food: we got the matcha shaved ice and it was really refreshing with a very strong matcha taste to it. the crème brûlée was perfectly torched and the crunch bits to it was a bonus for how soft the shaved ice is. it would be super tastier if they had more toppings with the shaved ice. they also had very few flavors so some of the flavors did run out when we got there. ambiance: the place looks super cozy with light up led walls. perfect for having chat with friends, with bar seat and table seats available. service: no line and 5-10min ready with the order. went on a saturday afternoon with no wait time at all. super friendly staff! read more

Kiyoraka - matcha shiro shaved ice - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

The food was okay, but the service really needs improvement. The staff seemed unfriendly and not very helpful during my visit. The food was okay, but the service really needs improvement. The staff seemed unfriendly and not very helpful during my visit. read more

i went when it opened, and everything seemed really disorganized. we were the only table there but even then it took a good 25 minutes. the ice had no flavor and didn't taste particularly good, but i think the concept is really cool. i saw this store on xhs, and it looked straight out of shanghai so had to check it out. the owner was really nice and attentive though! i'll probably give this place another try soon because i heard it's a lot better now. read more

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Kiyoraka's Golden Crunch Kakigori was immensely impressive. Superzied super light and fluffy shaved ice topped with mango puree, mango chunks and whipped ceeam. The ice was ao decadently light and refreshing. Definitely an experience in a cosmic themed modern and sleek dining room. There was a lone server during our after dinner visit on a weekday and she worked efficently to serve the post dinner stream of customers inquisitively wandering in to check it out! read more

Kiyoraka - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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The place appeared (on the outside) very hip and futuristic. It was vacant when we went. Most of the items were sold out. Got what was left and recommended, which I believe is their matcha with cheese. Their workers seemed uninterested - even saw on person on their cell texting away...but then again, it was only us there so there's nothing for her to do but watch the co-worker help us. For the price and overall taste of the match/ice/cheese, it is not worth it at all. It lacked the taste of matcha. read more

Kiyoraka - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

This place honestly looked so cool on IG but it did not live up to the hype. Ambience first of all was very odd given the location and the vibes didn't really match the food. Parking itself was very plentiful and easy in the plaza. Service was odd since it's not that busy but they only have a kiosk that you use to order it yourself. We ended up choosing the matcha. It was very powdery and tasted very artificial and bitter. The ice itself was also very icy and just wasn't what I had expected. read more

Kiyoraka - 9.18.2025 matcha - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Supposedly this place imported japanese ice but i dont taste the difference at all. For $17, it's a pretty expensive especially the portion isnt that big. The shaved was pretty good, but other places have similar ones for way cheaper. Side note: The interior of this place was very aesthetically pleasing. read more

Kiyoraka - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Located across the street from the entrance to Tanaka Farms, in the Parkview Center, first level. Plenty of parking in the shared lot for the shopping center. This shopping center has been here for some time as the parking aisles are nice and wide. Kiyoraka Kokigori is a unique Japanese shaved ice experience that is more than a dessert shop, more than a frozen dessert treat. It cannot be compared to ordinary shaved ice that we have all had in our pasts. Kiyoraka staff are artisans and each dish is a culinary masterpiece that they are creating for the experience. There are only SIX choices on the menu on any given day and there may be seasonal ones only offered for a short period of time depending upon the availability of the fresh ingredients. Daily hours are 12:00PM - 10:00PM because each morning, the staff is making the sauces, creams, chopping nuts and fruit for the shop's offerings. Once they run out of the ingredients, that item is removed from the available choices on the menu. The daily available choices is also monitored in their digital system for the kiosk and the register manned by the manager. Kiyoraka is a cashless shop for efficiency too. The shopping center has shared patio tables and Kiyoraka has a dining area as well as bar seating. The décor along one dark "galaxy" wall with colorful twinkling lights/"stars" and "shooting stars" every few seconds. This is paneled along the length of the shop. The bar area, the counter is a lit "marbled" surface that servers will place final orders on and customers will use as eating surfaces. It is a wide counter. The seats are very cool, they are blue in the shape of waves or blue "leaves" and there is a spring when you sit down. Very comfortable and unique. I chose a seat at the bar because I wanted to watch the artisans design the dishes. Food scales are used in every preparation. Each dish has a specific list of ingredients that is crafted in a specific order. The Japanese shaved ice requires a special machine and what appears to be special blocks of ice that are packaged as blocks in sealed plastic. In other words, do not try this at home. The empty dish is placed on the food scale and as each ingredient is added, it is done on the scale as well, making each creation exactly the same. Some of the shaved ice needs to be molded and lightly pat down to create the rounded shape. It was fascinating to observe but all of this takes time. Each dish takes 5-6 minutes to make and nothing in done in mass production nor are any of the dishes "pre-made" in any way. I visited Kiyoraka after hearing about it from Purelux Scalp Spa that I visited earlier in the day. Go read my reviews there - love that service! My Kiyoraka visit was around 4:15 PM, but the place was pretty full. The manager let me know that Strawberry Pistache was the number one favorite, followed by Golden Crunch and that Yogurt Kiwi was a seasonal offering that could be leaving at any time. I chose the Tiramisu Hikari and the manager said "that is the last one for the day." I felt like I was just awarded the golden ticket. As of 19 Jul, dishes range in price from $14.98 to $17.98. While this may seem like steep pricing, once you see the work that goes into each dish, you understand the value of the cost. Each order comes with a card with a drawing of the creation and the ingredients. Tiramisu Hikari contained lemon curd, mascarpone cream, caramel hazelnut, coffee cookie, coffee milk syrup, Japanese shaved ice (2 applications) and brown sugar that is heated with a blow torch right in front of your eyes!! Holy Moly! Each dish is about 5" tall AND YOU CAN'T TAKE THE LEFTOVERS HOME - PERIOD! Staff is very nice, accommodating and one artisan actually told me "they are super fun to make!" There you have it! While enjoying my delicious treat, I saw many Strawberry Pistache and Golden Crunch being ordered. Dishes are made to be shared, but I don't think younger children would like the flavor combinations. This is just my opinion. And why would you want to waste these yummy treats on the kids? Save this wonderful place for a teen to adult outing and make it special for "adults only!" Don't bawk about the price nor the wait time, just indulge yourself. You only live once. Ok, bye read more

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I can't believe more people don't know about this place but either way, I love this hidden gem. They do Japanese shaved ice called kakigori that is so delicious! They have different flavors but me and my boyfriend's favorite flavor is the tiramisu one. The tiramisu kakigori has a creme brulee top that they torch with marshmallow fluff, the shaved ice is coffee flavored that melts in your mouth. The bottom has hazelnuts that are crunchy and sweet and taste amazing with the coffee shaved ice. It's priced around $15-16 but it's easily shareable with 2-3 people and it's always a hit whenever we get it after dinner or just want a sweet treat. The service is always amazing and everyone is so sweet to help you choose a flavor and they're all very helpful. read more

Kiyoraka - Tiramisu Kakigori - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Tried the tiramisu shaved ice today and loved it! Soft, fluffy ice with a great tiramisu flavor. Service was a bit slow since there was only one employee in the front, but the dessert was definitely worth trying. You should go when you are not in a hurry to be anywhere else. read more

Saw this on TikTok and wanted to try Japanese shaved ice for the first time. Irvine has an endless selection of dessert places and this place more unique compared to other shaved ice places because of the detail that put into the shaved ice. It takes a while to serve so just be careful. They are carefully handcrafting the shaved ice. Matcha Shiro (5/5): This comes with a creme brulee like top and matcha power on top. The shaved ice is also matcha flavor and it comes with matcha cream on the inside. I thought the flavor was very elegant and the creation of this was very thought out as it was a really unique try. However, I wished it was a bit sweeter. Would love to come back to try different flavors read more

Kiyoraka - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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Beautiful interior! You'll be dazzled by the wall lights, lit up bar seating and the custom shaped bar stools. Your senses, specifically smell, will be entertained too because it was a mix of sewage/perfume lol Thank goodness they kept their door open and had outdoor seating available. We chose the Strawberry Pistachio ($17.98) and shared between 2 people. When the shave ice is ready, they give you a graphic card that details the layers so it's not a surprise. This one had a base of cherry jelly, pistachio syrup, pistachio paste, strawberry cream with candied strawberries, cookie crumble and finished with a dollop of strawberry cream and candied strawberry. In reality, ours didn't have any candied strawberry bits but more of a strawberry syrup. Fortunately, the roasted nutty flavor from the pistachio syrup was prominent and perfectly highlighted. The cookie crumbs were a pleasant crunch too. The only item we weren't impressed with was the cherry jelly as it tasted out of place or an afterthought. Overall, it's a wonderful sweet treat and would like to give Golden Crunch or Matcha a try! It does feel a bit pricy at almost $20 with tax, but it looks like they will be adding food & drinks to their menu soon. Excited to see what they will offer! read more

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Nice employees, but overall not a great experience. Agreeing with a lot of other comments, definitely not worth the cost. It really wasn't substantial enough and the sauce didn't even go all the way through. It was mostly plain ice inside. We got the golden crunch and the matcha and both had issues. The matcha was for sure missing something that was shown in the card they give you that shows what's supposed to be in it. They also gave us the wrong order so we had to wait until they remade what we actually ordered. We also couldn't eat inside because the whole place smelled like a strong bathroom cleanser. I'd only go again if the prices were lowered. read more

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Perfect treat for the hot days to come this summer! the interior was cool, the bar seating was vibey, but the long line right down the middle was not a vibe and took away from the cool interior. The store definitely did not have enough seating. Objectively speaking, I thought the shaved ice itself was really good! I liked that toppings were hidden inside and that there were cool layers to unveil. I hit the strawberry pistachio and it was really yummy! Now if we consider the portion size and the value, I'd say this was not worth your $20. Cool to try once but I'll likely not want to pay $20 for shaved ice again. read more

Kiyoraka - Strawberry pistachio - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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Loved the taste of the shaved ice! The texture was incredibly soft--almost cloud-like--and it melted right in my mouth. The flavors were rich and balanced, not overly sweet, which I appreciated. We were hoping to try the strawberry pistachio flavor, but it was unfortunately sold out during our visit. Definitely planning to return to try it next time! The ambiance was nice overall, but one downside was the strong restroom-like odor inside the shop. It made the environment feel unappetizing and a bit unsanitary, especially for a dessert spot. Because of that, we chose to enjoy our shaved ice outside instead. Still, the dessert itself lived up to the hype we saw on social media--it really was delicious! read more

Kiyoraka - matcha shiro - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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I finally visited Kiyoraka after seeing the Yelp reviews and decided to try the Tiramisu flavor. It turned out to be a good choice. The ice itself was very fine and fluffy. The Tiramisu flavor delivered a good balance of coffee and marscapone, reminiscent of the dessert but in a lighter, iced form. It wasn't overly sweet, either. I also really liked the crunchy cookie bits inside - they added a nice textural contrast. Overall, I enjoyed it as a well-executed dessert more than syrup flavored shave ice. read more

Kiyoraka - Tiramisu hikari - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

An overall okay shaved ice spot. I really liked how fine and smooth the ice was, but I wish there were more syrups or toppings -- some parts of the dessert ended up tasting pretty plain. I tried the Strawberry Pistache (their most popular flavor) and the Golden Crunch. I thought I'd prefer the Golden Crunch, but surprisingly liked the Strawberry Pistache more -- the flavors were better distributed throughout. The presentation is definitely pretty, but for the price, I'd rather go to Sul & Beans. They're more generous with fruit and the flavor is consistent in every bite. This place was nice to try once for the experience, but it wouldn't be my go-to dessert spot. Service was pretty much non-existent. There's a self-serve kiosk, and the only interaction we had with the staff was when they handed us our order. We went when it wasn't busy, and during that time, the employees were just on their phones in full view of customers. One odd thing we noticed was an item on the kiosk labeled "Our Commitment" priced at $999 -- a bit strange, but funny. The shop interior is cool and has a unique vibe. read more

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Very cute interior and welcoming. Service was fast and friendly. I have never had shaved ice and did not know what to expect. The strawberry pistachio combo was perfect and the consistency of the ice was extremely refreshing and satisfying. They layer the flavors so that you get both in each bite. I might try mango next time but honestly think the one I had is most perfect combination. It's a little expensive but I would still come here over and over for this unique desert! read more

Kiyoraka - Strawberry pistachio - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Food - the food itself is nothing great. I saw this place on insta and they mentioned that the ice was imported. I thought that was the dumbest thing I've read in the past month but I guess it's actually true, the ice comes in a giant cube that's in a plastic wrapper, and the texture of the ice is definitely a lot better and smoother than bingsu. But the syrup wasn't that strong and it felt really lackluster in flavor. We ordered the matcha one for reference. Service - the service is fine there's not much to speak on it. Ambaince - the ambiance is fire. It kinda gives a club vibe with the lighting and it has bar seating with these clam shell chairs that are transparent so it makes you feel like you stepped in an igloo. Absolutely killed it with the interior. Overall it wasn't a bad experience for the one time, but $17 for some flavored shaved ice is a bit ridiculous. Idc if an Eskimo farmed this from the heart of Antarctica, ice isn't worth $17. read more

Kiyoraka - Matcha flavor - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Probably a 4.5/5 because it is a little expensive for the size, but will round up due to the attention to detail and unique taste. Ordered the Golden Crunch ($15): Topped with mango, milk and egg custard, mango puree, and layered with a caramel sauce, it was super refreshing and fruity without being overly sweet. There are also small cookie bits hidden in a lower layer, which adds to the texture and taste. The size can be easily shared by two people. The decor is just as impressive as the dessert. At night, the space glows with dreamy star against a sleek black wall. The bar stools look like they're melting ice and the frozen ice-inspired counter adds a special touch. Perfect for late-night hangs since they close at 10 PM. Highly recommend for a sweet treat if you're in the area! The service was quick as well so we were in and out in less than 20 minutes. read more

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Why do you say you are open until 10 but always close before 9? It's very rude to waste people's time coming when you say you are open but really aren't. read more

Kiyoraka - False advertising - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

matcha shiro * did not particularly stand out in taste or quality * pricey for small portion size 6/10 read more

Kiyoraka - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Kiyoraka has been featured as a new hot spot for kakigori in Irvine, and they currently have a limited time promo of buy 1 get 1 50% off. Starting off with the good, we arrived around 2:30pm on a Sunday and there wasn't a single customer, so there was no wait. You can either order on the kiosk or directly with the staff. We ended up getting the matcha shiro and golden crunch. There is both inside and outside seating, and we sat at the counter to watch the staff make our orders. The interior is pretty cool and aesthetic. We got our orders shortly after, but unfortunately, we were not impressed and quite disappointed with the taste. Both kakigoris were very sweet, especially the mango. The mango fruit pieces did not taste fresh and felt like canned fruit. They do brûlée the top for the matcha kakigori like they do in Japan, but aside from that, it didn't make it taste any better - it just tasted like overpriced icy syrup. Both kakigoris came with a jelly at the bottom that we weren't a fan of the texture nor the lingering aftertaste. We were able to finish since the portion is pretty small, but we definitely did not enjoy it. Overall, while this spot uses Kumamoto ice, it tasted nothing like the kakigori I've had in Japan, and I've had better kakigori in socal. Even with the discount, an order averages around $13, and the taste does not make it worth a return visit. read more

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Wanted to take my little ones here to try because a friend raved about it and we pass by this center multiple times a week. It was quiet and empty on a Monday afternoon. The girl at the front was kind, attentive and very excited about the product. We ordered the Mango Crush and I was shocked at the cost- $16+ for one order. It really was a work of art, so I understand the cost. But taste was okay. Unfortunately wouldn't likely return but still very glad we tried it! read more

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Soooo delicious, I can't wait to go back and try more flavors! Mango & strawberry pistachio were and the service was amazing - Chloe (sorry if I spelled her name incorrectly) provided the actual best service we've ever had anywhere! I wish they had some more flavors like maybe a Dubai chocolate combo or more crunch options for toppings but this place is seriously a must try!! read more

Kiyoraka - Strawberry & pistachio shaved ice and mango shaved ice cream - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

I was so disappointed. I drove 30 minutes to get there. And when I arrived, the place was completely empty. I asked the worker if they were open. She said yes. But they had no food! I said you have no food? She said no. Then I said you're not really open are you? I asked when will you be serving food thinking maybe it'll be 15 minutes an hour, she said tomorrow. I couldn't believe it.!! I saw the poor reviews, but I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. Big mistake. read more

Don't get down to OC very often, but when I do, I stopped by Kiyoraka. Middle of winter, January, sat outside in the beautiful SoCal sunshine and enjoyed my Japanese shaved ice....mmmmm. I'll be back!! read more

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Kiyoraka serves up Japanese style shaved ice in a cool cafe setting with lit up stone countertops and a wall with shooting stars. The wait is long but it's interesting to watch the staff make the shaved ice and couples on dates. The matcha, mango and tiramisu creations seem to be the most popular choices. We got buy one get the second one half off so we got both matcha and mango. Both were yummy and worth the calories. read more

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Place was closed at 8pm on a Saturday even though sign says open daily at 10pm. Drove all th way fro LA and was quite disappointed read more

Kiyoraka - Closed at 8pm even though sign says opened till 10pm - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Delicious shaved ice flavors especially during the summer heat. Very large and on the high side at about $17 for shaved ice. Futuristic atmosphere decor and you can watch them make your dishes for you. They do have parking and you may sit inside or outside. read more

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The decor in this restaurant is super cute with a space themed bar and shooting stars on the walls. We ordered at the kiosk and our shaved ice came out pretty quickly. We got the Golden crunch which was mango flavored. Really pretty and pretty tasty. But couldn't justify the price. read more

Kiyoraka - Menu - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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Really cool and delicious desserts full of surprises and goodies. Our dessert came out fast. Staff were friendly. Ambiance is of a bar with dark wall plus star lighting, very unique. read more

Kiyoraka - Strawberry Pistachio - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

Not sure why there are low ratings here - this is a great kakigori option in Orange County! The ice is imported from Japan, from Kumamoto ice, and the quality is great. The interior is unique for a dessert shop, with translucent petal bar stools and shooting "stars" on the walls. Tables could have been a little cleaner / wiped down, as our table had sticky melted kakigori remnants that got on my forearms... The whole point is the kakigori though --the matcha shiro was not too sweet and a little small but perfect for two people. The custard on top is torched for a bit of a brûlée effect, and seeing the kakigori preparation and sharing it with a friend makes the whole experience worthwhile! read more

Kiyoraka - Matcha shiro - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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Loved loved the layering and different textures. I think it paired very well together and it wasn't too sweet. It reminded me of my trip to japan two years ago with this flavor profile. It is on the pricier end for shaved ice overall, but still tasteful! read more

Kiyoraka - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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We decided to try Kiyoraka because of all the insta hype it's been getting. I was super excited and was hoping to be wow'd. The ambiance of Kiyoraka is dark inside with a few tables on the side and bar seating. Their menu offers a handful of options. There was no line when we got there so we got to order right away. We ordered the Golden Crunch after customer service said that was a popular item and it was made pretty quickly. I couldn't quite capture the mango flavors. It's supposed to have mango, milk and egg custard, coconut flakes, mango puree, cookie and caramel sauce. I honestly couldn't capture any of the flavors. I appreciate that the shaved ice is layered and offers toppings. I just wish that I could taste them. read more

Cool table, dark lighting. You order at the counter and sit down. Its expensive for the size, there was a wait before it even opened. They give you a card with the layers labeled and we got the matcha one. I liked the creme brulee topping, but it wasn't too matcha tasting and the layers weren't distinct. Like there was supposed to be a matcha syrup and a tea pudding layer but it kinda mushed together. The ice was refreshing and fluffy! read more

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I went here a couple days ago since I've been seeing this spot come up on my social media feed A LOT. I was curious to see how it was like--I've had Italian ice, snow cones and shaved ice in Hawaii but never Japanese shaved ice even though I've been to Japan (sadly). Walking in, there was literally no one in the store aside from one employee. I'm not gonna lie until I saw the employee behind the counter up close, I thought the place was closed. She was very kind and attentive, and took the time to explain all the different flavors and how they're structured. I got the Strawberry Pistache while my partner got the Matcha flavored one. When we got our shaved ice we were pretty excited since the servings were relatively big. The syrup didn't penetrate all the way through the ice but I honestly didn't mind--it made the treat less sweet and I think it was necessary. Once you got past the ice you get greeted with cream and jellies but at that point I was all sugared out. The matcha one is incredibly sweet, to the point that my partner actually couldn't finish his! The overall ambiance of the place is really cool! They have chairs that look like they're made out of ice for the "bar" and a wall filled with lights that make it look like a starry night. One thing is for sure, if the special of the buy one get one 50% off wasn't running I may have more things to say about what DIDN'T meet my expectations because one order is anywhere between $16-$19 and if we paid full price for both I wouldn't have been the happiest. They do claim to import their ice from Japan which is cool, but I don't think it justifies the price tag. I'd go back...just not as often and really only stick with the Pistache since that one is the least sweet compared to other flavors read more

Kiyoraka - Strawberry Pistache - Shaved Ice Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came here so excited to try their dessert. They only have 4 items on the menu so we figured it would be a home run with quality and taste. BUT, we got the opposite. Our mango dish had extremely expired mascarpone on top. It tasted literally like an aged parmesan cheese. It was quite expensive and left me feeling really sick that night. I 100% know it was from the mascarpone. Originally we thought it was a cheese cream on top so we didn't think anything of it, but finding out it was supposed to taste like mascarpone, a sweet whipped cream taste, I know my illness came from this expired cream. Would not recommend. read more

Please update your operating hours!! Very upsetting to arrive a 9pm and it's completely dark! When it says you close at 10pm

Great! Cool interior! Would go back for the STRAWBERRY PISTACHIO. It was delicious! I wish it had maybe 1 more layer or a bit more cookie or pistachio paste but overall it was pretty light and well balanced throughout. The jelly at the bottom was a fun ending. It was a bit too pricey but a fun experience! Was nice sitting at the bar but there was little interaction with the service. The bar seemed crammed for servers and not too well organized. It might be nice to have a manager on site to deal with some more annoying guests. But overall a cool spot. read more