Ice Monster first opened in Taiwan in 1997, and has been named one of the Top 10 Desserts in the World by CNN. We in Hawaii are lucky enough to get the first ever US location in our beloved neighborhood, Waikiki.
The Place:
Ice Monster Hawaii is now located in the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel, in between Starbucks and Nordstrom Rack, making it easily accessible for locals and tourists alike. Stepping inside, I was surprised to see how cute and chic the inside was. I felt like I stepped into a Japanese dessert shop, with the natural lighting coming from the large windows and the layout of the white couches and contrasting colors of the shop.
The Food:
Using only fresh fruits and premium toppings made in-house, Ice Monster Hawaii screams quality all around. We got to try three of their six flavors, and the executive director was appalled when he saw these two little college girls demolish all three of them, exclaiming that he “has never seen two people eat more than one each.” Never underestimate the stomachs of the Spoon Hawaii girls.
Fresh Mango Sensation:
Ranked the No. 1 Best Seller, this one was a light and refreshing mango flavor, almost like a mango sorbet. Topped with a scoop of mango sherbet (with small mango pieces infused), panna cotta, and fresh mango chunks and sauce, this sweet and slightly tart dessert is the perfect snack for your post-surf sesh.
Matcha Sensation:
One of the two Hawaii exclusive flavors, along with the Papaya Milk Sensation, this one was our favorite. The matcha is sweet with a hint of bitterness to it, giving off a deep green tea flavor similar to what you’d find in Japan. The combination of the mellow matcha with the rich black sesame gelato and soft, chewy boba was unbelievably addicting.
Fresh Strawberry Sensation:
Popular among the locals, this picturesque snow ice had a miky strawberry taste to it, and went well with the condensed milk, strawberry sherbet, and fresh strawberry chunks. I’m usually not a fan of strawberry flavored desserts, because we all know they do NOT taste like the actual fruit. However, Ice Monster uses real fruits in their ice blocks, so this dessert didn’t give off the typical artificial I’m-eating-500-grams-of-sugar type flavor.
We loved everything about our experience here, and what makes it even better is that they offer so many discounts!
20% off for Kama’aina (Locals)
20% off for Military (with valid ID)
and 10% off when you check-in through Yelp.
Special thanks to Hiro-san, Stanley, Harold, and the rest of the Ice Monster HI team for such a great experience! We’re obsessed, and we can’t wait to try the other flavors!