Hui Lau Shan - Irvine

At $7 after tax is included, the Mango Sago at Hui Lau Shan costs more than a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. But to me, nothing else, except maybe shaved ice (be it Hawaiian, Filipino halo halo, or Korean patbingsu) is more refreshing when the thermometer climbs past 80. 

The middle strata of this three-layer confection is composed of a delicate mango slush. It cools the slippery tapioca pearls beneath it and the cubes of fresh mango above it. So do not DoorDash this. Time and ambient temperature is its enemy. Once you are handed the made-to-order dessert, get a seat outside under shade and dig in immediately. 

And as it chills your mouth and slides down your throat, your core is cooled from the inside out. 

From Indian mango lassi to Thai mango sticky rice, mango has always been the fruit of choice for desserts in balmy climates. This one and the others on Hui Lau Shan’s menu, however, are the most mango-forward I’ve tasted, even if it does cost the same as a whole case of mangoes.

Hui Lau Shan

5365 Alton Pkwy M, 

Irvine, CA 92604