Smear some Nutella inside a fish and swirl some soft serve inside and you’ve got one of the best treats in town. That is, if you’re at SomiSomi where the fish are freshly made taiyaki (fish-shaped) waffle cones. (I’ve never tried Nutella inside a real fish and imagine it would be horrible.) This Korean chain has been expanding in California and recently opened a branch in Sawtelle.

Located in the former home of Blockheads Shavery, SomiSomi offers taiyaki, soft serve and their ahboong, which combines the two. They’ve got six different flavors, including three swirls, which change weekly, just to keep things fresh. Milk, their original flavor, is always on the menu, along with rotating flavors like ube, sesame, horchata, Oreo and matcha. All of the flavors, except for milk, are lactose-free – great for those lactose-intolerant diners out there (the soft serve, however, is not vegan as it contains dairy).

You can customize your ahboong with an ice cream flavor and filling for the taiyaki (Nutella, custard, taro or red bean). Toppings are not only free, but unlimited!

Korean soft serve is light, fluffy, not too sweet and delicious. If it’s a hot day, you may want to consider getting your ahboong upside down to prevent the inevitable drips. It is, however, much more fun to eat upright.

If you’re gluten-intolerant or not that hungry, you can just get the soft serve in a cup.

Of course, you can just order some taiyaki on their own, made-to-order with your choice of filling. In addition to the ones offered for the ahboong, there is also cheese (or a mixture of red bean and cheese).

I used to have to trek over to Koreatown to get my SomiSomi fix, so having this one close means that I can now make it a weekly treat. With SomiSomi and Matcha Village opening and joining Millet Crepe, BSweet, Beard Papa, HoneyMee, Matcha Cha, and Brian’s Shave Ice, Sawtelle’s becoming a dessert destination.

Location – 11311 Mississippi Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Website – https://www.somisomi.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegan Friendly –  No
Gluten-Free Options – Yes