Why go
A fish-shaped waffle, filled to order
The order that defines SOMISOMI is the ah-boong: a fish-shaped waffle cone cooked in a mould and filled with Korean-style soft serve, so a warm shell meets cold ice cream in the same bite. The Koreatown shop is one of several Los Angeles branches of SomiSomi Soft Serve & Taiyaki, a chain of independently owned and operated franchises based in the city. The idea comes out of Korean dessert culture, which took taiyaki, the Japanese fish-shaped cake, and turned it into a vessel for soft serve rather than a filled cake eaten on its own. The batter is sweet and cake-like, pressed in the mould until the outside crisps and the inside stays soft, then filled the moment it comes off the iron.
A counter built for quick visits
The work here is ice cream and taiyaki rather than bread or laminated dough, and the room follows: casual, counter-service, designed for short stops. Guests order at the counter, choose a soft-serve flavour and a taiyaki filling, watch the cone come together, and usually leave with it rather than settling in. The preparation counter is the focus of the space, with staff pulling soft serve and filling cones in full view, which is most of the entertainment. Nothing about the layout asks anyone to linger over a long coffee, and the queue moves at the speed of the waffle irons. Treat it as a dessert stop rather than a place to settle in with a coffee and a pastry, and it delivers exactly what it promises.
What to order first
Start with the ah-boong, because it shows what the shop is built to do. Soft-serve flavours can run to vanilla, strawberry, matcha and black sesame, with taiyaki fillings such as chocolate, custard or fruit compote, and the combinations are where regulars make it their own. The variations matter less than the structure: a warm shell cooked in a mould, filled or paired with soft serve, handed over compact enough to eat while walking. Think of the taiyaki as a sweet waffle cake rather than a pastry; it is neither yeast-leavened nor laminated. The craft is in consistency, the texture of the soft serve, a clean fill, and the timing that keeps the waffle warm while the ice cream stays cold. That contrast is what separates it from a plain cup of soft serve.
Frequently asked questions
What should I order at SOMISOMI?
Order the ah-boong first, the fish-shaped waffle cone filled with Korean-style soft serve. It is the format the whole shop is built around, and it shows the contrast that matters here: a warm, lightly crisp shell against cold soft serve. Choose a flavour such as vanilla, strawberry, matcha or black sesame, then add a filling like chocolate, custard or fruit compote.
Is SOMISOMI a bakery?
No. The taiyaki is a sweet waffle cake cooked in a fish-shaped mould, not a yeast-leavened or laminated pastry, and the shop is built around frozen dessert rather than a pastry case. The counter turns out soft serve and filled cones to order, so treat it as an ice cream stop with a waffle attached rather than a bakery.
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