Eat Up Havana: Snowl’s Sweet Treats Put the Fun in Fish

Over a decade ago, former Westword food editor Mark Antonation began his food-writing career by eating his way up Federal Boulevard. Now, we’re turning our attention to another vibrant culinary corridor.

The four-plus-mile stretch of Havana Street between Dartmouth and Sixth Avenue in Aurora is home to the most diverse array of international cuisine available in the metro area. From restaurants and markets to take-and-go shops and stands, food lovers of nearly any ethnicity or interest can find a place that will remind them of home or open new culinary doors. In Eat Up Havana, Antony Bruno will visit them all, one by one, week by week. Scroll down to see all his previous stops.

What do fish and dessert have in common? Usually nothing. But at Snowl on South Havana Street, fish take center stage. 

Ok, not really. The “fish” we’re talking about here are fish-shaped waffles presented in different shapes and fillings, called “taiyaki.” And they’re just one of the many options available at this (mostly) sweet treat destination. 

Taiyaki

Traditional taiyaki is a fish-shaped waffle made in a mold filled with sweetened red bean paste. Now, when we say fish-shaped, we’re talking more than just an outline. The molds used are highly intricate, resulting in a fish complete with defined scales, fins and eyes. 

It’s been a popular street food in Japan for over a century and eventually migrated to Korea, where it’s called bungeo-ppang. Over the decades, fillings have evolved. At Snowl, you can try the OG red bean as well as chocolate, sweet potato and cream cheese. There are even savory fillings like bulgogi and pizza, all served with five pieces per order. 

Why fish? Well, like any street food invented over one hundred years ago, the origin stories vary. But it’s safe to say that it likely has to do with fish being a symbol of good luck in Japan. “Tai” means fish (sea bream to be exact) and “yaki” means grill (or bake). 

But because it is shaped like a fish, you have an important choice to make: start at the head or the tail? Apparently, your choice says a lot about your personality. Biting into the head first suggests you’re an optimistic person, while starting at the tail means you’re more cautious or sensitive. Perhaps because the tail has no filling and is a less risky first bite.

Whatever. Just be sure to eat them fresh out of the mold when they’re still hot to get the best experience. 

Cones and Cups

The filled-waffle taiyaki is not the only way to enjoy your fish dessert at Snowl, nor is it the only dessert option. This spot also has soft-serve ice cream options, most of which include a hollow fish-shaped cone. There is the simple taiyaki cone, which is just ice cream in a fish-shaped cone that is not as crunchy as a traditional waffle cone.

There’s taiyaki in a cup, which is a cup of your chosen ice cream flavor and various toppings, accompanied by the fish cone shoved in face-first. There’s also the basic cup, which is the same but without the cone. 

The ice cream flavors are pretty straightforward: milk tea, matcha or swirl (milk tea and matcha together). But the toppings are far more robust, ranging from sprinkles, marshmallows, and pretzels to crushed cookies like Oreo, chocolate chip and animal cookies to cereals like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles and Golden Puffs. 

Snow Bowls

No fish for you? That’s ok, there’s an entirely other menu lane to explore here called Snow Bowls (from which Snowl’s name originates: snow + bowl = snowl). These are large bowls of shaved ice sweetened with condensed milk and a range of add-ons. Whatever your flavor, be warned: these are huge and definitely designed for sharing. 

Additions include black sesame with red bean and almonds, or the chocolate bowl featuring Cocoa Puffs, M&Ms, Oreos and brownies. Or you can go the fruit route and load up with strawberries, mango, or a fruit mix. Or you can try roasted grain bowls with red bean, grain powder, mochi and almonds. There are fruit and yogurt bowls, as well. 

The Rest

But that’s not all! Snowl also serves a variety of croffles (waffles with different toppings), smoothies, milk teas, slushies, frappes, fruit-infused mint teas and fruit iced tea. Oh, and boba, of course. 

There are even savory options, mostly focused on different treatments of chewy rice cakes, served either on skewers or in the more traditional tteokbokki style with vegetables, cheese, egg and pork. 

With such a long menu and varied personalization options, ordering at the touch-screen kiosk can be a bit intimidating if you’re unfamiliar with the navigation system or the choices available. To avoid stressing out about holding up the line (and there is often a line), be sure to hang back and prepare your game plan in advance. 

Then, pay very close attention to the staff announcing the order numbers ready for pickup. The speaker system here is challenging. It’s not unlike the stereotypical garbled New York subway stop announcements. Think of it as the audio version of Starbucks misspelling your name. It’s just part of the experience. 

Snowl is located at 1930 South Havana Street and is open from noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Visit snowlcafe.com for more information. 

Check out all the previous Eat Up Havana stops:

• Old Town Hot Pot
• Leezakaya
• Chutney Indian Cuisine
• El Tequileno
• Milkroll
• Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ
• Watan Restaurant & Bakery
• Las Fajitas
• Mr. Tang
• Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings
• Yemen Grill
• Tofu House
• Sushi Katsu
• Coco Loco
• Ali Restaurant & Bakery
• Thank Sool Pocha
• Taqueria Corona
• Hanyang Wang Jokbal
• Coffee Story
• Tofu Story
• Havana Street Night Markets
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the Hot Pot)
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the BBQ)
• Pho 75
• Yong Gung
• Chopsticks A GoGo
• Angry Chicken
• L Cafe & Food Court
• Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke
• Katsu Ramen
• Dae Gee