Sideice: Serving Japanese Shaved Ice Tokyo Would be Proud of
Lethbridge isn’t known for its food.
There are a few decent spots. But mostly, it’s drive-thrus, franchise menus, and a few independently owned spots that should be slightly better for what they do. But we’re going to focus on the positive. A food truck. In the sun, parked somewhere, selling Japanese shaved ice. Kakigori.
That kind of thing doesn’t usually make it that far inland. Not here, in rural Alberta, in the desert with the tumbleweeds and the cacti. Kakigori is hard to find. It’s fragile. Built layer by layer with syrup, cream, fruit, mousse, and more. It's soft, cold architecture that melts fast.
In Tokyo, there are lines for it. They post it on Instagram like it’s modern art. In the East Village? You’d wait an hour and pay double for a bowl. And you’d be happy about it. But in Lethbridge? It’s real. It’s called Sideice. And people are starting to talk about it.
So we went.
Let’s get something straight. This isn’t a snow cone.
This is kakigori. And it’s different. Real shaved ice. From a block. Thin as air. It melts the second it hits your tongue. And it’s important to note that every one of these things takes about five minutes to make. It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up with a line. But the time it takes…that’s also kind of the point.
Here are our favourite flavours:
Strawberry Cream
It’s the safe one. The gateway drug. There’s a homemade whipped cream cap that tastes like it was made ten minutes ago. Thick strawberry purée runs through the middle. There’s freeze-dried strawberry crumble for crunch. A sweetened milk drizzle on top.
It’s sweet. Tart. Creamy. Cold. And by the time you hit the bottom, you’re chasing melted syrup with your spoon.
Mango Yogurt
This one’s layered like a parfait. Tangy whipped yogurt on top. Thick mango purée. Real chunks of mango fruit down in the middle.
Sweet milk drizzle again. The yogurt keeps it from going too sweet. It’s balanced. It tastes like it came from someone who’s eaten real kakigori in Osaka. It probably did.
Tiramisu
There’s mascarpone whipped cream. Sweet coffee syrup soaks the ice. They hide a layer of tiramisu mousse in the middle. Then they dust it with cocoa just like the real thing. It’s cold and warm at the same time. Like it came from nonna.
Mint Chocolate
This one’s here in case you need that extra hit that ice cream offers. Homemade mint syrup. Real whipped cream. Chocolate drizzle.
The mint chocolate ice cream hiding in the middle. Topped with a mint leaf. It looks cute, but it’s legit. It’s cold-on-cold-on-cold.
Lemon Mascarpone
Our favourite. Sharp and bright. You’ve got lemon cream syrup, lemon drizzle, and lemon zest on top.
There’s still milk drizzle, but it doesn’t take over. There’s even caramel, which is likely why we choose it every time. It’s not lemonade. It’s not pie. It’s the kakigori you should start with.
These aren’t just dumped in a bowl. These are built, by hand, to order, one layer at a time. A pour here. A spoonful there. A pause. Another pour. Another topping. The maker never rushes. They’re focused and calm. Like it matters. Because it does. You can’t fake this. You can’t batch it. But this obviously means it takes time. If you want fast, go find a Slurpee. Here, you wait. And you’re glad you did.
Now, if you’re not feeling the ice, there are other things. They’ve got lemonade, teas (hot or iced, and small-batch matcha, whisked to order. Not dumped from a jug. Whisked. To. Order.
Lethbridge got lucky with this one.
Most cities don’t get this kind of kakigori. Not made like this. This is something you’d expect to find in Tokyo. Maybe Vancouver. Maybe LA or something. But here?
Sideice doesn’t cut corners. They don’t rush. They don’t mass-produce. Every shaved ice is made like it’s the only one. And that means you wait.
And you should. That’s the deal. That’s what makes it special.
We hope they go bigger. A brick-and-mortar. Four machines. A crew of ice artists building towers of flavour at speed.
But if they don’t? That’s fine too. A little oasis in the heat. A dessert you’ll remember all summer. You just have to be patient.
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