Just in time for summer, Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream has opened at the Koko Marina Center in Hawaii Kai.
I was next door, having a manicure at Hapa Heavenly Salon, and popped in for a first-time try afterward. Who doesn’t want a cool, frosty treat?
The shop has been open for several weeks, and this past weekend, throngs lined up to get 75-cents promotional ice cream cones.
Cool desserts abound, and you can have it your way: scoops in a cup, scoops in cones,or scoops to take home to your freezer.
Freshness is the selling point. Hammond’s in Hawaii promises island flavors, like coffee, chocolate, Kahlua Rum, and matcha, for starters. All made in-house.
You can slurp your purchase from outdoor seats and tables or enjoy the air-conditioned inside where seats and tables loom amid the green-and-white décor.
A hot pink neon sign projects perhaps the house’s motto: “Ice Cream Solves Everything.” How cool is that?
On another facing wall, fascinating and historic displays of old and new ice cream scoops.
I decided on a two-scooper, intended to get two flavors that visually complemented each other, so chose a school of green matcha and a second scoop of a chocolate blend including what I assume had bits of macadamia nuts.
The challenge is to decide which of the daily 20 flavors you’ll select for your treat; the menu changes daily, and a gap in the chilled display space means the faves sell out first.
Other options lurking –a peanut butter jelly sandwich, a rum cheesecake. But you’re here for ice cream, so scream for it.
If you examine the menu behind the servers, you’ll discover flavors such as Molokai Coffee Toffee and Rocky Road to Hana . Clearly, someone’s done his homework, tapping geography for a sense of place.
Ask for a taste sample, and you’ll be rewarded with a tiny wooden spoon with a one-bite sample.
The website boasts its famous Hammond’s Flights, where you can sample up to six flavors in individual mini cones. Discovered this, however, after I reached home.
If you’ve taken this flight, tell us if you liked it, and what was its cost?