To Logan Wong, kakigori — or Japanese shaved ice — is a delicate and delicious work of art.
It starts with a block of the clearest ice, imported from Japan and filtered to remove every imperfection. The ice is then carefully shaved into soft flakes and topped with condensed milk and freshly-made syrups. Another layer of shaved ice is piled on top with more condensed milk and syrup to finish it off.
Wong fell in love with the frozen treat while studying abroad in Japan. Now, he runs his own kakigori business in Long Beach, and just opened “LA’s original kakigori trailer.” Instead of the traditional food truck model, Wong opted for a smaller, cuter trailer that he built from the ground up.
“The dream was to start that trailer from the beginning,” Wong said.
It’s been a long journey to get to this point. Wong opened Yamanaka Kakigori in 2024 as a small pop-up in his family’s restaurant, LV Seafood, off of Carson Street and Lakewood Boulevard.
He had always dreamed of running his own food business, but in college, he set his dreams aside to pursue a corporate job that felt more stable. After being laid off from three jobs in the span of five years, Wong returned to his love for the food industry.
“The layoffs, although painful, were kind of a blessing in disguise, because it gave me this opportunity that honestly, I never would have gotten or even thought about pursuing if I didn’t have that section of my life that was a little bumpy,” Wong said.
He learned the ropes helping his family at their restaurant, and when he was ready, he took the leap to start his own thing. He had always loved shaved ice — some of his fondest memories growing up involved eating it in Hawaii during family vacations — so it just made sense for him to pursue that.
On top of the imported ice, Wong makes all of the toppings himself, using fresh ingredients and seasonal flavors to bring his creations to life. That dedication makes running the business a full-time job even though he’s only open on weekends.
“I don’t think this could be really a side business. Like, I put literally my heart and soul into every aspect of it,” he said.
Flavors rotate month to month and are announced on Yamanaka Kakigori’s Instagram. The strawberry yuzu — which is made with strawberry milk, strawberry jam, fresh strawberries, yuzu jelly, masago arare, chichi dango mochi and yuzu cream foam — is one of the top-sellers and is available most of the year.
Wong’s favorite part is seeing people experience kakigori for the first time. He has so many happy memories of going out for a treat with his family, and he hopes his business can play a role in making those types of memories for his customers.
“Building those core memories is so important to me,” Wong said.
Kakigori is a “timeless experience,” Wong said.
Recently, a 92-year-old woman who grew up in Japan visited Yamanaka Kakigori with her daughter. Wong said the woman was so happy because that was the first time she’d had kakigori in a long time.
Creating such joy in his customers has been the most rewarding thing for Wong.
“Last year was one of the most fulfilling years of my entire life,” he said in an Instagram post announcing the trailer.
Yamanaka Kakigori can often be found at LV Seafood, 4139 Norse Way. Their pop-up schedule and monthly menu are announced on Instagram.