Making ice cooler.
The deliciousness that is shave ice dates back to the time of Japanese sugar cane plantation workers. They would take a block of ice and shave it with a block of wood or a machete and then pour fruit juices on it for a treat as a break from the heat. And while people don’t travel to Hawaii for the shave ice, no trip is complete without a taste. Our favorite place to get it is Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice on Maui.
Ululani and her husband David have worked hard to elevate this seemingly simple refreshment. This isn’t a chunky Snow Cone found on the mainland. The ice is actually made in-house with filtered water and then shaved snowflake fine, which actually helps it hold on to the flavored syrups that are poured over it. But these aren’t the syrups that you can buy just anywhere. And you won’t find them in any other shave ice establishment. Ululani’s makes their own, using fresh fruit purée and other trade secrets. Don’t bother asking, they won’t tell. There are forty-seven flavors sweetened with pure Maui cane sugar so you can mix and match for an untold amount of combinations like Haleakala, Hawaiian Rainbow and Local Motion. And with servings the size of a softball, it becomes a big treat well worth the trip.
So what has made Ululani’s shave ice so special? Is it the care that goes into the shaving of the ice? Or the flavors that can’t be found anywhere else? It could be. But Ululani’s believes that the answer is putting “A taste of aloha” in every bite. All we know is it only took one ONO (delicious) bite to convince us.
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There’s a place like this in every neighborhood. Your retreat. Your escape. A restaurant with a dish like mom used to make. Or something that mom never dreamed of in a million years. A music store. A book store. A spa. It’s not a chain. And hopefully, never will be. ‘Cause it’s yours. This series will showcase those special places that are near and dear to our hearts. Where you can clear your head or fill your stomach. It’s Your Go-To Spot. Find out why.
