<\/p>\n
Two servings of shave ice from Water & Salt served on July 8, 2026.<\/p>\n
Anne Ewbank<\/p>\n
anne.ewbank@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been delightfully temperate in the Sacramento region lately, but that\u2019s about to change.<\/p>\n
Triple-digit heat is on the horizon, and it\u2019s important to stay hydrated. Many of the customers to Water & Salt<\/a> on West Capitol Avenue aim to do just that, bringing in containers to fill up with various filtered and enhanced waters.<\/p>\n As for me, I\u2019m usually in the line for shave ice.<\/p>\n Shave ice is the snow cone\u2019s light-as-air cousin. It hails from Hawaii, and it\u2019s an adaptation of the similar Japanese treat kakig\u014dri.<\/p>\n Sacramento is blessed with several shave ice shops. There\u2019s the neighborhood favorite Osaka-ya, Ululani Shave Ice<\/a>, which recently opened in Old Sacramento, and H\u0101nai Shave Ice & Island Grindz, which is currently doing a residency at Side Hustle in the Ice Blocks.<\/p>\n Large blocks of ice are actually the main ingredient of shave ice. At Water & Salt, that ice, made with alkaline water, is inserted into machines that use sharp blades to turn it into delicate snow. That fluffy powder is gently patted into cups and flavored with various syrups, such as lime or strawberry.<\/p>\n You can also go all-out and get your shave ice \u201cHawaiian-style\u201d for an additional $4.89. That means adding condensed milk, mochi, and ice cream to the basic shave ice. The ice cream, of course, comes from Gunther\u2019s.<\/p>\n My favorite shave ice flavor is the Hawaiian favorite known as tiger\u2019s blood. No tigers or blood are involved, of course. Tiger\u2019s blood is generally a strawberry, watermelon, and coconut-flavored syrup.<\/p>\n Usually, tiger\u2019s blood is a bright, vivid red. Most shave ice syrups tend to be exuberantly, artificially colorful. Those are available at Water & Salt, but so are \u201cnatural\u201d syrups, which are lighter on the food coloring.<\/p>\n So instead of my usually bright-red treat, I opted for a combo of passion fruit and natural tiger\u2019s blood syrups. Along with a drizzle of condensed milk, my small shave ice came out to $6.70. My colleague Sean went with the natural lychee and passion fruit syrups for his small shave ice, which was $5.67.<\/p>\n The ice was fluffy, the syrups were lightly sweet without being overpowering, and opting for the natural syrups meant I did not have red-dyed teeth for the day.<\/p>\n The hint of coconut flavor in the tiger\u2019s blood and the condensed milk made my shave ice slightly creamy while still remaining refreshing. And the ice itself was beyond light and airy.<\/p>\n There are plenty of outdoor tables at Water & Salt, some sheltered against the side of the building and several in the black-shaded seating area in the back. My recommendation is to dig in on the premises.<\/p>\n Water & Salt<\/p>\n Address: 1620 West Capitol Ave., West Sacramento<\/p>\n Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday<\/p>\n Phone: (916) 222-2301<\/p>\n Website: waternsalt.com<\/a><\/p>\n Vegetarian options: Yes<\/p>\n Noise level: Moderate<\/p>\n This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 6:00 AM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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