Sugar Rush!
Indulge in decadent desserts, creamy concoctions and more.
The call of your sweet tooth starts off innocently enough. At first it’s just a passing thought, a yummy idea, but then it builds. Before you know it, there’s nothing short of tying yourself to a palm tree to keep from following the siren song of that sugar craving. Fortunately, Waikiki offers ample opportunity to indulge in a variety of Hawai‘i’s unique dessert flavors, in settings from sandy-feet casual to ooh-la-la luxurious.
Orchid’s
Penchant For Passion Fruit
Glide down the breezy open-air passageways of Halekulani to the beach-side restaurant Orchids, where the menu’s Lilikoi and Chocolate Bar is as exquisite visually as it is for the taste buds. Wrapped in silky dark chocolate, elegantly accented with a speck of gold leaf, are layers of chocolate mousse, lilikoi (passion fruit) cream, crunchy coconut and macadamia nut, atop a base of chocolate crumbs. It comes with strips of lilikoi jellies, caramelized macadamia nuts, dabs of mango-passion fruit puree, and a dollop of coconut ice cream, sitting on a bed of mac nut powder. Softness mingles with crunchiness, and then the burst of lilikoi kicks in. It’s not just a dessert, it’s a celebration.
Orchids
Halekulani
2199 Kalia Road
(808) 923-2311
www.halekulani.com
Nobu Waikiki
Sweet Sandwich
Combining local and Japanese flair, Nobu’s new dessert menu is for the adventurous. Take for instance, the Banana Ginger Ice Cream Sandwiches. Banana ice cream is swirled with azuki bean and flanked by two soft gingerbread cookies that can be dipped into three different sauces: jasmine milk tea, for something light; pineapple, for a hint of tart; or warm chocolate that coats the cookie and makes you feel like a kid again. The zesty ginger that first hits your tongue, mixed with luscious banana, offers such an inviting and unusual flood of flavor, that these are three large ice cream sandwiches you won’t soon forget.
Nobu Waikiki
Waikiki Parc Hotel
2233 Helumoa Road
(808) 237-6999
www.noburestaurants.com/waikiki
Surf Lanai
Clamoring For Coconut
Lounging under pink umbrellas, watching surfers sail toward the shore, alone spells luxury. How about when your waiter plops down a hunk of pink fluff, aka The Royal Hawaiian Signature Pink Haupia Cake? Between thin layers of coconut-soaked chiffon is pink haupia cream, and it’s topped off with toasted coconut flakes—pink, of course. Savor the salty Pacific Ocean breeze, and then scoop up some of the coconut cream splashed onto the plate amidst a sprinkling of fresh berries. This cake screams vacation.
Surf Lanai
The Royal Hawaiian
2259 Kalakaua Ave.
(808) 923-7311
www.royal-hawaiian.com
Cool Tropics
The corner shop is cheery in lime-green and lemon-yellow tiles. The servers are cheery, and the line of customers sampling some of the 16 creamy flavors, from Taro to Guava Pineapple, Kona Coffee and Lychee, are all cheery too. And why not? Just steps away from all the tanning and splashing at Waikiki Beach are Hello Kitty-decorated cups yearning for invigorating swirls of frozen yogurt, and there’s more than 50 toppings to go with it, whether you’re looking for something unusual (li hing mui powder, mochi squares, popping boba), something tropical (fresh mango, kiwi, various nuts) or the tried and true (chocolate syrup, candies, whipping cream).
Yogurtland
2490 Kalakaua Ave.
(808) 922-2626
www.yogurt-land.com
Honolulu Chocolate Company
Holy Cacao!
The most gourmet of chocolate palates will find their hankering satiated at this fine chocolate wonderland. If you aren’t already won over by the mermaid and mermen figurines, and other exotic mementos decorating the store window, one bite of the Macadamia Nut Clusters or the Macadamia Turtles (in milk or dark chocolate), or the Coconut Macadamia Haystacks (in milk, dark or white), and you’ll be an instant devotee. The first highlights the smooth, velvety chocolate; the second, just the right touch of gooey caramel; and the latter, the satisfying textures of the toasted coconut and mac nuts. There’s really no better way to describe them than, addictive.
Honolulu Chocolate Company
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel & Resort
2255 Kalakaua Ave.
(808) 931-8937
www.honoluluchocolate.com
