This Waikīkī Oasis Has Pasta, Roman Sandwiches and a Crack Seed Sundae with Mochi Crunch

Seek out the new Piccola Onda food truck and Double Fat Ice Cream kiosk next to the Alohilani Resort.

March 8, 2021

Martha Cheng,

Remember Sundays last summer, when Kalākaua Avenue closed to cars and locals cruised down on bikes and Biki, rollerblades and roller skates, and saw Waikīkī anew, devoid of tourists? As the pandemic lessens its grip and tourism returns, it’s unlikely we’ll ever experience Waikīkī like that again. But there are other reasons to return: It is currently the only place you’ll find Piccola Onda and its prepared dishes by Andrea Onetti of Onda Pasta, and Double Fat Ice Cream, Brandon Lee’s old-fashioned(ish) ice cream bar. Up against the backside of Alohilani Resort, on Kealohilani Avenue, and just a block from the beach, the Piccola Onda truck and Double Fat Ice Cream kiosk provide an oasis with a shady, faux-lawn outdoor dining nook.

We were invited to a preview of the two. Here’s a look:

Andrea Onetti of Piccola Onda. Photo: Martha Cheng

Piccola Onda

In addition to expanding Onda Pasta’s retail pasta line, which you can now find at some Foodland stores and online retailers, Andrea Onetti has been working on a more permanent location for his prepared dishes. Piccola Onda isn’t just a food truck: It’s a fully-certified commercial kitchen on wheels, though those wheels won’t likely be turning anytime soon. Here you’ll find spaghetti al pesto ($14) and Onetti’s soft gnocchi tossed in a ragu made with North Shore Livestock beef. Daily specials include a mac and cheese, but instead of macaroni, this one has casarecce, pasta resembling tiny, twisted scrolls, the silky cheese sauce settling into all the nooks and crannies.

Eggplant parmigiana, zozzone and gnocchi ragu bolognese. Photo: Martha Cheng

Then there’s the zozzone ($12), which literally means slob—Onetti says street vendors in Rome would pull up to the clubs in the early morning hours to feed drunk and spent clubbers these sandwiches. Piccola Onda’s features a sausage patty made by Butcher & Bird and Pono Pork, with bitter greens, sweet red peppers and melting mozzarella on a soft toasted ciabatta. And for dessert: a smooth panna cotta ($5) made with half cream and half milk and topped with a citrus and berry coulis.

@piccolaondahi

Brandon Lee (left) and Will Chen, who is partners in both Double Fat and Piccola Onda. Photo: Martha Cheng

Double Fat Ice Cream

Brandon Lee, formerly the chef de cuisine at Piggy Smalls and sous chef at MW, had launched an ice cream business during the pandemic, only to put it on hiatus when Artizen at the HiSAM, where he was churning ice cream, closed. Now, it’s back, and in my mind, even better, because now you can get ice creams by the scoop ($5 for a single, $7 for a double). Current flavors include sweet cream, chocolate, strawberry and Kona coffee, with plans to add honey furikake ice cream, liliko‘i sorbet and guava sorbet. Keep an eye out for monthly specials such as yuzu creamsicle. Choose your own toppings, from pineapple to furikake, or get the crack seed delight sundae ($9)—a scoop each of strawberry (with chunks of strawberry folded in) and sweet cream ice cream, sprinkled with li hing powder, mochi crunch and dried salted plum pieces. The result is just as addictive as crack seed: sweet, salty, sour, crunchy and creamy, all in one cup. Just wait til the new flavors come out…