Top 6 Best Shaved Ice in Honolulu and Oahu

Hawaiian shave ice is an ice-based dessert made by shaving a block of ice to achieve a light and fluffy snow-like texture.  It is important to note that the frozen treat is called “shave ice” and not “shaved ice”.  The ice is soaked with syrups that can range from lush tropical fruit flavors like passion fruit, lychee and lilikoi to popular flavors found in the mainland like strawberry or bubblegum.

The fun does not stop with the syrup.  Popular shave ice accompaniments include ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, chopped fruit, popping boba, whip cream, adzuki bean paste and mochi.  The icy nectar is traditionally served in a bowl or similar cone-like dish that will capture the melting ice.  Most vendors provide both a spoon and straw, which are both useful.

Regardless of where visitors choose to buy this Hawaiian delight, there is rarely an instance that will disappoint.  Each of the following six spots has its own creations and clever flavors to create a unique experience.

The Best Shaved Ice in Honolulu and Around Oahu

1. Waikiki  & Honolulu – Island Vintage Shave Ice

Island Vintage Shave Ice has two Oahu locations.  My favorite is the kiosk located on the first floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center, across from Kate Spade.  The second Oahu location is located inside the Ala Moana Center on the second level near Bloomingdale’s.

Island Vintage Shave Ice has six signature flavors. The stand also sells bubble tea and ice cream.  My favorite signature combination is the Heavenly Lilikoi.  The base is an organic frozen yogurt topped with a snow cap that is soaked with strawberry and lilikoi syrup.  It is drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and served with a side of lilikoi popping boba and mochi.

Island Vintage signature shave ice is $7.85 plus tax.  It is by far the prettiest creation and ranks as my top favorite among the list of six.  Lines for the frozen special can vary from five to fifteen minutes, depending on the time of day.  Island Vintage Shave Ice is located on 2201 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815.

2. Waikiki – Lawson Station at Moana Surfrider

Lawson Station is a convenient store that has two locations in Oahu, but only the Moana Surfrider location serves Hawaiian shave ice.  The store has 12 different variations of shave ice, including  Strawberry and Mango Snow Ice.

A vanilla ice cream base is topped with a snow cap soaked with strawberry and mango syrup.  The dessert is drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and is finished with a generous helping of chopped mangoes and strawberries.  The addition of fresh chopped fruit makes this frozen delight quite special.

The Strawberry and Mango Snow Ice is $7.59 plus tax.  As a general store, this shave ice location can get quite busy so wait time may vary between ten and fifteen minutes.  Lawson Station is located at 2365 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815.

3. Haleiwa, North Shore – Matsumoto Shave Ice

Matsumoto Shave Ice is by far the most popular shave ice spot I visited during my tasting adventure.  The general store is located in the beautiful Haleiwa, North Shore.  The lines for the frozen treat can be quite long, especially in the early to late afternoon.  I estimate an hour to two-hour wait.  To avoid the lines, I visited Matsumoto during opening hours at 9:00 am.  It may be too early for some, but it is never too early for dessert.

Matsumoto has the most flavor offerings in comparison to the other shave ice stands.  In addition to classic flavors, the store has cream-based and sugar-free options.  The shave ice on the left has an ice cream base and syrup combination of Lilikoi, Lychee and Strawberry Cream.  It is finished with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.  The shave ice on the right, called the Tropical, is soaked with a preset combination of Guava, Lilikoi and Papaya syrup.

The frozen confection costs $3.00 for a small and $3.50 for a large.  However, Ice Cream, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Adzuki Beans and Mochi are all considered add-ons.  A large shave ice with ice cream and sweetened condensed milk costs $5.00 plus tax.  The cute general store also sells awesome t-shirts, beach wear, sundries, souvenirs and more.  Matsumoto is located on 66-111 Kamehameha Hwy Suite #605, Haleiwa, HI 96712.

4. Haleiwa, North Shore – North Shore Shave Ice

Tourists near Matsumoto that are craving the icy indulgence and do not want to spend an hour or two in line,  should visit North Shore Shave Ice.  It is adjacent to the North Shore Surf Shop Boutique and they serve up an AWESOME shave ice.

I love their unique flavors like Li Hing Mui (salty dried plum), Melona (honeydew melon flavored) and POG (Passionfruit-Orange-Guava fruit juice combination).  The shave ice spot offers single flavors and pre-set creations like Rainbow (Blue Hawaii, Lilikoi, Melona and Strawberry) Da One (Lilikoi, Li Hing Mui, Sweetened Condensed Milk and Whipped Cream) and Da Local.

I ordered a Da Local which is made with Lilikoi, Li Hing Mui, Melona, and POG.  It’s drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and sprinkled with Li Hing Mui Powder.  Accompaniments include ice cream, li hing mui, whip cream and sweetened condensed milk.  North Shore Shave Ice can range between $3.00 – $7.00.  Da Local cost $6.00.  North Shore Shave Ice only accepts cash and is located on 66-150 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712.

5. Haleiwa, North Shore – Aloha General Store

Aloha General Store is located in one of my favorite shopping centers in Haleiwa, the North Shore Marketplace.  It is  locally owned and operated by an US Veteran.  Aside from shave ice, the general store sells souvenirs, sundries and more.  It is one of the more popular stores in the North Shore Marketplace.

There are more that 20 different syrup flavors to choose from and guests can have their sweet built with or without Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream.  The Pineapple Bowl is an Aloha General Store fan favorite.  We have a pineapple allergy in my family, so we did not sample the popular favorite.

We opted to try Dave’s strawberry ice cream topped with a snow cap soaked with strawberry and mango syrup.  It was drizzled with sweetened condensed milk, topped with whip cream and cherries.  This tasty delight was $6.00 plus tax.  The Aloha General Store is located on 66-250 Kamehameha Hwy #G130, Haleiwa, Hawaii 96712.

6. Honolulu – Matcha Stand Maiko

Fans of intense matcha flavors must visit Matcha Stand Maiko in Honolulu.  I prefer subtle matcha notes in my desserts, so I found the flavors on this shave ice to be too intense for my palate.  Nonetheless, the combination of Matcha Shave Ice, homemade Adzuki Beans, Shiratama, Matcha and Vanilla Cream are dynamite for the green tea aficionado.  This combination is called the Matcha MIX and is $7.80 plus tax.  The storefront offers three additional combinations of shave ice and also sells tea, frappes, lattes, floats, parfaits and more.  Matcha Stand Maiko is located on 2310 Kuhio Ave. #143 Honolulu, Hawaii 96815.

Hawaiian shave ice is just one of the unique confections visitors can find on the island.  Although I have not tried every shave ice stand in Hawaii, I look forward to future trips and continue my delicious “research”.  Regardless of where visitors sample Hawaiian shave ice, each frozen dessert may differ but all will be delicious.  Until my next trip, I will need to search and sample Hawaiian Shave Ice on the mainland to satiate my cravings.

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