PO‘IPU — One week turned into three months for Rick Lovesy. Lovesy used to distribute snacks and other goodies from a cooler during movie nights at Kukui‘ula Shopping Village. “I’m opening next week,” he would say to customers who queried
PO‘IPU — One week turned into three months for Rick Lovesy.
Lovesy used to distribute snacks and other goodies from a cooler during movie nights at Kukui‘ula Shopping Village.
“I’m opening next week,” he would say to customers who queried about the opening of Uncle’s Shave Ice and Smoothies.
Lovesy finally opened the doors to the sweet shop during the final week of February, but was reluctant to let customers know because he had to work out the opening kinks.
“We opened March 1,” Uncle, also known as Lovesy, said. “We kept telling customers ‘next week,’ and that was three months ago. But we’re here now.”
Located between Lappert’s and Bubba Burgers on the south end of the Kukui‘ula Shopping Village, Uncle’s offers a place to pick up a quick cold treat to beat the afternoon Po‘ipu heat, or a dessert following a hearty meal.
Shave ice forms the core of offerings and Uncle’s offers 25 homemade flavors to top the finely shaved ice.
Topping this list are lilikoi, or passion fruit, guava, blue raspberry, root beer and vanilla. He also offers six sugar-free flavors sweetened with Stevia.
“How about an ‘under?’” Uncle asks.
An “under” goes under the topping of ice and customers can select from vanilla ice cream, mac nut ice cream, fresh fruit such as strawberries, mango, pineapple or azuki beans.
Toppers include a cream cap, Haupia cap and Li Hing Mui.
For purists, there is a “plain kine” with no syrup at all.
“My favorite part of the day is talking to customers, some who are trying shave ice for the first time, as well as those who have been raised on it,” Lovesy said. “I get to serve one of the tastiest treats on Kaua‘i, and already have had many customers return because of the melt.”
The mac nut also extends to one of the coatings for the caramel apples, available either with chocolate, or nuts, each one hand-fashioned by Uncle.
Also spinning off the caramel apples are caramel apple bites, a green apple which is cored and cut into wedges, draped in caramel sauce, whipped cream and nuts for an easy-to-eat treat.
Uncle also has several other fresh fruit snacks for customers including fresh chilled pineapple wedges.
But the other half of the shop’s mainstay are smoothies, popcorn, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and old fashioned Coke in glass bottles.
Uncle’s Shave Ice and Smoothies is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
