Food Truck Friday: A Cool Taste of Hawaii with Tropical Shave Ice Truck

Website: http://tropicalshaveice.com

Twitter: @tropshaveice

The Truck:

The Food:

Aloha! The Tropical Shave Ice truck provides a perfect taste of the classicHawaiian treat known as shave ice.  If you've never had traditional shave ice — yes, "shave" ice; No "d" — then this is an ice cold refreshment you must try.

First, its anything BUT your average snow cone.  You might guess that the main component of shave ice is…the ice!  However, Hawaiian style ice is much fluffier and lighter than what one might expect, especially compared to the more granular ice of a snow cone.

The flavoring is also a key component.  The syrups are rich and bold, yet pleasingly sweet.  My favorite is Tiger's Blood, a potent mix of watermelon, strawberry, and coconut.

Finally, shave ice goes above and beyond the call of duty for an average snow cone…by going over and under.  On top of the ice, be sure to get a snow cap: a drizzle of sweetened, condensed milk.  Underneath, get a scoop of sweet vanilla ice cream.  The combined creaminess of the two takes the sweet icy treat to another level of textures and flavors.

Tropical Shave Ice has a list of flavors you can choose from to make each dish unique.  If you have a problem making up your mind, go for the popular "808", flavored with Vanilla, Melona, and Tigers Blood.

You'll usually find the Tropical Shave Ice truck rolling in a convoy with other trucks like Lomo Arigato.  If you're thinking of filling up on lomo saltado, be sure to save room for dessert!

Mahalo!