Where to Find Lychee Treats in Honolulu
From sorbet and ice cream to cakes and pastries, you can find lychee treats all across town if you know where to look.
Photo: Andrea Lee
Hilo Lychee Sorbet ($11.99)
Asato Family Shop
Perfect for the summer heat, this sorbet made with Hilo lychee is delicately sweet and so refreshing. Keep in mind this seasonal flavor will only be available during lychee season as long as Asato can get shipments, so the next batch is TBD. Check the website and Instagram for the week’s flavors, then bring a cooler to the shop and be prepared to wait in line for the goods.
Open Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1306 Pali Highway, Downtown, asatofamilyshop.com, @asatofamily
SEE ALSO: Sweet Treats: Where to Find Hawai‘i’s Only Snowthies
Photo: Andrea Lee
Lychee Ice Cream ($10)
Henry’s Place
Still one of my all-time favorite ice creams and the lychee treat that inspired this roundup. “This is phenomenal,” were the first words out of my mouth after trying it, and I stand by that. Henry’s house-made ice cream smoothly captures its fruit essence, with little pieces of lychee punctuating it. Call ahead to ask if the lychee is in stock. There’s no dedicated parking, so I usually stop by when I’m in Waikīkī for the day or hop out of my boyfriend’s car for a quick pickup. Cash only.
Open daily 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., 234 Beach Walk, Waikīkī, @henrysplacehi
SEE ALSO: Where to Park in Waikīkī
Photo: Andrea Lee
Lychee Almond Delight ($8.95) & Lychee Streusel Danish ($3.50)
Fendu Boulangerie
This Mānoa bakery has two lychee treats, both worth the drive into the valley. The lychee almond delight comprises a lot in its petite body: lychee and white chocolate mousse, almond Bavarian cream, almond sponge cake, an almond cookie base and fruits to top it off. The light and airy mousse is full of lychee flavor, with the crust adding the right touch of complementary crispiness.
The lychee streusel danish features lychee pieces nestled in pastry and almond cream in its buttery, flaky pastry with a drizzle of lychee syrup. Despite what you might expect, it’s actually not too sweet and reminds me of a pie.
Since both the danish and delight are made with canned lychee, they’re available year-round.
Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mānoa Marketplace, 2752 Woodlawn Dr. #5-119, fenduboulangerie.net, @fendu.boulangerie
Photo: Andrea Lee
Lychee Lime Cake ($6.50)
Tiny Pyramid
For such a little cake, it packs a flavor punch. The delicate mousse is more lime forward than lychee, and the flourless chocolate cake base is moist and chewy, dripping syrup when I fork it. The blackberry on top adds a bit of tangy crunch. It’s very easy to eat, gone before I know it.
Open Monday, Wednesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Nā Lama Kukui Lifestyle & Design Center, 560 N Nimitz Highway, Iwilei, tinypyramid.com, @tinypyramid.hnl
Photo: Andrea Lee
Lychee Shave Ice ($6)
Chillest Shave Ice
Imagine snow from a lychee cloud falling on your tongue. The lychee is subtler and probably best paired with other fruits that won’t completely overpower it. It’s among the $6 flavors, but others are $7 or $8, and you can choose up to three. Cash only.
Open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 3408 Wai‘alae Ave. #102, Kaimukī, @chillestshaveice
SEE ALSO: Chillest Shave Ice Opens in a Permanent New Home in Kaimukī
Andrea Lee is the digital editor of HONOLULU Magazine.
