With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Get Organic Cotton Candy On Your Ice Cream At This New K-Town Shop
Hi Cotton Hi, Mango Cheese Delight, and Tiramisu (with the coffee injector on the side). (Photo by Jean Trinh/LAist)
()
You don't need to wait for a carnival to get your cotton candy fix. There's a new Koreatown dessert shop that melds two sweets together by putting fluffy, flavored cotton candy on top of soft serve. It's equal parts delicious and adorable.
CottonHi, which is on Sixth Street in a bustling plaza it shares with Korean BBQ and pho restaurants, opened recently at the end of October. While there are other shops out there that also do this cotton candy and ice cream combo like IOTA Brew Cafe, CottonHi's thing is that they use organic and non-artificial ingredients.
Owner Minsu Kim, 29, tells LAist that she wanted to use organic ingredients because she has a 2-year-old son (who's also the inspiration behind CottonHi's cute cotton candy-haired cartoon logo), and she wanted a dessert that he could have. CottonHi is her first business venture, and up until now she was a stay-at-home mother.
()
Support for LAist comes from
Minsu Kim designed the CottonHi logo, which was based on her 2-year-old son (Photo by Jean Trinh/LAist)
Kim adds that she also just thinks that combining the two items makes for a fun dessert that reminds people of going to amusement parks or carnivals. The shop is akin to that child-like feeling, with their glass wall covered in colorful writing and drawings, and glass jars filled with cotton candy. There's a giant, metal #COTTONHI sign perched on the counter (that we imagine is geared towards millennials who love to Instagram), and tables and chairs lining the space.
CottonHi has a pretty extensive menu, but Kim suggests starting off with the shop's "Hi CottonHi" dessert. It's a vanilla, milk-based soft serve topped with cotton candy. There are six flavors of cotton candy to choose from: strawberry, lemonade, double mint, chocolate, salted caramel and coffee. I try a small bite of each of the cotton candy flavors, and they all taste different and light, without that sickeningly sweet sugary aftertaste you normally get from carnival cotton candy.
Kim's favorite is the salted caramel, and I trust her and try it out. I'm a little apprehensive that this dessert will be so sweet I'll get a toothache, but it's actually rather balanced. The soft serve isn't overly sweet, and the salted caramel cotton candy is light in flavor and texture, complementing each other. There are also colorful Lucky Charms marshmallows decorating the fluffy cloud.
I find that it's not very easy to eat, as I try to scrape the cotton candy with my spoon into the ice cream, but then I realized the best way to go is to just spoon the ice cream into my mouth and take a bite off the top of the cotton cloud. It's a fun adventure eating it, but be aware that it can get a little messy. Don't even think about trying to take this dessert to-go.
All the other ice cream options are more than your basic soft serve. They're vanilla soft serve with different toppings and drizzle combos that don't come with cotton candy, but you can add that on for an extra dollar. I added cotton candy to all the ones I tried. You might as well go big or go home when it comes to your Instagrams of these cute desserts.
As for the other offerings I try, my favorite is the Mango Cheese Delight. The vanilla soft serve is swirled with mango sauce drizzled, and topped with cubed mangoes and bites of cheese cake, which make for a nice surprise of texture. I top this one with strawberry cotton candy, a suggestion the store's manager makes, who says fruity ones like that or lemonade go best with this item.
Another fun ice cream is their Tiramisu, which comes with soft serve, mascarpone cheese and chocolate powder. The best part is this one has a huge lady finger stuck in the side of the cup, and an injector with a extra shot of coffee that you can squeeze all over the ice cream and cotton candy. They win us over with the interactive presentation. The best cotton candy flavors that go with this one are chocolate and coffee.
Support for LAist comes from
The shop also offers a variety of drinks from cold brew coffee to strawberry lemonade and a virgin mojito. You can even top those with cotton candy if you wish, because you're an adult and you can do whatever you want.
CottonHi is located at 3825 W 6th St. in Koreatown, (213) 263-1905. It's open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Drinks and ice cream ranges from $3.50 to $4.50.
()
Sign on the CottonHi counter (Photo by Jean Trinh/LAist)
()
The glass wall at CottonHi covered in colorful scribbling and drawings (Photo by Jean Trinh/LAist)
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Heavy rain from the early-season storm could trigger debris flows. Snow is also possible above 7,000 feet. -
Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership announces that 11% of the workforce is being cut. -
The rock legend joins LAist for a lookback on his career — and the next chapter of his music. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care.
Best of LAist