Austin B.
Yelp
tl;dr you must try the signature snow bowls -- the two-flavored are the best bang for your buck, and they could reasonably feed an entire family
Snow ice, a popular Taiwanese dessert, is thinly shaved with an even layer of syrups, creating a light and creamy texture, unlike Hawaiian-style snow cones. When it comes to snow ice, no San Gabriel Valley dessert bar does it better than Salju Dessert. This popular shop shares a Valley strip mall with a tea house and a Cajun seafood joint. The atmosphere is very 90s, from the pastel walls and upholstery to the outdated wavy ceiling decorations. To the left, a line queues up at the ordering counter, and staff members sculpt snow bowls in cardboard cups. On the right and straight back, mismatched tables and chairs are scattered around the walls. Chinese pop music blends with the echo of chatter, and the air conditioner is no match for the SoCal summer heat.
Across multiple visits, I have been most impressed by the dynamic Taro ice and the rich Black Sesame ice. The true-to-flavor Thai Tea is also worth trying. Less exciting are the muted Guava and the Vietnamese Coffee flavors. For toppings, I'd highly recommend the fresh mochi Rice Balls (as opposed to the "Mochi" topping, which is the sugary, shelf-stable variety). Other solid toppings are the jellies and condensed milk. My largest criticism is that the toppings are sprinkled along the outside, leaving an inconsistent snow-to-topping ratio.
On the weekends, expect every table to be taken and a line trail out the door. Service is friendly but inefficient, as the staff can only create one shaved ice bowl at a time -- as such, simple orders should be placed at the kiosk in the middle of the space. A two-flavored Medium Snow will run you $12 and will reasonably satisfy 2-3 appetites. This delicious and unique dessert has few equals in the neighborhood -- it's no wonder that Salju consistently boasts such a sizeable queue.