Madlab Kakigori

We don't have very many kakigori / shave ice places around the Bay area, so to see one in downtown SF, and next door to the Transamerica building, was a pleasant surprise. My family loves shave ice so we took a little field trip up to the city to check out the offerings. It's located inside Cafe Sebastian. There are two entrances to the cafe. If you go through the street entrance, you will walk right up to the MadLab Kakigori counter. If you enter through the breezeway facing the Transamerica Building and park, you will be greeted by the cafe's host stand and they will direct you to MadLab. The menu can seem overwhelming at first. And for those who don't like to make too many decisions or cannot decide bc there are too many options lol, there are a few signature items to make it easy. Their signature items are $12. If you're feeling creative or know exactly what flavors you want, you can create your own. Just follow the roadmap of their 1, 2, 3 steps and make your selections. It starts at $7 for the gelato and you can add toppings at $1 each. Ultimately we wanted to make it easy, so we just ordered the Strawberry Cheesecake and the Zen Matcha. Both of these were very photo worthy with pile high toppings, one even including a cotton candy topper. I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor of their gelato. To be honest it caught me a little off guard. I didn't think it was going to be so good. We are used to Hawaiian shave ice, where the ice cream at the bottom can be optional and is a good complement. But this gelato, I could have eaten on it's own. Even as simple as their vanilla, I found myself wanting more of it. And while I'm an ice cream vs. sorbet person, the strawberry sorbet was again another pleasant surprise. My kids and I demolished these two in no time. They are definitely shareable. You can also opt to do a non-dairy dessert with their sorbet, or just shave ice only with syrups and toppings. You can also order just the gelato by the scoop as well. Now, I don't think I could go without gelato in these kakigori though. I got some bites with just shave ice and the matcha cream, or shave ice and the strawberry syrup and it seemed a little plain. I needed the gelato to tie it all together. Service was friendly, but a wee bit slow. We were the only customers there, but there were also only two of them and one was a trainee. Understandable. But they both stopped what they were doing in mid-prep of our shave ice to take a customer's order who had just walked in. Minor bump. I would definitely still go back again if I were in the area.

A very neat dessert option located right next to the park. Not a frequent of the area I stumbled into the side that had Cafe Sebastian signage, but shortly found the Kakigori Menu. The interior was very cozy and for a Friday afternoon I was one of the few visitors, so I took full advantage to do some journaling there The menu was small and deciphering how to construct your order was a bit confusing, so I opted for one of their formulas. I got the OG and was pleasantly satisfied with the sweet treat. The pistachio base was the star for me, however a word of caution that the fancy sprinkles were a little hard to chew through. Did I get full off one? No but it was a reasonable amount that I didn’t feel guilty finishing by myself, it’s just the right size. When I work up the confidence I’ll craft a combo but in the meantime we’ll try the others.

Wow! I'm so glad this opened up here as a fun dessert spot. It's right next to the park and it makes it easy to turn a business coffee chat into a sweet treat run too. It's at the Cafe Sebastian, which already has a lovely interior and plenty of seating (not to mention the park again when the weather is nicer). The menu was small and hard to read, and there's so many options I was glad there's signature formulas to pick from. I got the OG and a friend of mine got a strawberry cheesecake. We were both delighted. I especially loved the creamy pistachio base of the OG, and the cotton candy on the strawberry cheesecake was a visual treat. They were both great sizes and you could probably split one with someone if you wanted to (but why would you) Service was fast and friendly. I'll have to come back to try more of the menu. (Update) They got bigger menus which you can hold up to your face and read!

So fantastic. The person who made ours was an artist and the kakigori was fantastically delicious. I tried mango-yuzu syrup with fresh lychees, brownies, yuzu whipped cream and cotton candy. Just ice with the syrup alone would have been super but each additional topping was another layer of awesome.

We got the strawberry cheesecake special which was delicious. The cotton candy itself tastes of strawberry and the kakigori was deliciously jammy. If you are with people who like to share without eating too much, you can share this with four people so it's very good value. The whole experience was yummy, whimsical and had friendly service.

Ran into a couple snafus at Madlab today: 1) My SO ordered the Signature Formula - Zen Matcha. When I read the description, I got a little concerned about how much matcha was actually going to be present, seeing as the description was primarily strawberry-oriented. It turns out I had good reason to be concerned. There was very little matcha flavor. It was still very good, if assessed as a strawberry dessert with a matcha accompaniment instead of a matcha dessert, but the name is a misnomer and leads to false expectations. 2) The Signature Formulas are listed as $12. I ordered a Build Your Own Double, which was listed as $11. No additional toppings were ordered. When I saw the receipt later, I realized that we were charged respectively +$2 and +$3 for toppings, even though we had both reiterated multiple times that no additional toppings were desired. It's been a mixed bag of experiences today. Something to consider.

Absolutely delicious! Not overwhelmingly sweet somehow, just total perfection!

Not a real rating because I didn't get to try it. Their website says they're open till 6, Google says they're open till 4, I showed up a few min after 3pm and they're closed already 🤷‍♂️😭 Fix your hours and I'll come back and give you a proper review

4.5 STARS You know when a fine dining alum and James Beard recognized chef and his wife opens the newest dessert shop in the city, the quality is going to be top-tier with options to be hella extra like adding flowers, 25k gold, or a cotton candy crown to your dessert. Sorry no caviar for the extra bougie. With the beautiful renovation of the iconic Transamerica Pyramid comes Madlab Kakigōri, one of the new businesses to open on the ground level (opened December 2024). They're located inside Café Sebastian, an all-day café (same owner). M E N U Milkshakes, gelato, sorbets, and kakigōri, Japanese shaved ice. Choose from their signature formulas or BYO kakigōri (shaved ice + gelato) with over 40 toppings; fruits, popcorn, tajín, mochi, cookies, basil, soy sauce, sesame oil, and much more. Prices: Starting at $4 (single shaved ice/single scoop gelato) to a triple scoop kakigōri for $15 (feeds 2-3 people). Toppings are $1 each with premium ones: $2-$5 each. We visited on MLK holiday at opening time and unfortunately, they were out of a lot of toppings + syrups from the weekend. D E S S E R T S * BYO Kakigōri w/ pistachio gelato, classic snow, dark cocoa syrup, 24k gold flakes (Single scoop- $7 + $2 gold flakes): https://tinyurl.com/3ef8nmvf I've been craving the dubai chocolate bar from Hanna's Chocolates so wanted to make a dubai chocolate inspired kakigōri. The pistachio gelato was rich, dense, and deliciously creamy with no air pockets. Not too sweet. It was the perfect complement to the pleasantly bittersweet dark cocoa syrup. They didn't have a crunchy topping similar to kataifi (toasted phyllo) but the crunch from the shaved ice did the job adding a satisfying textural contrast (I asked staff to put my kakigōri in the freezer while they were making the second one). As someone who struggles to finish a single scoop of gelato/ice cream because it gets too sweet, I nearly finished the entire kakigōri myself. * Signature Strawberry Shortcake Kakigōri ($12) A heaping double scoop of vanilla gelato topped with shaved snow, strawberry syrup, fresh + freeze dried strawberries, bars of cheesecake, whipped cream, and freshly spun cotton candy. Since they were out some of the ingredients, they had to sub the strawberry syrup, some fruits, and plain whipped cream. Not mine but they loved it and killed the entire thing! S E R V I C E Friendly lone staff. Since they share the same space and kitchen, management should train additional staff from Café Sebastian to assist when a line forms. Thank you to the kind hostess for opening the doors while I carried out the desserts. Suggestions: (1) BIGGER font for menus! There was only one menu on the counter and it was hard to read. (2) Update hours of operation. When I called to see if they were open, I was told they're open 12 pm - 3 pm (website says, 11 am - 6 pm). (3) Efficiency needs improvement. With no line (at the time), it took nearly 20 minutes to make two kakigōri. And, there wasn't room to wait without feeling like you're in the way of seated diners. Also, it doesn't make sense if you're dining at Cafe Sebastian to have to go up to the counter, order, and wait for your dessert. Hope they consider adding paper forms for ordering and give customers a buzzer. A M B I A N C E Sophisticated café vibes with a large open kitchen. Seating for 60+ indoors and handful of tables outdoors (dog-friendly). Make sure to walk around Transamerica Pyramid's Redwood Park afterwards. Surrounded by redwood trees and statues, it's a serene oasis with water fountain features and comfy chairs for lounging. P A R K I N G On weekdays, take public transit. On the weekends, fairly easy metered parking. Overall, while Madlab's operations needs some fine tuning, we really enjoyed our kakigōri and thought it was a good value for the size + quality ingredients. The ability to customize to your liking is an extra plus. GO WILD!

I was very excited to visit this dessert bar within Cafe Sebastian which I heard about on instagram. The video made it look fresh and new with many different choices of Kakigori and various Ice dessert treats. Overall, it was a pretty good experience. However there can a bit of a line which could get crowded being in the small part of the cafe. And unfortunately the something was wrong with the ice machine so almost all of their shave ice desserts such as the Kakigori were all unavailable which was quite unfortunate. However they have lots of ice cream flavors which you can get as scoops or even a milkshake. I got their Cookies and Cream Shake which was actually delicious and being someone who orders Oreo Milkshakes from everywhere I go, this was actually one that stood out. Primarily they have a hint of lemon zest in the shake whether it's in the cream or somewhere else it was quite surprising but in a good way. I also got to try their mango and lemon sherbet flavors which were really strong and sweet, not really my thing but I'm sure others would love them. So this place is definitely worth the try hopefully everything would be available. I also found it weird that there was only 1 dessert menu which was by the register so it was harder to pre-decide what you would want to order, this would have probably help the line move faster especially in a dessert place where you're encouraged to customize your own dessert. Another really cool design they had was spoons that changed color with the cold temperature of your dessert. It's a small feature but definitely adds more fun to your dining experience!

Wow! I'm so glad this opened up here as a fun dessert spot. It's right next to the park and it makes it easy to turn a business coffee chat into a sweet treat run too. It's at the Cafe Sebastian, which already has a lovely interior and plenty of seating (not to mention the park again when the weather is nicer). The menu was small and hard to read, and there's so many options I was glad there's signature formulas to pick from. I got the OG and a friend of mine got a strawberry cheesecake. We were both delighted. I especially loved the creamy pistachio base of the OG, and the cotton candy on the strawberry cheesecake was a visual treat. They were both great sizes and you could probably split one with someone if you wanted to (but why would you) Service was fast and friendly. I'll have to come back to try more of the menu. (Update) They got bigger menus which you can hold up to your face and read!

Café Sebastian, I found you! But wait! There's MadLab Kakigori! That's two businesses in one! Why bother? I'm here for just desserts, after I left work. I have yet to try any fancy salad dishes of Café Sebastian. I'm only in a mood to customize my own Kakigori. Despite how expensive my bowl of shave snow was, it came out a beautiful beast. Surely, everyone in the kitchen must move faster than ever; that's the reason some of the contents fell from the bowl. Wouldn't mind waiting before they gather the finishing touches. Still, everything from top to bottom have excellent quality taste, including the pistachio ice cream. Next time I visit, I'll customize the milkshake similar to what I once did for my Kakigori, and you'll get to see what it'll look like based on my personality! ;⁠-⁠)

Inside Cafe Sebastian is this new spot from pastry chef Soraya Caraccioli-Kilgore. They have Japanese-style shave ice and gelato! Soft opening was this week, but the staff is very kind and space is very clean. Excited to have something so close!

If you thought playing with your food was a faux pas, think again--MadLab Kakigori is here to rewrite the rules with a frosty flourish. Nestled within Cafe Sebastian, just steps from the iconic Transamerica Pyramid and its majestic redwoods, this spot invites you to unleash your inner mad scientist on a shaved ice masterpiece. From syrupy cascades to fresh cotton candy toppings galore, every spoonful is your canvas, every bite a revelation. I went the tropical route with mango and a whisper of yuzu. Go ahead, mix, match, and revel in the chaos. Because at MadLab Kakigori, rules don't apply--only delicious, melt-in-your-mouth creativity!

I ordered a cookies and cream milkshake for an early afternoon snack. The milkshake was thick so using a spoon was how was able to consume this delicious shake. Lots of pieces of Oreos. It's pretty much made in front of you too which I thought was cool. There's seating inside but also a few tables outside too. It's right by the TransAmerica Pyramid which has a small park where you can enjoy your ice cream too.

New dessert spot located inside Cafe Sebastian that combines gelato and kakigori snow! I got the Zen Matcha and it was very refreshing! The dessert wasn't too sweet and the strawberry sorbet paired well with the matcha syrup. I like how there's an option to customize or choose from one of their signature formulas! There's lots of seating inside the cafe and the service was great! Definitely want to come back to try their other formulas!

Madlab Kokigori just opened on 12/10 and is within Cafe Sebastian, an all-day cafe concept by chef Brad Kilgore. It has an open interior with chic surroundings, and right outside is the beautiful TransAmerica Redwood Park. Madlab Kokigori features creative desserts made from a fusion of gelato and Japanese shave ice. Their shave ice machine is especially imported from Japan to make the very fine and delicate shave ice. Combined with hand made syrups, 11 different gelatos or 4 kinds of sorbets, fresh and freeze-dried fruits, and over 30 choices for toppings, you get beautiful and tasty cold treats. You can create your own by choosing the ingredients, or select from their Signature Formulas. On our first visit we opted for the Signature Formulas and tried the OG Itameshi, Zen Matcha and Berries Me Alive. They were all good but the favorite was the OG Itameshi. The cherry lichi syrup used for the shave ice gave it a sweet but tarty flavor that complements the pistachio gelato. As the space is also shared with the cafe, service can be slow. However, we were enjoying the beautiful space and indulging in our guilty pleasures, so we didn't mind!

Website says they are open until 6pm. Was excited to take my son to try it. Got there around 4:20pm. Asked to be seated but was told that they stop making shaved ice at 4pm. Staff person acknowledged that the website doesn't say this. Establishment was nearly empty and the shaved ice counter was opened and someone was making one. But he wouldn't budge. Let disappointed and will not be back.

Such a Fun and Delicious experience at this new dessert space. I had just returned from a vacation in Hawaii and Shave Ice is my favorite treat there. The Shave Ice at MadLab Kakigori is fantastic. I chose the cherry-lychee flavor which was surprising because it was not sweet. I am excited to try the other flavors in future visits. I added the $1 cotton candy topping --freshly made in the moment --the best dollar I have spent in ages. My husband enjoyed the delicious gelato option. Definitely going back for more. The servers were so friendly. A fun date option with a friend or romantic partner. Highly Recommend.