It's been a hot summer in the United States, with temperatures reaching triple digits in many places, but it hasn't kept The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors from dining out in search of the best places from coast to coast. One thing that has helped them keep their cool this summer? Shaved ice.
Of course, this isn't any old cup of ice accompanied by a wooden spoon for scraping bits of syrupy-sweet, mouth-staining liquid. This is MICHELIN-style shaved ice, with unexpected flavors and delightful textures.
Below, discover five of our Inspectors' favorite shaved ice treats savored this summer.
California
San Francisco
Ernest
"They are known for their strawberry shortcake kakigori. Don't even think about skipping it."
San Francisco
Saison
"Here, an ice-cold, rough-hewn ceramic bowl was filled with wide ribbons of shaved chocolate ice that was the texture of a fudgesicle: dense and smooth. The ribbons were arranged over some olive oil cream hit with a few grains of salt, as well as puffed buckwheat for a terrific, thoughtful contrast to the sweet ice."
Florida
Fort Lauderdale
Chef's Counter at MAASS
"The dessert presentation was anchored by a bowl of Japanese-style shaved vanilla ice over vanilla ice cream with perfect raspberries and some crunchy bits of pistachio brittle with an additional accent of salty/savoriness. Served in a bowl of crushed ice, it was a refreshing treat." 
Texas
Austin
Hestia
"This one was a real showstopper. It was a mountain of shaved ice with sweet cream drizzled on top, plus tiny hibiscus pearls, lime zest, Maldon salt, and then in the center, a large scoop of basil ice cream. The ice was light and soft, almost like snow in texture with a faintly sweet watermelon note."
Washington, D.C.
Jônt
"It's always refreshingly delicious here, as in a yuzu and oat kakigori with yuzu sorbet."
Hero image: Adahlia Cole / Ernest
