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Kawate Seed Shop
Categories: Local Flavor, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
1990 Kinoole StHilo, HI 96720
(808) 959-8313
4 reviews for Kawate Seed Shop
BEST SHAVE ICE IN HAWAII!
I've been coming to Kawate Seed Shop all my life! So count me as an over 20 year customer! This family owned business to me is considered a Hilo land mark! They have the best shave ice! The shaved ice is perfect and served perfectly round. I always get the rainbow with vanilla ice cream and condensed milk! mmmmmmm! Typing about it is making my mouth water! I can't forget about their crack seeds! The best! Growing up my cousins and I would order the famous gravy burgers! ahhh! Oh I like their sorbet and blueberry ice cream. Hilo Homemade is the best. Everytime I go back to Hilo to visit my dogs and family, this is a must stop for me to fill my shave ice craving! I use to come here pretty much everyday after school. Hilo kids got it made with the best shave ice! My family and I are huge fans! Out of all the shave ice hot spots on the Big Island and Oahu... Kawate Seed Shop is #1!
Huge plus... a huge parking lot where you don't have to pay a penny to park and no long lines.
**check out my pics I posted of me with my favorite must have when in HILO!
5 stars all the way!
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We are Shave ice snobs. Our 5 star rating is not due to finely shaved ice. It's due to the excellent amount of Azuki bean in the cup and the BEST flavor ever - Lemon Peel. They make this syrup from their crack seed and it is a fantastic option! Try Lemon Peel, Lychee and Lilikoi with Li Hng sprinkled and you will taste heaven! Great place!
Kawate Seed Shop is the perfect place for visitors to the Big Island to discover the real down-to-earth local style. Like many other family-owned stores in Hilo, it hasn't changed much since it opened. And that's a good thing, because Kawate makes the best shave ice on the Big Island!
They have most of the typical shave ice syrups, like strawberry and pineapple. But they sometimes have local flavors like coconut or lilikoi. The ice is shaved very fine, and each shave ice is a huge mound of packed ice! It's so tasty with ice cream, azuki beans (Japanese sweet red bean paste), and condensed milk. Yes, ask for all three in your shave ice!
They also have a huge variety of crack seeds, dried fish/squid, arare, and other local goodies, which all originate from the many different cultures that create the melting pot that is Hawaii. The employees are very willing to let customers sample a little bit of some of the crack seeds.
Definitely make a stop at Kawate on your visit to the Big Island! It's quite a hidden gem in Hilo! Between 2:00 and 3:30 on non-summer weekdays, the store gets busy with kids coming in after school. After all, part of growing up local means getting Kawate shave ice after school!
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This local shave ice/crack seed shop has been operating for over 50 years and still appears to be going strong. This is a small family owned shop, that could almost be considered a local landmark. They are very friendly and super helpful.
On the Big Island, for some reason shave ice is called "ice shave", but its still tasty no matter what you call it. The shave ice at Kawate is soft and snowy, and the syrups are a little on the sweet side. They use Meadow Gold ice cream, an island staple and favorite for decades. They are very generous with the azuki beans and condensed milk.
As far as crack seed go, they must have over 60 different varieties, from li hing mui, pickled mango, mango seed, crack seed, lemon peel. You name it, I'm sure they have it.
Kawate is a little off the beaten path, as it certainly is not in a touristy area, but like most places in Hilo, is well worth the find.
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