Shave It, Thousand Oaks-Review

[Diana]

The 101 was actually moving, so my husband crumbled and took me after lunch to Thousand Oaks for Shave IT.

I LOVE shave ice, especailly the flaky melty stuff like I've only so far had in Hawaii. Also, I refuse to have anything but sugar free syrups. It's a body shape thing. I work hard to look this way, but want sweet treats, too.

Yep, I love me some da-glow, sugar free shave ice.

I wasn't sure Shave It could deliver. We got to Thousand Oaks, what a friend calls Stepford Oaks. Is it really the last bastion of pure caucaziods in LA. Short of scary, really. Bever have I seen so many board shorts and layered girly tees.

SHave it has an interesting system. It's sort of like Starbucks. One person takes the order and wries down flavors on the cup. ANother one shaves the ice into cups and shapes it, and the last person takes the cups, reads the writing, and applies the syrups.

You can get a small or a large. I think it's 8 oz or 16..maybe 12. For your birthday, there is a special large glass cup. Shoot. My birthday was last weekend. They didn't refuse, but didn't offer to give me one. I didn't push.
Each order covers 1 flavor, but you can order others for something like 50-60 cents per.

You can also get cream (not whipped, actualk cream) or sour powder added to your shave ice, or select a flavor of ice cream to put underneath. There are basic flavors, and I saw a few seasonals listed, like pumpkin. They have pre-designed desserts, like the "Root Beer Float"- vanilla Ice cream topped with root beer shave ice. Maybe they'll get hip to the frozen yogurt craze and add that. I dunno.

I got a large with sugar free lychee (called LaLychee) mango, and watermelon. The ice was the PERFECT consistency. The Mango was my favorite, but the lychee and watermelon were good too.

I have to say, I have a throat infection, and that was the BEST thing for it. Cold, sweet, and refreshing.

Now I just have to figure out how to get my husband to keep going back, or finding an excuse to get drive out there myself, when I can again.

[Emme]

just wondering Diana, do you remember approximately how many sugar free flavors they had? like a ton of 'em? do they rotate at all? [dont wanna drive out to be disappointed!]

[creamfinger]

I apologize if I missed it, but where is this place in TO?

[jackattack]

DOWNHILL ALERT for Tutu's in Simi Valley. New owners maybe? The ice was okay, but the ice cream underneath it was INEDIBLE. I guess they don't sell much ice cream, it was stale and sticky. I looked at the ice cream case and lots of other flavors were iced-over and icky. BEWARE!

[whats4din]

I was at Tutu's the other night. I had their cookies and cream and my wife had their coconut. We both liked it and will back for more.

[SauceSupreme]

What's the difference between Hawaiian shaved ice and Filipino halo-halo? I mean, I like sweets as much as the next guy but I ain't driving to the Conejo Valley if I can get a reasonable facsimile without having to cross county lines.

[justagthing]

the way they prep the ice, halo halo is chunkier in comparison to shaved ice. plus the various toppings of course. Halo halo doesn't really use the syrups as much as the various solid stuff such as the fruits and 'jellos'

[RicRios]

I'm a little confused here.

Downtown is full of "raspados", carts -illegal, of course- carrying the ice plus the shaving thing plus the load of syrops. Pretty "authentic" as the word goes nowadays.

You pushed husband unit all the way to Stepford Oaks just b/c of the "caucaziods" (sic), or b/c you don't like the downtown stuff ... or none of the above?

[SIMIHOUND]

For a similar experience try Tutus in Simi Valley.
See http://www.chowhound.com/topics/83051
http://www.tutushawaiianicecreamshack...

[RicRios]

Jeeez!

The picture with the Tutus' dancers is, how can I put it elegantly. . . iconic?

And it comes from Simi Valley. Amazing. I'll think 'bout it.

[justagthing]

That shaved ice is not the same as hawaiian shaved ice. I know it is similar, but it's as my friend would say, 'the same but different.' In regards to the dancers, I'm sure that they hired a dance troupe to perform for their grand opening and that they aren't 'Tutu's dancers.'

My question for Diana is, do they offer red beans as well?

[SIMIHOUND]

I have had Tutu's...It is light very flakey ice. They shave it and also claim to be Hawaiian shaved ice. BTW-The owners came from Maui-Lahina having lived there many years. They came to the mainland for their childrens educations. I sure wish they had Hula girls there all the time. I could never leave Maui myself. I was hooked from day one.

[Diana]

No red beans :(. This is, after all, in Thousand Oaks, where red beans would make the teeny boppers and board boys go "eeew".

[Diana]

The shaving machines downtown get nowhere near the texture and quality of ice as the typical hawaiian machines. Hawaiian style shave ice is a different animal.

You should try it and compare the two, because it is way different. I personally prefer the Hawaiian kind.

For me, really, The downtown area for shave ice you describe is almost as far as Thousand Oaks.

[justagthing]

There are other places that have HSI, what part of s. ca do you live in? I know that the Loft offers it as well as Shakas, I believe.

[Diana]

Ooh! Really?

I live in Sherman Oaks

[justagthing]

Hmmm...not sure of that area, I'm in Long Beach myself and know of places close to me. Why don't you start a thread making inquiries of that area. I'm sure you will get some great responses. Happy searching to you.

[Servorg]

Thanks for the report back. I had wondered what had become of your first thread. Sounds like a perfect summer treat. If I ever find myself out in the hinterlands I'll have to give it a try.