Aoki’s Shave Ice

This has been my all time favorite shave ice since i’ve been coming to Hawaii and since I moved here.
Aoki’s has the most consistent flavors, size and service. They are quick, friendly, and tasty. My favorite is pineapple and li hing mui, so refreshing after a day at the beach.

Wanted to relive my childhood by going to Matsumotos but arrives too late. Thank goodness for Aoki’s!
While the kid ended up drinking most of the syrup from the shave ice, the ice itself was fluffy and retained the flavor of the rainbow syrups. The azuki beans they use are firmer than traditional Japanese azuki desserts and add a nice flavor contrast.
Maybe next time i’ll compare with the other shop next door but at least i feel that i am not missing much more. Didn’t realize I was getting one of the last shave ice from the OG location. so sad.

This is a 4.0 rating because of family members who enjoyed Aoki’s.
A personal realization — I do better with a small shaved ice. Eat it too fast and I’ll get brain freeze. So I take my time and then all the syrup drips to the bottom. And I’m left with shaved ice on top with hardly any syrup.
Initially we headed to Matsumoto’s but the line wrapped around the building. So we headed to Aoki’s. There was a line too but it went quickly. There is a two step process: 1) decide if you want small or large. Difference is $ 0.25. 2) ice cream extra cost, catcher cup for 0 $.25 or evaporated milk with sugar syrup topping extra cost.
I ordered a large and sure enough, brain freeze. I slowed down and then I’m faced with a white peak cap and no syrup. It’s done a slow drip.
The ordering process = you tell the cashier #1&2 as described above, then your shaved ice is prepared and you tell them what syrups you want. I suggest you buy the recyclable/​reuse catcher cup as it can get quite messy.
Also as of Wednesday 8÷28÷13, they’ll shut down so that they can move across the street to the trading post.

Although i love the look & feel of Aoki’s, i just can’t find myself liking their shave ice. I think it’s junk! Sorry!
The lines were kind of long & kind of slow. Their process of ordering is straight forward & efficient though.
I got a lilikoi & banana with vanilla ice cream. My daughter got strawberry & mango with vanilla ice cream. The syrups were ok tasting. I just didn’t like the texture of the ice! It had blocks of ice in it. It wasn’t smooth. It just wasn’t Waiola! Waiola is the best hands down!
I like the prices though. I only spent $ 6, but sadly i will not be coming back here.

Anytime my family makes the drive around the island, we do Giovanni’s and Aoki’s shave ice. I know the hyped spot for shave ice on Oahu’s famous North Shore is Matsumoto’s, but I’ve had both and I like both. Usually the line at Aoki’s is shorter and the shave ice is amazing, so why wait!
I got the the Lilikoi, Guava, and Blue Hawaii with ice cream and Azuki beans… I had flashes of my childhood with every bite! Cold, creamy, just the perfect amount of sweet!
I could use this right now in the 100 degree LA weather!

Aoki is definitely a go-​to right after a good beach day.
I have taken everyone that has visited Hawaii to Aoki’s. They love it!
The shaved ice is great! So many flavors and great prices! They offer azuki beans and ice cream. I love the li hing mui flavor! You get to choose three flavors.
There isn’t really a place to hang out, which sucks because you want to be able to enjoy your shaved ice. And it’s not really fun standing, but there’s places to walk to so that’s always a bonus.
There is a small parking lot and I’ve never had a problem.

Another year, another quality control check.
Was sad to hear they are tearing down this gem of a shack. Another bit of the North Shore gone 4 ever…
Today’s shave ice: Sadly a three. Watery flavors, watery condensed milk and long, long wait.
We were gonna come back again before head home, but after our shave ice experience yesterday we’re doing two more Matusmoto runs instead. I’m sad.
g

This was recommended by a local, far and above the other shaved ice place…& when I travel, I try to eat like a local.
There is a bit of a line, but it moves fast. And you better study before ordering so that you can be ready when your time comes. The people behind you will be impatient & the servers are used to locals knowing what they want.
I don’t see what all the rave is about because there are far better shaved ice/​sno cone establishments in Houston (can you say Mam’s). And lets not forget about New Orleans. The cream at Aoki’s was also a bit of a let down. Oh, and definitely purchase the plastic cup (yup, it’s extra) so that you won’t have a mess on your hands.
But I suggest you try it so that you can have the experience…

Closing but possibly re-​opening!!! Woohoo best shave ice!!!
I was always a Matsumoto’s fan throughout middle school and high school when I would visit family but man I don’t know if Aoki’s stepped it up or Matsumoto’s is skimping on liquid candy but Aoki’s has the best shave Ice!

If Waiola is 5 stars and Matsumoto’s is 4, then I’d give Aoki’s 4.5 stars. As my second favorite shave ice spot, Aoki’s gives it’s next door neighbor a run for their money.
Shave ice is shave ice, and most everything is similar — they take your order a certain way to expedite the process, and you end up with a cool and sugar-​y ice snack (hopefully you’ve opted for the ice cream!).
However, for some reason, Aoki’s always tends to have finer ice shavings than Matsumoto’s, which I enjoy. I also feel like the syrups are a bit weaker at Aoki’s, but I appreciate the texture of Aoki’s moreso — is it because after a day of beach-​ing, I want to continue the laziness and not have my teeth/​mouth work as much? maybe… but all I can say is that there is something about Aoki’s that has me selecting them over the other shave ice option in Haleiwa.

Matsumoto’s vs. Aoki’s. Hmm … ate them back to back, and have to admit that Matsumoto’s gets two votes. The shaved ice could be improved if the syrups were sweeter and closer in taste to their described flavors. Specifically, the coconut, vanilla, strawberry and li hing mui flavors weren’t on-​point. They feature unique flavors such as Melona and Butterscotch. On a positive note, the staff is super friendly, and won’t rush you like most other shaved ice places do. Once Aoki’s reopens, I will be inclined to give them another shot.

As somebody who has had Shave Ice all over the island, I can safely say Shave Ice is hard to mess up and Aoki’s is no different.
The difference between them and their nearest competitor is nil, so if the line is long at one, go to the other and save yourself some time.

We were in line for Matsumoto’s and it was ridiculously long. And yes, I get it their Shave Ice is great, but we wanted to try something new. So we went next door to Aoki’s.
As we approached the place, we noticed the welcoming, cheerful décor. They had so many flavors listed and my mind couldn’t think fast enough what to get! The girl at the front counter, the blonde wearing a pony tail did not seem very happy to be there. As I listed the flavors I wanted, she cut me off and said she didn’t take the flavors and waived the sign in my face! Haha! Whoa. Attitude. I understand. She probably gets customers who do it all the time but she could have handled that differently.
I ended up picking the lychee, banana and chocolate with ice cream. MMmm, the chocolate was to die for! I think the next time I come visit, I’ll just get the chocolate with ice cream. The lychee tasted like the real thing but the banana was not good at all. It seems like this place gives you more bang for your buck. We paid less for two Shave Ice cups and got a lot more ice cream than at Matsumoto’s. Sorry, don’t mean to bash them, but that is the only other place in the North Shore I can compare them to. Either way, I am a fan of both. Definitely give Aoki’s a try and remember not to order your flavors at the first counter or you risk getting a sign waved in your face.

I think this is how tourists feel when they come to the States and they’re all, «It’s bread with cheese and some tomato soup. Grilled cheese, meh.» It’s not about the composition. It’s about the feeling of that part in time that you associate with the food. I imagine this is how Hawaiians feel about shaved ice. I mean, on the mainland, we have Rita’s…which (forgive me) I think is just as good if not better.
I was debating on coming here or Matsumoto. Wait time was no issue, since it was raining heavily today. The decision to come here was b/​c there was easier parking. Lots of flavors, we got the pineapple, coconut, and something combo. Sorry, I can’t recall, I had very little of it. We were handed a very generous sized portion. There was a lot of color going on in there. Imagine taking a clown and stuffing his head in a paper cone. The flavor was good and not at all diluted. The ice was shaved just a little grainy. Definitely not as smooth as Taiwanese shaved ice, but finer than Rita’s maybe. Hubby enjoyed and finished most of it.

Where is Aokis? Its down the street from Matsumotos and definitely has a shorter line.
When reviewing these two places, I guess youre reviewing the syrup flavors because its hard to judge the «ice».
Aoki’s syrup has the right amount of sweetness. They put a good amount of syrup on your shaved ice so theres not as much separation between ice and syrup. At Matsumotos, there tends to be a lot of separation.
On a hot day, if I were standing in the middle between Aoki’s and Matsumotos. I look to my left, then look to my right… id probably head to the left!

I’m not the biggest fan of shave ice to begin with, so my review may not be too helpful for everyone. I just don’t get the point of it – it’s just ice! It is refreshing on a hot day, but I’d still prefer a cold drink or froyo. Anyway, I got strawberry and mango (always my go-​to flavors) but honestly I wish I’d been a little more adventurous. I actually really liked my friend’s piña colada flavor. I got mine with ice cream on the bottom, and after several bites of the ice, I just dug down to the bottom for the ice cream and left the ice. Oops.
I’ve heard varying opinions on whether Aoki’s or Matsumoto’s is better, but I guess you really just have to try it for yourself. If you’re not the biggest ice fan, I’d say go to Aoki’s since there’s a shorter line!

A full parking lot and insanely long line at Matsumoto’s brough us here. The two are literally next to each other. Plenty of parking spaces and a small crowd of locals made the choice of going to Aoki’s instead easy. (
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Went with their most popular flavor, Hawaiian, large with ice cream and added the plastic holder — $ 3.50. The ice was fine yet turned icy really quick. I wanted to add some rum to my pineapple/​coconut/​banana slush! (
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Notes
–Skip adding ice cream. Too bad they don’t offer condensed milk.
— 3 star shave ice, but definitely liked that there wasn’t a wait. Service was fast friendly and efficient. (
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— Menu (
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Waiola is still the best.

Cute little shaved ice store in North Shore. This is walking distance away from Matsumoto, which I think is smart of them. The line is so long that they attract many tourist and give them a second option for shaved ice.
They have a wide variety of flavor and they have a handful of pre-​made shaved ice recipe.
Affordable, delicious, friendly service, and yummy condensed milk!!! Two thumbs up for Aoki on the northside of Hawaii!!!

Aloha, If you are reading this you probably are trying to decide on a place to go to try Hawaii’s famous shave ice. So let me give you some of my own personal theories on what makes a great shave ice.
Da Ice: It all starts with the ice this is the foundation of the shave ice. The block used should be crystal clear with no cloudiness. Some people go for chunk, some go for fine. Why is this important? If the shaved ice isn’t fine it won’t hold the syrup when poured on top, to big a chunk and its like liquid over an ice cube.
Da Syrup: The syrup should be flavorful. Not super sweet but at the same time not watered down. There should be complete coverage with no white parts showing.
Da Workers: Super awesome friendly workers are important these are the people that bring everything together. You don’t want someone with a stinky attitude serving you, that would just kill the whole experience.
Aoki’s nails all 3 perfectly. From the super fine ice, the just right syrup to the awesome friendly workers. I know its these 3 things that always brings me back for more.
Da Tips:
— If you are diabetic they offer sugar free flavors (Strawberry, Banana, Raspberry and Malona).
— Get the holder, less mess that way.
#Yelp 365 — ⁰⁰¹⁄₃₆₅
Date Visited: 8÷1÷2011

06÷26÷11
4.5 stars! (Full 5 if condensed milk was an option!)
Came in here to try my luck at the shave ice sold here while my friend lined up at longer-​established, thus more-​popular Matsumoto’s. Both vendors use only pure cane sugar in their syrups (no HFCS nor corn syrups!) and fruit extracts, and both offer adzuki beans and ice cream as additions to their shave ice fare. I was in-​and-​out of this place in less than two minutes! My Sunset, with ice cream and adzuki beans on the bottom, featured lilikoi (passion fruit), banana, and mango. The combination was absolutely fabulous!
I would most definitely visit Aoki’s again! And no waiting in long lines, yes?
Btw, the shave ice here was softer than that of Matsumoto’s (and I’m told Waiola’s is even softer!). While the softer ice allowed for a delicious frozen beverage «chaser» in the end (after I’d devoured the beans), it also meant I had to consume the treat quickly, or else end up w/​sticky fingers, hands, and arms (which I did end up with anyway, despite my efforts). Fun stuff, and so very tasty! For fellow Filipinos, Hawai’ian shave ice is like halo-​halo, minus the jackfruit, leche flan, ube, coconut sport strings, and mung beans. Sub condensed milk for the evap. and all those fruity syrups, and you’ve gone from halo-​halo to shave ice!
So halo-​halo and fruity frozen treat lovers, run to Aoki’s Shave Ice and don your creative caps! Be sure to enjoy your treats slowly, lest you get brain freeze, like I did. :)
Mahalo!
Note: According to the website, Aoki’s sells t-​shirts! Were these offered at the store? I do not know. I was amazed at the speed in which I acquired my order of shave ice (and more amazed later when I returned to Matsumoto’s to wait w/​friend for our shave ice selections there for AT LEAST ANOTHER ten minutes!), that I hadn’t had time to browse around the shop to see what else it had to offer. :(The t-​shirt varieties look really cool… wish I could have a few of them in my collection and for gift-​giving!