It's hot. And therefore time for another Chilly Sauce lecture on frozen desserts (you'll recall recent installments on frozen custard and Snow Cream). This week's topic is shave ice. This may or may not be on the final.

The treat is popular in Hawaii, where it is called shave ice, not shaved ice. Or ice shave, or other slangy versions of the phrase such as ice ice shavie. Shave ice is not to be confused with the snow cone. A snow cone uses crushed ice. Shave ice is shaved from a single block.

Either way, we're talking ice and flavored syrup in a bowl or a paper cone. For Hawaiian-style shave ice, you'll find local fruit flavors such as coconut, pineapple guava, passion fruit and lychee. A popular topping is sweetened condensed milk.

You can find Hawaiian-style shave ice at Get Shaved in Sherman Oaks. The business (which has several other area locations including two in Northridge) caters birthday parties and other kid-related events.

So it was not surprising that the two young women behind the counter dissolved into a flurry of little-girl giggles when I confessed to being unfamiliar with shave ice and asked them to make me something pretty so I could take photo. After much discussion they made me a Combo #4, also known as Monkey Brains (on a menu featuring such delights as Sour Puss, Cry Baby and Jungle Juice). Monkey Brains involves strawberry and banana shave ice with its own little Mauna Loa volcano of condensed milk in the middle.

Well, the thing was pretty—and sweet enough to make your teeth hurt with the condensed milk topping. But if you want it, they've got it.

12910 Magnolia Blvd., Unit J, 818-980-584

Here are a couple of other local haunts to try shave ice:

Brian's Shaved Ice, 19572 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, 818-654-5364

Ice Ice Shavee food truck, Studio City Farmers Market at Ventura Place, Sundays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 818-654-5364. Featuring all-natural flavorings.