anxious to come back to get my own cup of that.
During their opening week, they are offering free drizzles (don’t make that dirty).
Sno-Zen’s shaved ice was so delicious and creamy you think you were eating yogurt. The flavors are really quite delicious and unlike the traditional shaved ice where the syrup is concentrated on the bottom and gets sweeter as you eat.
At $ 6.10 for a medium, it’s not cheap but I’m sure you can find enough change at the bottom of your seats for this tasty treat. Jigga jigga word!

Oh Sno-​Zen I need it
I gotta have it
It’s always on my mind
Know what I mean
Strawberry and condensed milk
I like it in the store
Or even in my car
Or baby on the street
Know what I mean
Strawberry and condensed milk
Strawberry and condensed milk
I need it cause you know that I’m a fiend
Gettin’ excited in my mouth
It’s even better when it’s with ice cream
Know what I mean…

New location! Smaller but the customer service was great! The owners are so nice and welcoming! Everything’s really white! This location only has the to-​go cup containers that vary from small, medium, and large so no plates like the other location.
I had the Berry Good (strawberry snow, raspberry sauce, fresh strawberries and blueberries). The strawberry and Taro snow flake was sweet and creamy! I recommend getting it with condensed milk.
Definitely try the ones on the Combinations list! Try Atari also (taro snow, condensed milk, almond silvers, and mochi)! MMMMM!
Try the black sesame condensed milk!
I will definitely come back here! Glad it’s closer.