Tropical Dreams Custom Hawaiian Ice Cream

Strolling though Waikiki came across this little whole in the wall. (Across Ross, Seaside)
PROS:
+Locally made (Hi, Big Island)
+Ice cream is chewy
+Flavor is tasteful
+Classic and island life flavors (Coconut, Mango, etc.)
CONS:
–Location (between blocks)
AMBIANCE:
Cute tiny ice cream shop w/​limited seating (1 table & two chairs)
SERVICE:
Pleasant customer service
FOOD:
Unique ice cream flavors (Coconut, Mango, etc.) Chewy ice cream!
VALUE:
Reasonable, I spent $ 4 bucks on one scoop w/​regular cone
Very refreshing and a cute little ice cream gem!

The cookies and cream flavor was amazing! Probably the best I’ve ever had
The ice cream is made by a farm on the Big Island so its local and not a huge chain.

Tried the Kona Coffee while Hubby got Mint Chocolate Chip. Very gummy, airy texture, similar to a poor quality grocery store brand. Flavors tasted very artificial. Not sure why they’re advertised as «premium». Better off paying the same money for Lappert’s or Haagen Dazs.

Noticed this place after passing by several times while briefly living in Waikiki. It’s a tiny little shop on Seaside Ave. right across from Ross (or the former Waikiki Twin Theaters.) Look for their yellow-​green beach chairs on the sidewalk. My curiosity was piqued after spotting the tiny Lalamilo Farms sign (I always love supporting local establishments) and after learning more about it from Unilocal decided to give it a try. Glad I did!
My trusty go-​to flavor, cookies and cream, does not disappoint. I’ve also enjoyed tasting bf’s strawberries and cream, and chocolate mac nut. Creamy, rich goodness.
As I mentioned in a previous review, this is a good spot for dessert after noshing at Marukame Udon down the road. Or if you happen to be in the area. Otherwise, there is no parking so I really wouldn’t go out of my way to come here.

We found this small ice cream shop while strolling down on of the side streets in Waikiki. As big ice cream fans we had to try it. The ice cream is tasty and the prices are reasonable. It’s not as expensive as Hagen Daz or Coldstone but still good quality ice cream. Great place I anticipate going here a lot!
Pros: Local ice cream, all of the ingredients are from the big island and seating, they have 4 chairs and 2 small tables on the sidewalk right outside
Cons: Ice cream flavors change frequently, so don’t get stuck on a favorite it might not be there next time you go
The ice cream shop is small and a little hard to find from Kuhio turn down the street where Matteo’s restaurant is on the corner.

Imagine our surprise when we didn’t find Crystal Bubble Smoothies anymore (well, we’ve come to expect a few changes every year we visit, like how the old Jack-​In-​The-​Box on Kuhio has turned into a busy udon noodle place). Our go-​to smoothie place had turned into a local-​hawaii brand (Lalamilo Farms/​20 years) of ice cream (we love bubbies and dave’s btw). We enjoyed three samples from the nice lady, who was patient with us. When I tried the Coconut Cream, my husband said the expression on my face. Since I am Pinay, I grew up with Magnolia ice cream flavors like Macapuno (young coconut), Ube (purple yam), and Langka (jackfruit). And this flavor really reminded me of those yummy tropical flavors.
This is a walk-​up window (much like nearby neighbor, Affordable Tours– kinda like a closet) but there are two tables and chairs in the front sidewalk facing Ross.

Stumbled upon this little ice cream shop while walking to Ross in Waikiki. My mom, sis and I decided to stop by after a long day of shopping. Found out their a gourmet ice cream made in the Big Island. They don’t have like a wide selection like Bubbies or Baskin Robbins but it makes it a little easier to choose from since I tend to be indecisive when there is too many choices! Their flavors are not the usual chocolate chip or cookies n cream… they have mostly tropical flavors such as lilikoi, choc mac nut and pineapple. I was in a coconutty mood so I settled on the coconut cream (see profile pic). The coconut cream tasted as good as it sounded! It was nice and creamy with a not too strong coconut taste. I tried my sister’s lilikoi sorbet and it was a bit too sour for me. My mom’s choc mac nut was pretty good though.
I’m a big ice cream lover… then again who doesn’t love ice cream?! But I wouldn’t say this is like my fav ice cream places. I’d rather go to Bubbies… but this place is good if you’re around the area. Only thing is it’s a bit pricey… but what do you expect, it’s in Waikiki!

Pineapple Cream and Chocolate Macadamia Nut is the MUST-​TRY flavors. The Pineapple Cream is a soft, sweet, creamy ice cream delight. It’s not a powerful pineapple burst. It’s just right for my pineapple taste. The Macadamia Nut is delish. The macadamia nut was fresh, not stale. The chocolate ice cream was very rich. It was very much enjoyable after a hot udon lunch.
Tropical Dreams had a wide selection of ice cream and sorbert which included mango cream, chocolate, kona coffee, guava sorbert, pineapple coconut sorbert, mint cookies and cream chocolate, and macadamia nut. It’s fairly decent in price. It was $ 3.25 for a single scoop. A single scoop of ice cream fun.

Found this hole-​in-​the-​wall ice cream shop on our fourth day and Waikiki and stopped for ice cream the following three days as well. This little place sells ice cream from one of the small ice cream makers on the big island. This is their first shop on Oahu and had only been open a couple of months. The Coconut Chocolate Mac Nut was the best. I had is three times here and several more times during our time on the Big Island. Wife had the pineapple coconut and a a couple of other flavors and they were good too, but it is hard to beat the Coco Choc Mac Nut.
Similar to other craft ice cream makers, the ice cream is much richer and creamier than your typical store bout stuff. Employees were friendly and they were open every time we walked buy.

In Waikiki we found a great little artisan ice cream shop called Tropical Dreams on Seaside. Based in the Big Island, they had a great variety of Hawaiian based flavors. Not quite as creamy as Bubbies and not as exotic as Dave’s, still a great option. I enjoyed my Tahitian Vanilla and the Macadamia Nut, while my wife liked the Coconut.
The Tahitian Vanilla was loaded with vanilla bean specks. The Mac nut was in pieces, unlike Bubbies, which uses whole nuts. Still, Oahu can use another great ice cream place, especially in Waikiki.
I thought I had posted this review earlier, but it doesn’t seem to appear.