Helados Pops is the Ice Cream Shop LA Desperately Needs

I can’t imagine how it feels to write your vows.

To feel the pressure of putting into words how much you love a person that you’ve grown to know over the years. I can see why some people put it off to the last minute. Maybe there’s a fear of saying the right things in a foolish way, or not saying enough that will show the person on the opposite end of your words how much they mean. That’s the same feeling I have when it comes to writing about Helados Pops in San Fernando. I’ve put it off for so long because I’ve never been able to find the right words to describe how much I love this ice cream shop and the family behind it. In no way does that mean that today I’ve found the words to best express my affection for them–in fact I don’t think I truly have. But just like with marriage, vows, and saying “I do”, at some point you just have to do it.

The birth of my love for Helados started thanks to my food friend, Yohana @FoodNVibes. She raved about their flavors to the point that I nearly begged her to introduce me to the shop’s owners. Thankfully she did, and after a few days of messaging them, I would soon be inside their brightly colored and charming ice cream shop. I remember it being the first time I was actually nervous to meet a restaurant owner. There was something about a family who started a business from the ground up, with items centered around highly cultural and unique flavors that made me anxious. Any fears I had were quickly quelled as I met the family and they embraced me as if we had known each other for years. In a matter of minutes I fell in love with each one of them. There was the husband Marthin who is so driven you can almost see his determination as if it’s an aura pulsating around his body. His beautiful wife and co-owner Ade glides throughout the shop with one of the most bright-eyed expressions I’ve ever seen. Then there is the grandfather, Oscar, who carries a presence of strength and diplomatic authority with each step and smile. A few moments later I met Marthin’s younger brother, Damon, who I would quickly consider to be the silly bone of the family. Last but not least, the two daughters Abigail and Bianca are like fresh bundles of fruit similar to what is served in the shop, strawberries maybe. They may be small but they’re vibrant, sweet, and insanely enthusiastic about everything around them. They’re so cute that for a brief moment, I wanted to have kids. A very, very brief moment.

At this point, I pretty much had a second family.

After I got to know the family, I became familiar with their ice cream and sorbet flavors. As a person who is obsessed with ice cream, I was pleasantly surprised to see they had flavors I have never heard of before. Within the months that I frequently visited the shop, I got to go into the kitchen to see how they made their ice cream and sorbet. It’s from the very bean, nut, and fruit that they take the ingredients from scratch to create a flavor that could only come from mother nature herself.

From the natural ingredients laid out in their kitchen, churned in their mixer, and sent to the casesin the front of the shop you’ll find a variety of hand-crafted flavors. Traditional flavors like vanilla, cookies and cream, and chocolate are easy options, but to really intrigue your taste buds I suggest a few others. Lucama, tamarind, mamey/zapote, mangoneada, walnut, are just a few that come to mind. Even on my first visit, those flavors were a bit intimidating since I had no real reference of them, but Ade graciously asked if I wanted to try all the flavors to find a favorite.

“Um, yes. Definitely, yes.”

Within a few samples I realized Yohana was right, they have some of the most unique flavors! While their traditional flavors are accented in such a rich way that they taste better than the same ice cream from other shops in Los Angeles, it’s their exotic ice cream and sorbet that won my taste buds over. Ultimately, these exotic flavors are what set them apart from other shops in a class of their own. To specify a few, their lucama scoops taste like they were just picked from the tree and brought inside to be made solely for this purpose. Each bite feels like I’m eating it on an island with birds chirping above me. Walnut has the creamiest and gentle taste that it can be paired perfectly as a supplement to any other scoop. It’s the kind of ice cream flavor you can enjoy the minute you walk home from a long day and the kids aren’t home yet. It’s completely relaxing. Best of all, Marthin created an ingenious and gorgeous product with the Coconut Scoops (Single – $5.50, Double Sundae – $7.99). I love how they crack open the fruit, layer in coconut shavings, and top it with ice cream, and syrup. It’s a meal on its own that is both an exciting and a mouthwatering creation that I crave every time I see photos of it online. From their exquisite flavors and passion to delivering extraordinary quality, Helado’s makes ice cream and sorbet that is unlike any other shop in Los Angeles.

In spite of a description of the family and their delicious ice cream, I still don’t think I’d conveyed how I much love the family and the shop they’ve made their own. To be honest, I’m not sure if there are words in the dictionary or If I’m waiting for god to whisper them in my ear. But for now as simple this sentence may be, you have to know that this is one of the best ice cream shops that I’ve ever tried. They have some of the best flavors ever created, and most of all, they’re a family who is doing it successfully on their own with the help of loyal customers supporting them along the way. With all this coming from a small shop in San Fernando, it is my sincere hope that one day you too will get to fall in love with the products and the Ken family the same way I do every time I walk into the shop known as Pops.

Follow Them.
Address: 450 N. Maclay Ave, San Fernando, CA 91340
Phone: (818) 371-3538
Hours: Daily – 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Social: Website, Facebook, and Instagram.