Hawai'i

Waiola Shave Ice munchies review

by Kris   ⋅   May 17, 2006   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

What is this giant bowl of …stuff? It’s shave ice (”sno cone” in Mainland-speak, kakigori in Japanese), where a blade whips across the surface of an ice block creating a cup of scraped snow, covered with azuki (sweet red beans), “cream” (condensed milk) and surrounded by mini mochi (steamed and pounded chewy rice cakes). This thing is HUGE. And it’s cheap. Like $2. And it’s like having perfectly powder snow melt on your tongue. Personally, Waiola is my favorite because of the fine texture. Some people prefer their shave ice to be more like a “meal”: chunky with ice bits in it, so for that head to Matsumoto’s, the more famous place on the North Shore.

Waiola is also tops for variety. Toppings/additions such as ice cream, li hing (sweet/salty preservative) powder and over 40 types of fruit-flavored syrups make way for endless combinations and mandatory repeat visits. And if that’s not enough sweet, Waiola II on Kapahulu at the base of Diamond Head also has a bakery. The original Waiola houses convenience store type snacks and usually stocks handmade items and Hawai’i “staples” like spam musubi.

TRIVIA TIME: The first shave ice treat was said to have originated from a shogun who scooped snow from Mt Fuji to munch on. Japanese immigrants continued the tradition in Hawai’i. Here in the Bay Area, Shuei-do the yummy manju shop in SJ Japantown seasonally churns out some decent shave ice.

Waiola Shave Ice [MOM&POP][$]
(808) 949-2269
2135 Waiola Ave Honolulu, HI

Waiola Shave Ice & Bakery II
(808) 735-8886 or (808) 734-3440
525 Kapahulu Ave Honolulu, HI

*When you go there, try to take a route that approaches it either directly or from the east. If you are trying to turn left on a major street like McCully, oncoming traffic will be sure to halt for you and you’ll just end up in a huge waving match over who lets who go first with a big line of cars waiting behind both of you. Yes, Hawai’i drivers are just too nice like that.

About the Author:

Kris Kobayashi-Nelson has tried various degrees of icy treats in HI, continental US and Japan: slushees, ice-cakes, pops, sno cones, but nothing compares to Waiola. She was apprehensive about the toppings at first, but once she tried the azuki-cream combo, she never orders anything else.