With summer right around the corner it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in snowy treats. Located on 21st Street and Taravel lies a petite shop painted a bright teal, sticking out like a sore thumb. This vibrant place goes by the name of Little Aloha, serving up traditional Hawaiian favorites including Shaved Ice.
Something that sets Little Aloha apart from other shaved ice locations is their machine, which shaves off very thin and soft pieces of ice, making it the perfect base.
Their menu was a choose-your-own style with sizes small and large and a selection of many tropical flavors. Some flavors included are lilikoi (passion fruit), guava and lychee, which are flavors you wouldn’t typically find at your local ice cream truck.
As a shaved ice connoisseur, I opted for my typical flavor combo, which consists of guava and lychee topped with li-hing powder, which is dried plum seasoning.
Unfortunately, when I went to pay, we stumbled upon a dilemma. Their tap to pay feature was not working so I had to run to the car to grab some cash.
After that mishap, the shaved ice came out relatively fast. The vibrant sunset pink color of the guava accompanied by the crystal white lychee syrup created a beautiful contrast of colors. A generous coating of li hing powder presented as tiny red specks covered the top.
As I took the first bite, the snow immediately melted in my mouth with no need to chew, which differentiates shaved ice apart from a regular snow cone. The lychee flavor was spot on, perfectly encapsulating the flavor of cracking a fresh lychee open on a sunny day. On the other hand, the guava tasted tart—like a cherry—instead of the complex tropical flavor of a guava, which made me a little disappointed. Luckily, the umami li hing powder saved it, adding another layer of flavor, salty, sweet and with a hint of licorice. Don’t knock it till you try it!
Although there was a slight let down and technical difficulties, this place was overall a decent experience which I’d rate 3.5/5. If you ever are looking for traditional Hawaiian shaved ice make sure to stop by Little Aloha.
