Green Tea Bingsoo at Okrumong

Who eats bingsoo, Korean shaved ice, first thing in the morning? Someone who has a plane to catch within three hours. Yeah, me. I'm currently stationed in NorCal and there is no Korean shaved ice as legit as the ones in Los Angeles (aside from Seoul). So as my last "meal" before heading back home, I happily get a brain freeze at 11am. My flight departs at 1:45pm. I take my sweet time, savoring each icy bite.

If bingsoo was a skyscraper, then this is a bird's eye view of it.

My bestie Yoonah accompanies me. She's a trooper. Bingsoo is typically eaten as a dessert, not as breakfast. We may get stomach aches and that's a risk I'm willing to take.  

A handful of cafes in Koreatown LA offer bingsoo. We go to Okrumong (옥루몽), the location in the same plaza as the popular Korean BBQ joint Hae Jang Chon. Another Okrumong resides in Torrance about 25 miles south. Okrumong is a bingsoo chain created in South Korea and plans for world domination! I endorse. 

While waiting for our "meal" to be prepared, we have Patbbang as an appetizer. Patbbang is bread filled with red bean paste. 

Patbbang in shape of a donut with branding on top. 

Undressing the Patbbang from its transparent veil.  

Patbbang come in various shapes. Some do not have a hole in the middle. Others are sliced to resemble flowers. Some Patbbang contain very little red bean paste with thick white bread around it. Okrumong's Patbbang has the ideal bread-to-paste ratio. Their bread allows the red bean paste to show off its flavor. 

Yum yum in the tum tum. 

The restaurant page buzzes. My heart tingles. Legit bingsoo, how I have missed you! The Green Tea Bingsoo with a hat of thick red bean paste arrives in its golden bowl. Mister and Misses Mochi sing a duet on the cushiony paste. 

Green Tea Bingsoo. Lookin' proper and friendly as usual. 

The moment your spoon scoops a bite out of that shaved ice, notice how smoothly this simple action occurs. I've had bingsoo where you have to break down the ice with your spoon, otherwise all the clumped ice spins around the bowl in circles. Okrumong bingsoo takes out that extra step and gives you princess treatment.  

Eat all your red bean paste? Fear not. Dig deeper and there is more at the core.

Enough talk of the looks. What about its flavor? The green tea shaved ice tastes like, well, matcha. Earthy. The white layer of ice underneath is bland. For sugary goodness, you can depend on the red bean paste. This bingsoo is suitable for those with a semi-sweethtooth. 

I consume 80% of the bingsoo as Yoonah's teeth recover from the cold bites. With a smile, we have a chill ride to the airport. Sure, I may miss my flight if traffic awaits us on the 10 and 405, but having that Green Tea Bingsoo was worth every trouble. 

Interior of Okrumong in Koreatown LA. 

 Okrumong (Koreatown LA)

(855) 627-8012
3801 W. 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020

Okrumong (Torrance)
(866) 722-1727
2814 Sepulveda Blvd, Unit C
Torrance, CA 90505

---

Korean Shaved Ice at Cafe Milan

There aren’t many places to get bingsoo (Korean shaved ice) around Koreatown San Jose. But when I do, I resort to Cafe Milan. Other cafes, including Tous Les Jours, serve bingsoo during warmer months. Cafe Milan sells this icy dessert all year long. They dub it as “snow ice.”

Next to the popular Korean restaurant Jang Su Jang—featured in Kingdom Koreatown episode 5—is the Lawrence Plaza Food Court. And that is where Cafe Milan resides with its amusingly ghetto chairs. The fairest of them all? The VIP couch with slashes. Looks like some dude who ate one too many beans and sat here. He laid a very loud rip.

The famous VIP couch.

The VIP couch exudes “fancy antique.” The kind commonly seen in Korean dramas. My grandmother used to have a couch like that. In sentimental thought, I ignore the eye sore and have a seat.

There are diverse types of furnishing. Feeling outdoorsy? Black metal patio chairs are here for you. Craving Mies Van Der Rohe? Yup. They’ve got a knock-off version of the knock-off of his design. If you prefer simple, go for the cushioned cubes. So many options! Your rear will never get bored.

How did they gather this random mix of chairs? I’ll leave it to your imagination. Something to think about while your bingsoo is being prepared.

Mommy Oh and I order the Black Sesame Bingsoo for $10. When I was in elementary school, bingsoo used to cost $5! It’s certainly cheaper to make it at home, but does your home provide an antique couch with an epic rip in it? Nopers! If so, I cordially invite you to invite me over to sit on your VIP seat.

Black Sesame Korean Shaved Ice.

The Black Sesame Bingsoo doesn’t taste much of black sesame. The ingredient that takes the spotlight: sweet red bean paste. The bowl also comes with sliced almonds and mochi. A delightful combo of ingredients. Their ratio could use some tampering. More black sesame seed powder, please! On the menu, the Black Sesame Bingsoo is depicted with a pile of that magical black powder. The bingsoo served in reality had only sprinkles of it. Don’t be shy. Pour on that magic, baby!

Cafe Milan serves 15 types of bingsoo. For larger groups, challenge yourself with the Titanic. It comes with handfuls of various fruit and serves five to ten people. Eat Your Green is ironic. It sounds like a nutritious spin on shaved ice using strictly fruits and vegetables. Naw, it received its name due to the ingredients’ color: green. Eat Your Green contains green tea ice, honeydew, mochi, chocolate syrup, green tea and ice cream. Not healthy, but sounds yummy.

For those needing to warm up after the icy dessert, order coffee and tea. Or get some organic ice cream. They sell Italian sodas as well.

Looking towards Cafe Milan from the Lawrence Plaza Food Court.

In previous visits, the workers consisted of young boys and girls in their early twenties. When filming the latest Kingdom Koreatown, there was only one middle-aged man. He appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent. Initially my mother and I thought Cafe Milan was closed. As we walked up to the counter, we saw the man sitting behind its corner. Peekaboo! He must like to play hide-and-seek.

I continue my search to find the best bingsoo in Koreatown San Jose. Having been spoiled by drool-worthy bingsoo in Seoul, perhaps I won’t be able to fulfill my craving until my next trip to South Korea. Bingsoo chains have been flocking over to Koreatown LA. Maybe that’s where I’m heading for the next episode of Kingdom Koreatown. Hint hint. Catch ya next Wednesday!

Cafe Milan
(408) 261-1151
3561 El Camino Real Ste 99
Santa Clara, CA 95051

---