Jojo's Shave Ice - Kapaa, HI

A SnoCone, in the way of the island. 

The #11 Root Beer Float, whitecaps of vanilla cream cover dark bitters over a bed of vanilla ice cream, an almost-cone of snow and ice. It tastes just like the real deal but lighter.

I'm not into snocones, but I'm into snow. The Asian shaved ices are creamy and have flavors that aren't just food coloring and corn syrup, but those don't exist on this island. That said, Jojo's is the first snocone I've legitimately liked, and they're the first place I'd consider trying again.

Aloha Shaved Ice - Honolulu, HI

Aloha indeed. 

My first Açaí Bowl and every bite of go-for-it indigo lives up to the hype. A foundation of frozen, almost-blueberry mush blends tart with a soft banana and sweetens a sour strawberry. The freeze has the texture of a smoothie paste, dense antioxidizing fruit in all its goodly goopy glory. Granola adds texture and honey drizzles in golden rays. I really didn’t think a bowl could be that good but açaí crushes all competition.

If you got it, flan it. I am all over this Azuki Bean Bowl. Big balls of mochi roll with the sweet spread of all beans red, and condensed milk and custard pudding concentrate in full-sugar glory over icy shavings.

A half n’ half shave offers options, and this earthy scoop of ube ice cream on top is uber good with alternating bites of tropical mango and creamy coconut milk.

Aloha to several new addictions and a couple of food obsessions to boot. The other kind of aloha to burning more calories than we consume. But hey, food is fuel, and we’ll need it for what we’re doing next. 

Matsumoto Shave Ice - Haleiwa

If Uahi didn't disappoint you enough, take a long drive to Matsumoto for disappointment in a paper bowl. The Rainbow Shave Ice was a combination of sucky strawberry, very poor pineapple, and low-level lemon. 

The syrups are sugar-water, and the add-on of slimy mochi balls was weird. If this is Hawaii's best shave ice, I'll stick to the punch.

Snow Zone - Redondo Beach

As much as I love the finer dining in life, it's time to go back to casual. Because I can actually afford the casual, and I can actually afford the cheap. But don't worry, casual doesn't mean not-fun, it just means I can have my fun more than once.

And what could possibly be more affordably fun than Boba?

The Thai Tea is good, the Milk Tea is nice, but a little less sugar would make them just as sweet for me.

The Shaved Ice is the closest we get to snow in SoCal so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The Mango is just the right combination of icy and sweet, and the green tea mochi is blowing my mind. The Green Tea is just as exciting, am almost-matcha that goes well with condensed milk.

I don't have a lot to compare Snow Zone with, but Snow Zone showed me why Snowflower went out of business in Marina del Rey. The seamless, almost-creamy texture of snow makes it hard to believe it's just ice. And the ice is nice, but the best part is the price. You really don't have to make it rain to make it Snow at Snow Zone.

Snow Flower Ice - Marina del Rey

Shave ice. OMG shave ice. OMGOMGOMG you HAVE to try shave ice, or you haven't lived. I've gotten really tired of hearing about shave ice, and I wasn't sure what to expect the first time I tried it, but it's hard to understand the hype surrounding this gramatically-incorrect cold-cup. 

I tried my first ever shave ice at Snow Flower, and I have to say I was underwhelmed. The ice in the Milk & Cookies Snow Flower is made from sweetened milk instead of water, which adds a little something. The chocolate sauce is nicely absorbed, and the milky ice makes nice with the dry bits of nuts and Oreo, but the still-watery combination feels somehow incomplete.

I lack experience with shave ice, but Snow Flower executes theirs flawlessly. And while nothing will stop me from giving it another try, I feel like it's just not my cup of ice.