Pau Hana Shave Ice

“ This was the perfect way to end our day. We stumbled upon this place by chance since we were already in the area. Despite the chilly weather, my small family and I decided to come in because I'm a huge fan of shaved ice. This place is absolutely fantastic! It's even better than the shaved ice I had in Hawaii. The owner, Sam, was incredibly friendly and made our shaved ice with genuine care. We sat inside and had a delightful conversation with him about shaved ice and the progress of his business. Sam was so kind and generous that he even offered my son some chocolate treats while we were chatting. He treated us like an old family friend. You don't get that much these days . This experience was truly pleasant, and I'm already planning to visit again whenever we're in the area. Please give this place a try and support a small business. Sam is incredibly dedicated to his craft; he gets to do what he loves the most! ”

“ The shaved ice here is sooo good on a hot day. When I went there was a decent amount of wait but the workers are so nice and work efficiently. The inside is very small as it is in Japantown in San Jose. There is seating outside tho. The halo halo shaved ice was my favorite with all the different toppings which really catered to my taste texture wise. The ice cream on the shaved ice was also so great and helped fully enhance the dessert. ”

“ ~ SOFTEST ICE ~ MUST TRY. Their shaved ice is soo soft and "not too sweet". I really like their mango flavor. The service is super nice and makes you feel like family. There are some outdoor seating in front of the store and around the area. ”

“ We each ordered a special and honestly could have easily shared one! Tried the halo halo and dole whip. Lots of flavors to try another time. The person who took the order was chill. There's a small waiting area and a couple picnic tables outside which were both full. Nice for a casual stop by when you're in the mood for sweets. ”

“ I am no expert on things Hawaiian, but the shaved ice (or rather, shave ice) at Pau Hana is the best I've ever had. I was reminded of this when I was back in San Jose visiting family & went to J-Town to pick up a few foodstuffs that I could take home to Colorado with me, and Pau Hana happened to be open. I couldn't resist going in, even though it is winter and arguably not shaved ice weather. What I love most - the ice is shaved so finely that it just melts in your mouth, so you can enjoy whatever flavors you got without crunching on ice. I also love the availability of Asian flavors I don't get to see much in Colorado. Oh and the variety of toppings! But truth be told, I find I get decision fatigue so I usually go with one of their specials, halo halo being my favorite. This time around they were out of ube ice cream (oh, no!) but I learned that they now have pandan ice cream so I tried that - just as yummy! While Pau Hana is not an OG J-Town institution that I remember from my childhood they are a great fit for the neighborhood character. I'll be sure to visit no matter the weather when I am in town. ”

“ Pau Hana is definitely one of the best in the Bay for Hawaiian shave ice! Other than Ululani's in Livermore, Pau Hana is great and local for those living in the South Bay. They have so many flavors that it's honestly hard to decide what to get since you want to try them all. I got 3 different kinds and split them amongst my family. Our overall favorite was their take on halo halo but nonetheless, all of them were great. I really like the texture of the ice and their mochi is extremely soft and chewy so I highly recommend as a topping ”

“ Small lychee/ passionfruit! Wow it's so good, better than Ululani's- not too sweet, and isn't overly saturated with the syrup. Will come back if we're in the area! ”

“ Craving some shave ice just like your get in Hawaii? Look no further. The line out to door told us we had arrived to the right place. The line moved quickly and from order to ice in hand was barely a wait at all. I made my own (coconut ice cream bottom, calamansi and mango with mocha and condensed cream on top. DELISH! There's tables and a bench outside so you can finished it before it melts. ”

“ The closest thing to having shaved ice in Hawaii! The ice is so soft & the flavors are perfect & not too sweet. The staff is very friendly, I believe the owner is the one who took our order & we forgot to add gummy bears to my daughters ice cream order & he gladly added it on for us -- so we really appreciated that. We ordered a large shaved ice with condensed milk on top, a regular shaved iced with condensed milk & a scoop of ube ice cream on the side for a little less than $20. We loved it & it was the perfect sweet treat on a hot day. We'll definitely be back! ”

“ As a Japantown resident, I'm so immensely happy that Pau Hana exists within walking distance for me. But even if I had to drive & look for parking, I'd still come - Pau Hana is just that good. The shave ice is as close to Ululani's as you can get without having to trek to Livermore or Hawaii itself. Their Halo Halo is perfect to share between two people (or just get it for yourself, no judgement) and it comes with a little bit of everything to satisfy a dessert craving: ice cream, shave ice (obvi), boba, flan, fruity pebbles. If you're a purist, their shave ice alone is great as well. I love getting mochi as a topping, it's soo soft. I just wish they were open later in the summer - my opinion is if the sun's still out, shave ice should still be an option! ”