Jo Y.
Yelp
Shave ice was brought to HI by Japanese immigrant pineapple/sugar cane plantation workers. They would take a block of ice, hand shave it & pour different flavored juices or syrups on it. It was sold on Sundays (day off for workers) & served as a refreshing break from working in the fields.
Owned by Ululani & David Yamashiro, the business is named after David's wife; both are originally from Kalihi & Moanalua on Oahu, respectively, & they loved their shaved ice while growing up. After they were married, they moved to the Pacific Northwest. They craved for "Hawaiian shave ice," (called snow cones on the Mainland) as the snow cones were coarsely grounded with the syrups easily falling to the bottom & were not of the same quality.
Ululani then made her own shave ice as how she remembered & shared them at community events & private parties. Her reputation & exposure for Hawaiian shave ice grew, as she started selling them at the Vancouver Farmer's Market, Uwaijimaya's cultural events in Oregon, university luaus, & various community festivals & sporting events.
The Yamashiro's then decided to moved back to HI to be closer to Ululani's mom & settled in Maui. They opened their first brick-&-mortar store in Lahaina in 2008 & subsequently expanded in Maui: Kihei, Maui Lani in Wailuku, Hyatt Regency in Ka'anapali, & Pa'ia. They 've expanded further in the State & began to offer franchises in Kona (Big Island); Kapahulu, Pearl City, & now in Waimanalo (Oahu). With Shontaz Naweli as the franchise owner, the Waimanalo location opened on 6/21/25, & another Ululani is planned for opening in Waikiki on 10/4/25. Ululani has also opened stores in CA, FL, & TX.
The Yamashiros' mission statement is "All shave ice is not created equal," meaning that Ululani's is passionate in serving the best-tasting shave ice in the world, resulting in every shave ice experience should be a special & delicious memory for its customers. To attain this, they must ensure: the taste, texture & look are to be different; 100% ultra-purified water is used; shave-ice machine & special techniques to deliver the finest shave ice; house-made syrups made with real fruit, & gourmet line of Roselani ice cream used. In addition, "alohatude," which means aloha with gratitude is having a genuine service mindset among its employees. As employees are young, it was necessary to teach them how to extend aloha while they're working & cultivate good work ethic, e.g., work hard, be reliable, be unselfish, & be a team player. These attributes embody what is necessary to make it in the workforce today & in life.
When ordering, you'll need to note:
* Size (kids or large).
* Choice of optional base: ice cream (vanilla, mac nut, ube, coconut) or azuki beans or none.
* Flavors (choose max 3 flavors or 1 combination that is separately listed).
* Choice of optional toppings: condensed milk, coconut, fresh mochi, haupia cream, li hing drizzle or powder.
I ordered the keiki size rainbow with cherry, blue raspberry & banana flavors with coconut ice cream. True to taste, it was delicious & creamy, as the fluffy & smooth scoops of shave iced were so soft & creamy, literally melting in your mouth. This listed combo was perfect. All shave ice orders will have staff shaping the fine ice into the bowl & poking holes in it so that the syrup goes through to the bottom; if you see any white areas of the ice that is not covered in syrup, bring it back to the counter, & staff will be more than happy to pour on more syrup. (Note that bowls are used & the not cone cups that the shave ice can easily topple over.) Perfect & so addicting!
Staff was friendly, accommodating & helpful if you're unsure as to what to order. You'll experience the Aloha Spirit here! Tour buses make a pit stop here on weekends, & staff is inundated with tourists with their orders, and it's my understanding that staff is able to meet their orders quickly & efficiently.
The small store interior is brightly lit & clean. The prep area takes up most of the space, & the rest of the store is used to display merchandise, with a few tables & chairs along the wall. There are additional tables & chairs outside the front door in the covered area.
Credit card only; no cash accepted. Don't forget to ask for a kamaaina or military discount should you qualify.
Hours of operation are daily from Mon to Thurs 11:00a to 6:30p & Fri to Sun 11:00a to 7:30p. Located in the Waimanalo Town Center near Jack in the Box & Hele gas station, free parking is available in the lot shared with other businesses.
Yes, all shave ice is not created equal. You must try Ululani's! I'll be back for more of this quality shave ice & Aloha Spirit! A great addition to the Waimanalo community that has already shown much support to Ululani's! We wish Shontaz much success to this business venture! Support local!