AFTER I WROTE ABOUT Honolulu gelato cafes, I got a phone call from someone recommending that I try a new shave ice-like place called Tropical Iceland.
Located in a too-dark corner of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center (maybe the ongoing renovation will remedy that eventually), Tropical Iceland is a frozen dessert place that serves up snow cones that are more like the Taiwan or Korean versions of the icy treat than the usual shaved ice packed into a paper cone and smothered in sugary syrup that we’re used to.
The ice is shaved, but not packed, allowing it to retain its super fluffy, freshly fallen show-like properties. And it really is like eating spoonfuls of snow. What better way to spend a hot afternoon than eating snow, right?
The ice is then piled high with chunks of fresh, sweetened fruit (mango, strawberries, kiwi fruit, papaya) and a scoop of sorbet, and then the whole mountain of icy stuff and fruit is drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. I’m making it sound much more rich and sweet than it is. It’s actually very, very light and only mildly sweet. The ice-to-topping ratio is pretty high, which helps keep the dish from getting burdened down by sugar and caramelized milk.
You can choose to keep your order mono-fruity, or you can combine flavors. One cone costs about $6, but it easily feeds two people.
Tropical Iceland’s brightly colored walls are a welcome burst of light in an otherwise dark corner of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, and the super friendly staff is quick to explain the snow cone protocol to novices.
After the ice, fruit and scoop of sorbet (we chose strawberries and mangoes with papaya sorbet) comes a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.
THERE’S BEEN A SORT of frozen yogurt revival of late that was most likely sparked by the super successful L.A. fro-yo chain Pinkberry, which launched in 2005 to instant success. Though the yogurt of the stars (word is they love, love, love Pinkberry) hasn’t yet reached these islands, Yogurtland has, and it’s all the rage.
Located in the old Volcanoe Joe’s on University Avenue, Yogurtland, which is a chain with additional locations on the mainland, is a serve-yourself buffet-style dessert spot that offers lowfat frozen yogurt in a number of different flavors, and a whole bunch of toppings to go with them. There are the classic flavors that work as ice-cream substitutes like vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream and mint chip, and then there are the flavors that aren’t trying to be anything but yogurt like blueberry tart, strawberry tart and plain.
This is how it works: Patrons choose one of two cup sizes: big and bigger. They then move through a line of soft-serve machines anchored to a wall and fill their cups with any flavor combination of as much or as little yogurt as they want before moving to the topping buffet where they’re allowed to scoop as much of any of the many toppings (we’re talking cheesecake and brownie bites to fresh fruit to granola) onto their swirls of yogurt. Then it’s weigh and pay time — it’s a flat rate of $.39 per ounce.
Yogurtland, which is painted all green and pink and fruity, is a huge, huge hit. The lines often reach out the door and down the sidewalk, and inside, the place is a frenzy of activity. The DIY factor makes the place a little more like a mess hall than the cutesy dessert shop that it is — the floors are muddy with a mixture of melted yogurt and Manoa dirt and the topping buffet line is messy and untidy, and all I could think about was how many kid fingers had been in the bowls of cookies and crushed candies.
As for the yogurt, the consistency and flavor were right on the mark for most of the varieties. If it’s a healthy alternative to ice-cream you’re after, the vanilla and cookies and cream flavors are satisfying. I like my frozen yogurt to taste like yogurt, so if I go back I’ll get the plain — a very tart and only slightly sweet version of the cold stuff — and top it off with granola.
Some of the flavors rotate, so you could get hooked on something that might disappear. But there are always 16 flavors to choose from, so variety isn’t an issue. There are also sugar-free, fat-free options.
MY COWORKER SARAH discovered the conspicuous absence of Le Crepe Cafe from its usual spot in the Waikiki Food Court. Not willing to believe that we’d already lost the best creperie this city has ever seen (read my earlier post about it here), I went to the website and found this note:
So the good news is, they’re not gone forever, and it sounds like they’ll be at more convenient location. The not-so-good news is that we have to live crepeless lives while we wait to find out where they’re setting up shop.
To do:
1. Go to Art After Dark’s “So Sari!” event. CHECK
2. Check out Summer Sunday Sessions at Dave & Busters.
3. Go to the Vampire Weekend concert. CHECK
4. Watch the The X Files: I Want To Believe.
::SO SARI!::
What I thought would be a low-key evening at the Art Academy turned out to be the the party of the week. The place was PACKED. We got there a little early (dorks!) and thought we’d wait for the line to shrink before standing in it. Before we knew it, we had been waiting for an hour and the line just kept getting longer and longer. Finally I decided to use my guest-list status to help get us in (thanks Lesa Griffith!). I try not to do too much string pulling while I’m out and about because 1. It’s a misuse of my media status, 2. I don’t want the good people in the community to feel like I’m taking advantage of them and 3. I don’t want to look like a freeloading loser, but I just couldn’t bear to wait another hour to get in. I know. I suck. Sigh.
After cruising in the easy way, we surveyed the grounds, took a few pictures, contemplated standing in another long line to get drinks, thought better of it and then left without even getting to hear DJ Rekha. I know! I suck. Sigh.
Here’s the thing about Art After Dark. It’s too hot for my thick Euro-adapted blood. And I’m always miserable there because although the Academy grounds are wonderfully picturesque, it’s as if the place was built to keep out the tradewinds. The moment I step into that center courtyard, I can’t wait to get out. I know. I seriously suck.
::SUMMER SUNDAY SESSIONS::
I didn’t make it Sunday, but I’ll get there this week. Really.
::VAMPIRE WEEKEND::
The show’s tonight and I can’t wait. What I CAN wait for is a room full of underage kids. But I love VW more than I hate all-ages shows. And that’s saying something. I’ll post photos of the show tomorrow.
::X FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE::
How can I even call myself a fan? Shame on me for not making it to see this movie! Shame, I say. But for what it’s worth, I did see Step Brothers. And I laughed, laughed, laughed. I don’t care what they say, I thought it was funny. It’s not a cinematic triumph, but I didn’t expect it to be. I’ll post a little something on the movie later.
Here are a few photos of AAD’s “So Sari!” event Friday:
Le Crepe Cafe
Waikiki Food Court
2250 Kalakaua Ave.
Open daily, though no exact hours are posted
372-3989
Stashed in the basement space that’s known as the Waikiki Food Court, Le Crepe Cafe cooks up perfect Parisian-style crepes that are, without doubt, the best crepes in the city.
Marysol Ruiz, and her husband Soufiane Bouharkat, have managed to transport a bit of Paris to Waikiki with their little kiosk that’s making quite an impression on Honolulu food lovers. With their menu of sweet and savory crepe selections, it’s worth a trip to the tourist strip for one (or two) of their freshly made crepes.
Though the creperie offers a variety of fillings, from cheese to tuna to fruit to chocolate and any combination of those, my favorites are the simple ones: the “Oh My Sugar!” (sweet butter and brown sugar) crepe and the “Moulin Rouge” (cheese, chicken, tomato, basil).
AFTER I WROTE ABOUT Honolulu gelato cafes, I got a phone call from someone recommending that I try a new shave ice-like place called Tropical Iceland.
THERE’S BEEN A SORT of frozen yogurt revival of late that was most likely sparked by the super successful L.A. fro-yo chain 
Le Crepe Cafe
