Shave ice is such a simple dish that the quality of the ingredients is essential to the overall experience. You get top-notch, ingredients from Maui at Surfing Monkey Shave Ice in Kihei.
This shave ice shop started in 1997 with a fateful trip to Hawaii for the founder, Paul Davies. On that initial visit, he tried shave ice in Honolulu, where he sampled world-renowned Matsumoto Shave Ice. That first taste led him to a journey more than a decade later after moving to Maui and ending his 9-5 job.
In 2008, Paul started the first Surfing Monkey Shave Ice in Maui. His goal was to provide the best shave ice on Maui with locally made real sugar syrups and the fluffiest, snowiest ice around.
Today, Surfing Monkey remains a family-owned business dedicated to providing guests with the best shave ice with local ingredients with syrups made from real sugar. Shave ice flavors include all-natural options, such as strawberry, Kona coffee, cherry, lychee, and coconut, made with no artificial flavors or colors. Regular syrup options include pink bubble gum, wedding cake, pina colada, and li hing mui. Add-ons include li-hing mui powder, ice cream, sweet cream, adzuki beans, chocolate syrup, and sweet cream. Dairy ice cream and vegan coconut milk gelato plus root beer floats round out the dessert options to enjoy.
When you visit, sample some of the following visitor favorites from Surfing Monkey Shave Ice:
Lychee Shave Ice
Lychee Shave Ice uses one of the all-natural syrups made without artificial flavors. This syrup tops a snowy mound of shave ice for a fruity treat. Visitors have described this treat as similar to biting into a frozen lychee with its flavorful, light taste.
Vegan Salted Caramel Gelato
If you like combinations of flavors, such as salty and sweet, try the Salted Caramel Gelato. Made with coconut milk, this dairy-free dish is vegan-friendly. Every bite is full of flavor. Even if you’re not a fan of caramel, you can still enjoy other equally tasty vegan gelato options, including Kona coffee, chocolate chunk, mint chocolate chip, and coconut.
Li Hing Mui Shave Ice
Sweet and sour li hing mui is one of the most popular flavors at shave ice stands around the islands. If you enjoy the taste of this sweet, tart, and tangy dried salted plum, you must try Surfing Monkey’s shave ice syrup. The syrup is among the regular flavors, plus, you can boost the li hing mui taste with extra powder on top for free. Try the li hing mui syrup alone on shave ice or add pineapple for a tropical concoction recommended by visitors.
100% Kona Coffee Shave Ice
The Kona Coffee Shave Ice is unique to Surfing Monkey. This syrup is one of the all-natural options, and it uses real Kona coffee as a major ingredient. Add sweet cream and vanilla ice cream, and you will have a treat that visitors say is better than a Frappuccino from Starbucks. Another great twist on this is adding chocolate syrup to the shave ice, which turns it into a mocha treat. Don’t miss out on this flavor that you won’t find elsewhere.
Visit Surfing Monkey Shave Ice in Kihei for fluffy shave ice topped with syrups made from real Maui raw sugar. Plus, this is one of the few shave ice spots that has a full selection of vegan coconut milk ice creams to enjoy. Stop by to cool off from the heat of the afternoon or to satisfy your sweet tooth any time of the day.
Insider Tips:
-With its location in the Foodland parking lot, you’ll find plenty of spots for parking.
-You may need to wait if there is a line or if you have a large group. A staff member forms each shave ice by hand and tops it after the customer orders. The process can take several minutes if you order multiple shave ice treats. Your patience will be rewarded with a tasty, freshly made shave ice.
-If the benches near the stall are full, walk across the street to the park to sit down and eat your shave ice.