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August September 2007

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Old style Shave Ice

Huge, tasty, made with TLC

By "Papa Al" Koo

Would you like to eat something special made by a man who had dreamed his whole life of making this simple thing?

Would like to taste something memorable that a man spent two years on perfecting, giving it away free, before he would charge someone to enjoy it?

Would you like to step back into time when people took pride in their craft, took time to chat and smile, and valued you as a person and not just another number?

If you would like this and you don’t mind sweets, you should mosey on to Shimazu Shave Ice on School Street just Diamond Head of Liliha near the McDonald’s and Foodland.

Shimazu’s is new. Kelvin Shimazu took the tiny shop over about a year ago.

Shimazu remembers how special shave ice was to him and everyone else he can think of when he was a kid.

“It was a real treat,” he says. “I remember there was a little coffee shop next to the old Toyo Theater and it sold shave ice.”

It was a child’s dream to one day run his own shave ice shop.

But Shimazu grew up. He started his real life as a truck driver and quickly was promoted to sales in the garment industry. Next he jumped to food sales. His specialty was introducing new lines.

But one day, he came to a crisis. He was asking if this was how he was going to spend the rest of his life. His son Kendall was still in elementary school. He didn’t like the image he saw. He just happened to be visiting one of Honolulu’s best known shave ice stands when he thought, “I can do better than this.”

So, with not much foresight, he began experimenting with shave ice. He bought his own machine. How many people do you know that buy their own shave ice machine. He spent two years perfecting his technique.

“You have to know that not all ice is equal. The best ice is specially made. It turns out there is one company in Honolulu that knows this from the old days.

“You have to know how to sharpen your blade, how sharp to get it.

“You have to get your syrups right. All the good shave ice shops make their own.

“I didn’t want to do it wrong. I am my own worst customer.”

Then he spent seven years mostly doing private parties. It was a really unique venture. No one else was doing it. He also tried a small concession stand in Mililani. Then finally, he took the plunge and bought the old B&S Store on School Street.

B&S was already famous among the real locals for good shave ice. It was the perfect location.

Shimazu makes humongous shave ice cones. And he pours on the syrup. You never find naked white ice in the middle of a Shimazu cone. He has special flavors like strawberry crème, key lime or li hing mui. The ice is fine, just like local people like it. Fine ice means more surface area for syrup to be carried to the tongue.

And the ambience is old time. If you take time, Shimazu will actually talk to you. Reminisce about the old days. All the shave ice shops that have closed.

He tells the story about the lady who went to every shave ice shop on Oahu, looking for the perfect shave ice. When she had finished, she came back to Shimazu and told him, “You win. You have the best shave ice.”

The sun was setting as he told us this story. It was past closing. A lady and child walked in the store. The lady said, “Oh, I guess you are closed.” The little girl said, “Mom. I want shave ice.”

Shimazu said, “No, we’re not closed. The front door is still open.” Kendall came out from back to make the shave ice. He’s 21 now. As he made the shave ice, Shimazu smiled.

“Some people, they don’t understand. But it’s like the old days. If we can help you, we do.”

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