Wow , that's amazing place Very good food and coffee…read more I really enjoyed it, atmosphere was amazing and very friendly staff Very want to try all croissants there So yummy

Unreal. I visited here almost every morning of my Hawaii visit for the ambiance, carefully crafted…read moreitems and flash backs to my time in France. By my 4th visit, I was able to make a connection to the owner who told me he lived in France for a period of time which makes sense why this shop was a chef's kiss to me. Vavin is located just off the strip across from the tennis courts and is recognizable by the exterior tables with blue umbrellas. The shop opens at 7 am daily except for Wednesday and frequently sells out of pastries. There is no rush to get in right at 7 am as I found many items go out of stock closer to 10 am or 11am. There are croissants, crookies, unique coffee items such as the Hawaiian latte and orange zest lattes - both exceptional. Even basic drinks such as espressos and cappuccinos are desirable. My favorite part about Vavin is the sit down plates and mugs. There is no worse turn off for me then coffee shops that only do to-go cups. The reusable dishes allowed me to sit down, relax and actually enjoy my cup and the experience which in a way, is what France taught me when I visited there too. I enjoyed that Vavin makes each product with care. The displays and actual product are worth the value. One component to be mindful of is the staff. There is typically one pastry chef onsite who is also running the cashier and dishing out items and drinks. Patience is key here and make sure to listen for your drink as it's not typically something the staff has the bandwidth to serve. All drinks can be picked up inside at the designated pick-up area. When done, be prepared to bus items back inside via the tubs. Thank you for bringing a slice of France to Hawaii, Vavin!! I loved all my days with you. Heavenly!!! I wish you great success.

best shave iced in Hawaii!!! such a cute little spot to hang out and enjoy ice cream with your…read morefriends and family and to take tons of photos

many flavors to choose from and all are delicious. nice place to come for a small treat. quick…read moreservice as well.

I've romanticized Hawaii for years. Not because of the perpetual sunshine or the beaches or the…read moreunbelievably fresh seafood. But because of the humble but magical Dole Whip. I had dreamed about visiting the Dole Plantation on Oahu and getting "Hawaii's complete pineapple experience" (according to their Google SEO result), whatever that might be. But little did I know that I'd be getting another sort of bona fide pineapple experience in Hawaii instead... in the Royal Hawaiian Center, a beautiful outdoor mall in Waikiki. I almost walked past Kokoro Cafe on the second floor. If you've ever gotten dessert in a mall food court, you know the drill. Atmosphere is what it is, but the service was super fast and there was no line by the time we were heading out after dinner. They offer a few different Dole Whip options: you can get it in a cup, a shaka-shaped waffle cone, or float form with POG (pineapple, orange, and guava) juice. Since I had been waiting for so long, I wanted to taste the Dole Whip in its purest form, so I got it in a cup. The pineapple soft serve was creamy and soft, flavorful without being saccharine.

Amazing customer service. He was very welcoming and friendly. I tried the pineapple and vanilla…read moresoft serve. It wasn't as creamy as I would like it to be but it was still a tasty treat. I don't remember exactly what he said but the orange sprinkles were plum flavored. He said people typically like to sprinkle it on pineapples or fruits to add to the flavors.

This place is a highly recommended stop. I would say it's on par in terms of flavor and…read moresatisfaction with Azuki Tokouri (viral reservation only 6 seat tiny store) in Shibuya, Japan. There's a long line to order on a tablet. It doesn't take too long for the line to move. Afterwards they call each order by number. You can taste the quality of their In house flavored syrups, I love that their mochi is hand made and the soft powdery chewy kind rather than mochi balls/Shiratama. I love their macadamia nut cream, very nutty just like the nut. Ambiance is lively as it's located outside the Royal Hawaiian shopping center in Waikīkī tourist area. There's plenty of outdoor mall seating by an outdoor stage with occasional live music. The shaved ice stand right outside by a vintage island coffee shop and vintage island wine bar upstairs.

Even the weather wasn't that hot, I had to try this place out. Ordered Hawaiian Rainbow. Order was…read moredone through self serve touch pad but if you have any questions they will help you out. Shave ice was more like modern style. It was soft and smooth unlike the OG shave ice. I like both styles but I prefer this way a bit more since it's very easy to eat and flavor soaked up deeper. Highly recommended.

Conviennent and tasty shave ice near Waikiki hotels…read more Went in the afternoon - no line and was able to order on the spot. The small is pretty big already - but it does melt pretty quick! It does take a bit for the shave ice as they look to make them one at a time. Flavors meshed together with the texture of the ice. Would def come back!

Love Lahaina Shave Ice, they abide by their motto that not all shave ice is created equal. The…read morequality of the ice and variety of the syrups and toppings is to die for. However, I wish there was more seating at this location!! The line situation is also a tad confusing since there are two doors- we saw an older man cut through the entire line and order first since he went through the other one and no one objected to him. We ordered the blue Hawaiian with sugar free pineapple syrup and two toppings: mochi and snow top. This was so delicious and refreshingly light!! The mochi was pillowy soft, even though we ordered at nighttime around 8 PM. I don't think anything could beat the weather in Hawaii better than this. I don't think you could mess up an order at Lahaina even if you tried. This spot has well deserved hype, and I hope they continue to maintain their popularity and quality.

My original Lady M review is in Waikiki Tea because they are located inside. When you walk by on…read moreBeach Walk, you'll see a board saying Lady M with photos of their famous crepe cakes. The awning above will say Waikiki Tea. It's immediately after an open parking lot if you're walking or driving down the one way street. I'm not sure if you can park in there or not but I found loading zone parking so I parked there and walked over. When you enter, you'll see some indoor seating, the coffee prep area and a display case of some of their cakes. It's a cozy spot but clean and white. My most recent visit was to pick up a birthday cake for a friend. He's been talking about it so I figured it would be something nice to surprise him with. Hopefully he enjoys the surprise and is able to share the cake with all his loved ones. Due to the holidays, Lady M is busy and sells out so preordering is best. I was just extremely lucky they had a Signature cake available the day I called. The person on the phone took down my info and asked what time I was going to pick up the cake then put it on the side for me. Unfortunately, they don't hand write Happy Birthday on the cake but they did provide me a complimentary Happy Birthday cake topper which was nice. Overall great cake option for any occasion.

Lady M on Beach Walk in Waikiki! What a gem!!! It's a small cake boutique next to towering hotels…read moreso it can be said missed. It doesn't look much from the outside. They have 3 free parking stalls. You can also find street parking either on Beach Walk or Saratoga Road. I walked in and was greeted with a friendly smile. His name is Kevin. You will also see a wide selection of Royce Chocolates display on the right side of the wall and in front of you the glass display of the world's famous Mille Crêpes. Kevin helped us decide on our black box Royce Chocolates. It's a little pricey but the black quality of the chocolate is divinely melt in your mouth full of rich, creamy goodness and delicious chocolate!!! Royce' is famous for the Nama chocolates all the way from Japan. But guess what?! You don't need to fly to Japan to get your hands on them! Just drive yourself to Beach Walk in Waikiki and I guarantee you'll thank me for it!! Yup, you will! ;) We also picked up a few flavors of the Lady M Mille Crêpes. We got Amedei Chocolate, Pistachio, Chestnut and Tiramisu. Each layers of the cake is made with perfection!!! I paired mine with an ice caramel macchiato. It would probably taste better with a hot caramel macchiato but it was a little sunny so I opted for the ice drink. The coffee is also sooo good!!! It almost remind me of the coffee I had in France! I thought I'd never find a better caramel macchiato here in Honolulu than Starbucks! I was completely wrong! Kevin, thank you so much for making my first visit so memorable! You were kind with a friendly smile and lots of aloha!!! Come visit Lady M! Whether you come in for their world's famous Mille Crêpes, Royce' chocolates or meet Kevin, I know you'll love this place! Thank you for reading my review. Have a great week!!!

Kulu Kulu is a small bakery located on the second floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center. I noticed it…read morewhen I was eating malasadas one morning and saw a small girl carrying around the cutest slice of rainbow cake. I was too full at the moment to order more food, but I returned on my last evening in Oahu to order a slice of rainbow cake for myself. It was somewhat early in the evening -- probably around 6PM or so -- so the Royal Hawaiian Center food court was getting a little busy but there were still empty tables around. The bakery itself had a few people in line so I perused the display case for other desserts. They had quite a few interesting ones: lilikoi basque cheesecake, Diamond Head puff custard, ube cake. Unfortunately, my appetite is much smaller than it once was, but the cakes looked delicious and the people in front of me all ordered their cakes ahead of time, so they are quite in demand! The cashier took my order quickly and I was able to get a slice of rainbow cake, which had fluffy cream and moist layers of colorful cake. The flavor reminded me of fruity pebbles, but without being overly sweet the way children's cereal used to be. I really liked eating it because it didn't make me feel guilty eating a dessert. I hope I can return to Kulu Kulu sometime and try their other desserts a well!

We had a strawberry shortcake here! It was a really nice dessert to round out the night. Each cake…read moreslice had cute decorations, and thick strawberry slices in between the cake layers. Pretty standard strawberry shortcake but still, very pleasant.

Freshly fried! Food taste 5/5…read moreService 5/5 Ambiance 4/5 If you are staying near the beach resorts and no car for the day, this is an amazing malasadas place if you want to try this! Just hit the spot eating it for breakfast or a snack and I skipped the drive to the "other" very popular malasadas place! This is a good little gem here. Bite and it feels like a soft pillow, not to sugary and yummmmmm! Must try!

I love Penny's Malasadas and I'm always surprised there's not more people here when I go! I feel…read morelike these are much more flavorful and fluffy than Leonard's and if you like the filled malasadas, I think the base of the flavoring is much better tasting here than at Leonard's. Leonard's has kind of a chemical flavoring to the base of the cream filling that I don't taste at Penny's. Penny's cream fillings taste like fresh made puddings. The malasadas are hot and fresh and made to order. There is a choice to make of how many to get: 3, 6, or 12. I always get 3 and then have to figure out if I get ube, coconut, Nutella, custard, and/or the specialty filling of the day. The other day it was coffee custard and it was delicious! All of them were delicious. I've gone multiple times and the malasadas are always fresh and delicious with lots of sugar and filling. They take a few minutes but not terribly long. There is a kama'aina discount as well. There is a credit card surcharge of 3% or avoid it by paying cash. These are my favorite malasadas on island and I like to take out of towners here versus Leonard's.

This was a cool concept of adding fresh inclusions into soft service. There are a ton of preset…read moreoptions and we chose a unicorn one which was the only fruitier option and a Hawaii special with Ube. We wanted a popsicle but they were sold out in the afternoon! Honestly I thought the unicorn one was the best! Can't go wrong with the main menu. They have some bar type seating outside to sit. The window to buy soft serve is at the side of the clothing store. You can also make shakes with the soft serve.

This hype place actually has good soft serve! If we had time we would've gone back for a second…read moretime. You can choose swirl, waffle cone, or milkshake. They have preset options for flavors or you can make your own like I did! I chose the Hawaii exclusive mix ins for that island vibe. The macadamia nuts was the perfect mix in as it added texture and crunch. My make it your own order: - Vanilla swirl with dragonfruit and macadamia nuts

I'm reminded of the song Blink by Corbin Besson featuring Tzuyu from Twice when I came across…read moreHenry's Place Don't blink, you might miss it Don't talk too much, just listen You're sweet, I get it But I want something acidic If you blink, you might miss Henry's Place -- a true hole-in-the-wall ice cream and sorbet shop that feels like a local secret. It's the kind of spot you're most likely to discover while wandering in or out of Ginza Bairin, following a luxurious tonkatsu meal craving something cold and refreshing. The setup is refreshingly no-frills: medium styrofoam cups, flavors handwritten in Sharpie, and two separate freezers dividing ice cream and sorbet. The texture runs on the firmer side, which actually works in its favor -- your scoop holds up beautifully in the island heat and doesn't melt into a puddle five minutes later. Given the generous portions, you probably won't be refreezing leftovers anyway. The tropical fruit sorbets are the clear stars, made with fresh fruit and bursting with natural flavor. Mango, lychee, and guava taste vibrant and authentic -- bright, fragrant, and not overly sweet due to the natural acidity from using real fruit. Beyond the classics, there are some fun and unexpected options like corn cheese, durian, and avocado for the more adventurous palate. The standout for me, though, was the Kona coffee ice cream. It avoids the common trap of being cloyingly sweet and instead leans into a rich, dark, nutty undertone with an intense coffee essence that lingers in the best way. It feels grown-up and balanced -- deeply satisfying without overpowering. Whether you're looking for the perfect palate cleanser after tonkatsu or just want a cold treat while strolling through Waikiki, Henry's Place delivers simple, memorable scoops that taste like they're made with care. No frills, no fuss -- just really good ice cream and sorbet.

I was pretty excited to try this hole in the wall after some high praise from some friends…read more It's cash only and made in store. I got the strawberry guava, mango, and coffee. The sorbets were rock hard and super hard to eat. Might've been easier on a hotter day but felt like we could barely get anything and had to tear the styrofoam and bite it like a giant popsicle. Coffee was good. Probably needed to try it on a hotter day but found it underwhelming.