With summer feeling like it’s getting hotter each year, icy desserts provide a soothing reprieve. Whether it be something more elaborate and decadent as a composed halo halo dessert or a simple, possibly healthy smoothie, here are a few places to duck into to escape the scorching sun.
Mahalo Halo at Magnolia Ice Cream & Treats
Halo-halo (pronounced like “hollow” twice) is a Filipino dessert meaning “mix-mix.” The dessert features a layer of tropical fruits, some sweet milk, and ice cream on top. The Mahalo Halo at Magnolia Ice Cream & Treats in the International Market Place features ube ice cream and pinipig (crispy rice) over a mixture of banana, macapuno (coconut strings), azuki beans, mongo beans, langka (jackfruit), kaong (date palm jelly), and nata de coco (coconut gel). If you are a first-timer, try the mini for just $7.49, but once you have a bite, you will wish you ordered the regular size at $9.99, or possibly even the super-duper at $11.34.
Magnolia Ice Cream & Treats >> Get a special offer!
WAIKIKI : 2330 Kalākaua Ave. International Market Place 2nd Floor
Hours: 11am – 10pm daily
Phone : (808) 489 – 9355
KALIHI : 1210 Dillingham Blvd #11 Kapalama Shopping Center
Hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Phone : (808) 845 – 4063
WINDWARD MALL : 46-056 Kamehameha Hwy.
10am – 7pm (Mon – Thur), 10am – 9pm (Fri & Sat), 10am – 6pm (Sun)
Phone : (808) 744 – 1279
WAIPAHU : 94-050 Farrington Hwy.
10am – 9pm (Mon – Sat), 10am – 8pm (Sun)
Phone : (808) 680 – 0590
Ali’i Mega Soft Serve at Lawson at Moana Surfrider
Enjoying some refreshing pineapple Dole Whip does not necessarily have to involve a 40-minute drive out to the plantation. Rather, swing by the Lawson convenience store located along Kalakaua Avenue at the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort.
And since you will be making that walkover, you might as well order the Ali’i Mega Soft Serve, which features double the portion of the regular Dole Whip, and piles on chunks of pineapple over the frozen creamy whip.
Lawson at Moana Surfrider >> Get a special offer!
Location: 2365 Kalakaua Ave.
(at Moana Surfrider)
Hours: 9am – 11pm daily
Phone: (808) 926-1819
Mango berry Milk Shaved Ice at Meet Fresh
Meet Fresh, the Taiwanese sweet shop chain out of Taiwan offers a full lineup of treats from rice cakes to tofu puddings. However, the dessert to consider for the summer is the seasonal Mangoberry Milk Shaved Ice which incorporates mango, mango syrup, strawberry, strawberry syrup, vanilla ice cream, and a condensed milk drizzle as toppings for ice shavings. This is not available at all Meet Fresh locations, and it is a seasonal flavor, so grab one at the Hawaii location this summer!
Meet Fresh >> Get a special offer!
Location: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd #1320, Ala Moana Center 1F, Next to USPS Office
Hours: 12pm – 10pm(Mon – Thur), 11am – 11pm (Fri – Sat), 11am – 10pm (Sun)
Acai Bowl at Aunty Gigi’s Café
Along the healthier end of the dessert spectrum are acai bowls, and Aunty Gigi’s Cafe offers a few options. The acai bowl comes with all the traditional toppings of bananas, strawberries, blueberries, granola, and honey, but is poised over frozen acai sorbet (medium – $9.99, large – $11.99). If you plan to go even healthier, Gigi’s Special Bowl adds kale and spinach to the composition for just $1 more. There are a few optional toppings to customize the experience, with almond butter, chia seeds, coconut flakes, and peanut butter available for an additional $0.95 each.
Aunty Gigi’s Cafe >> Get a special offer!
Location: 1020 Keeaumoku St.
Hours: 10:30 am – 3:30 pm (Mon – Fri)
Honeydew Smoothies at Tea Spot
Along the healthy end of sweet frozen concoctions are smoothies, and Tea Spot offers a heavenly 20-ounce frozen honeydew smoothie for just $5.95. The slushy beverage may be tailored to your liking with the selection of other flavorful additions, such as boba, rainbow jelly, coffee jelly, lychee jelly, azuki, Oreo, pudding, popping boba, brown sugar boba, cheese cap or fresh fruit for $0.75 to $1.50 for each supplement. Those are for people who may not like the sound of a healthy treat.
Tea Spot >> Get a special offer!
Location: 98-020 Kamehameha Hwy. 104, Waimalu Shopping Center
Hours: 10am – 8pm (Sun – Thur), 10am – 9pm (Fri & Sat)
Phone : (808) 888 – 0366
Black Sugar Boba at Tiger Sugar
Tiger Sugar, yet another tea spot out of Taiwan, is known for its black sugar boba beverages. Its signature drink features a cup with black sugar syrup cascading down the sides past pearl milk and cream mousse to a reservoir of boba. However, the best seller offers tiger-striped black sugar syrup, boba tapioca pearls, and cream mousse, but is composed of a coffee latte to give you a caffeinated boost.
Tiger Sugar >> Get a special offer!
Ala Moana Location: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. #2308, Ala Moana Center Level 2
Hours: 11am – 8pm (Mon – Thur), 10am – 9pm (Fri – Sat), 10am – 8pm (Sun)
Phone (Ala Moana): (808) 807 – 9287
Nuuanu Location: 1365 Nuuanu Ave.
Hours: 11am – 9:30pm daily
Phone (Nuuanu): (808) 376 – 0648
So while you may be searching for some rainbow shave ice or chocolate ice cream as a panacea for the summer heat, these desserts are off-the-beaten-path alternatives to consider. With the unrelenting Hawaiian sun beating down, you may be easily able to handle more than just one dessert. Besides, there’s a separate stomach for that, right?
