Ben Kang loves ice cream, but like many lactose-intolerant people, a trip to the local ice cream shop could quickly turn sour.

Kang noticed again and again: lactose-free options were lacking. Even his previous place of employment at Koreatown’s Oakobing, a shaved ice shop that serves fruit-flavored ice cream with a milk base, left a void for vegans.

“In the eight years that I worked there, I saw some potential for shaved ice with vegan and lactose-free options, which is why I decided to open up my own shop that is completely vegan and dairy-free,” Kang said. ” A lot of people who come in ask us, ‘Do you have a vegan option?’ and we can tell them ‘Yes, it all is.’”

Kang is the owner of the new shop Mewame, which roughly translates to “beauty and taste” in Korean. The shop, new to West Ho

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