I never stray from Ululani Shave Ice when I’m in Maui but since I was visiting Oahu this time, I was on a mission for the best shave ice in Oahu.
A quick history lesson on shave ice in Hawaii! Shave ice was introduced in Hawaii by Japanese immigrant laborers. Shave ice, or kaki-goori (かき氷) in Japanese, is a traditional summer treat. People equate it to a snow cone, but once you try shave ice, you’ll know the difference! It’s not the crunchy ice texture you get from a snow cone, but almost as if you’re eating fresh powdered snow.
As a born and bred Japanese, I’m picky about shave ice (and yes, it’s shave ice, not shaved ice in Hawaii) quality anywhere I go. Hawaii generally doesn’t disappoint though, because of how well they preserve traditions and culture that are handed down through generations.
Without further ado, let’s discuss the best shave ice in Oahu!
#1 Shimazu Shave Ice
I’m not sure if I was thirsty, starving, and delirious after hiking Diamond Head, but Shimazu Shave Ice was by far the best shave ice I’ve had in Oahu. First and foremost, the ice is as soft as freshly fallen snow, you can barely feel it before it instantly melts in your mouth. For you picky folk, Shimazu had by far the most syrup options! Also, keep in mind that the picture shown is a size SMALL, which ended up being the size of my head (and I have a huge head). If you’re not up for it, get the kid’s size which is about half this amount.
Flavors shown: Vanilla ice cream, red beans, and mochi on the bottom, tamarind, guava and lihing syrupt with condensed milk
#2 Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha
We found Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha at random after snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. It’s located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. While you can ‘build your own shave ice’, we decided to go with their signature items, the Uji Kintoki and Tropical Delight. Such friendly employees and delightfully soft shave ice. The Tahitian vanilla ice cream makes it so much richer so I highly recommend adding that to whatever you get. Definitely one of the best shave ice in Oahu!
Flavors shown: Uji Kintoki (matcha syrup, red beans, mochi, condensed milk, and Tahitian vanilla ice cream), and Tropical Delight (strawberry, mango, and pinapple syrup, with pinapples, mangos, condensed milk, and Tahitian vanilla ice cream)
#3 Island Vintage Shave Ice
If you’ve been to Hawaii before, you may recognize Island Vintage from the coffee shop, and you would be correct! Island Vintage Coffee has their own shave ice vertical (and a wine bar, too!). I visited their location in Waikiki inside the Royal Hawaiian Center. It’s a perfect treat as a shopping break! I was a little suspicious of what the quality would be but it was delicious. The boba and mochi topping was a fun addition to the texture!
Flavors shown: Pineapple, passion fruit and mango, with pineapple boba and mochi
#4 Island Shave Ice and Creamery
We were staying in Ko Olina for this trip and started craving shave ice before dinner. If you’re familiar with Ko Olina, there’s not much going on other than large resorts. We decided to see what was in Kapolei, a more local town next door, which is where we found Island Shave Ice & Creamery! Island Shave Ice is a no frills, straight-forward shave ice shop. Without going all the way out to Honolulu/Waikiki area, this definitely satisfied my craving. This was the first place that gave us a mini straw which I appreciated and all other shave ice shops should, too! It’s genius! As a bonus, they stock Ubae (an Ube Cafe in Honolulu) items so we grabbed their cookies on the way out.
Flavors shown: Lilikoi, coconut, and guava
#5 Papalua Shave Ice (Disney Aulani Resort)
Ok, so Papalua Shave Ice inside the Aulani Disney Resort landed the #5 spot solely due to the adorable Mickey ears. Let’s be honest, the ice was a little crunchy resembling a sno-cone, and the after taste of the syrup was not pleasant. But can you really deny these Mickey ears? It’ll cost you an extra $1 but my god, just take my dollar Disney! It’s so cute!
Flavors shown: Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava syrup with condensed milk drizzle.
Would love to visit Matsumoto Shave Ice, Waiola Shave Ice, and Monsarrat Shave Ice next time! Am I missing your favorite? Let me know your choice for best shave ice in Oahu in the comments!
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