Ordering a shave ice from Shimazu Store in Honolulu, Hawaii, is torture for the indecisive. By the time you reach the front of the line, you’ll be expected to make a series of rapid-fire declarations, starting with the size. Do you want a small ($4.50), large ($6.50), or extra-large, a.k.a. The Larry ($13)? (Our two cents: Go with the small if you’re eating alone, a large if you’re two or more people, and a Larry if you want all the Instagram likes.) Next, you gotta decide add-ons for the bottom: Adzuki beans? Mochi? Ice cream? Great, now that that’s settled, it’s syrup-talking time. Choose up to three flavors from a list of more than 50, including sour limeade, cherry cola, lychee, milk tea royale, durian, and red velvet creme. They’re all tooth-rottingly sweet but made in-house with cane sugar—so, you know, it’s like high-quality junk food. Lastly, toppings must be ruled upon: condensed milk, creamy haupia, or li hing powder. What’ll ya have? What’ll ya have? What’ll ya have?
330 N. School St., Honolulu, Oahu, HI; 808-721-2441.