Best Bingsoo & Shaved Ice on Convoy
4 picksThe short answer
Bingsoo (also spelled bingsu) is Korean shaved milk ice topped with red bean, fruit or injeolmi, and Convoy has the biggest cluster of bingsoo and Japanese kakigori in San Diego: Sul & Beans for classic bingsoo, Koli Bar and Yuki Yuki for kakigori, and MNGO Cafe for mango snow ice.
The best bingsoo and shaved ice on Convoy depends on what you're after: Sul & Beans for classic Korean bingsoo, KOLI Bar for photogenic kakigori, Yuki Yuki Handcrafted Beverage & Kakigori for a calmer south-Convoy stop.
- Best for classic Korean bingsoo: Sul & Beans
- Best for photogenic kakigori: KOLI Bar
- Best for a calmer south-Convoy stop: Yuki Yuki Handcrafted Beverage & Kakigori
- Best for mango everything, easy parking: MNGO Cafe
How to choose
Convoy's dessert run splits into three schools: Korean bingsoo (milk ice with red bean, injeolmi or fruit), Japanese kakigori (powder-fine ice with house syrups), and the mango-everything cafes. All four picks portion for sharing.
For classic Korean bingsoo, Sul & Beans — and Somi Somi is next door for a double-dessert run. For tall, photogenic kakigori with house-made syrups, Koli Bar. For newer craft kakigori in a calmer plaza, Yuki Yuki. For mango in every form plus an easy lot, MNGO Cafe.
Want scoops or soft serve instead? The ice cream guide covers Sunday Ice Cream, Coco Bomb, Somi Somi and Boba Bar's puffles.
Before you go: tips for bingsoo and shaved ice on Convoy
- One bowl feeds two — order one and add a drink
- Koli Bar orders are by kiosk — about 10 minutes most times, 25-45 on hot evenings and weekends
- MNGO's showpiece desserts can take 35+ minutes; order simple items if you're in a rush
- Yuki Yuki opens at 5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays
Compare the picks side by side
| Spot | Best for | Style | The ice | Heads-up | Open until | Parking | Wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sul & Beans | Classic Korean bingsoo | Korean bingsoo | Snow-fine milk ice | One bowl feeds two; open until 10pm (10:30 Fri-Sat) | 10pm (10:30pm Fri–Sat) | Medium | Often |
| KOLI Bar | Photogenic kakigori | Japanese kakigori | Kanazawa spring-water ice, house-made purees | Kiosk ordering; 10 min usually, 25-45 on busy nights | 10pm | Medium | Often |
| Yuki Yuki Handcrafted Beverage & Kakigori | A calmer south-Convoy stop | Japanese kakigori + craft milk tea | Ice from Japan, organic milk, filled layers | Kiosk only; kakigori takes 20-30 min; opens 5pm Mon-Tue | 10:30pm | Medium | - |
| MNGO Cafe | Mango everything, easy parking | Mango kakigori, sticky rice, sago | Powder-fine mango snow ice | Kakigori 30-45 min at peak; desserts stop ~10pm | 10pm (11pm Thu & Sun; midnight Fri–Sat) | Easy | - |
"Open until" is the usual closing time, from each shop's listed hours.
The 4 picks
Sul & Beans
Korean bingsoo for two ($12.50-14.95) — fresh strawberry or mango, injeolmi and black sesame over snow-fine milk ice, plus warm taiyaki. Shares a loud, busy room with Somi Somi for the double-dessert run.
KOLI Bar
Tall, photogenic kakigori with ice from Kanazawa and house-made purees — get the Strawberry Bear, mango or the monthly special. Bowls feed 2-3; small room, kiosk ordering and a wait on hot evenings.
Yuki Yuki Handcrafted Beverage & Kakigori
Newer, roomier kakigori cafe in the 3904 Convoy plaza — big bowls for 2-3 (coconut mango and matcha red bean lead) with surprise fillings, plus craft jasmine milk teas and creamochi. The calmer after-dinner stop on south Convoy.
MNGO Cafe
Mango everything — powder-fine MNGO kakigori ($15.95, feeds two to four), warm sticky rice and sago — in a big room built around a mango tree, with a free lot. Open until midnight on weekends, but come before 10pm: late at night it can go drinks-only.
bingsoo and shaved ice on Convoy: common questions
What's the difference between bingsoo and kakigori?
Bingsoo is Korean: fluffy shaved milk ice topped with red bean, injeolmi (roasted soybean powder) or fruit, sized for two — Sul & Beans is the Convoy pick. Kakigori is Japanese: powder-fine ice soaked in syrups and built tall — try Koli Bar, Yuki Yuki, or MNGO Cafe's mango version.
Where can I get bingsoo in San Diego?
Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa has San Diego's main cluster: Sul & Beans for Korean bingsoo (strawberry, injeolmi, patbingsoo, black sesame), plus Koli Bar, Yuki Yuki and MNGO Cafe for Japanese-style kakigori and mango snow ice.
Where is the best bingsoo on Convoy?
Sul & Beans, for classic Korean bingsoo — strawberry, injeolmi, patbingsoo and black sesame. One bowl easily feeds two, and Somi Somi is next door if you want ah-boong too.
Which shaved ice spot on Convoy is open latest?
MNGO Cafe, open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 11pm on Thursdays and Sundays — though its kitchen can switch to drinks only around 10 to 10:30pm, so come earlier for kakigori. Sul & Beans runs until 10pm (10:30pm Fri-Sat), Yuki Yuki until 10:30pm and Koli Bar until 10pm.
How long is the wait at Koli Bar?
About 10 minutes most of the time, but 25 to 45 minutes on hot evenings and weekends. You order at a kiosk and the room is small, so go mid-afternoon for a shorter line.
Where is parking easiest for dessert on Convoy?
MNGO Cafe has a large free lot out front and is rated easy. Koli Bar shares the small Ronson Plaza lot with Yakyudori (2 hours free) — enter at the Starbucks corner of Convoy and Ronson.