SomiSomi
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Hours
Mon
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tue
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wed
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thu
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Fri
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sat
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Details
This business is unclaimed.
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CUISINES
Japanese
Is this a Japanese restaurant?
Details
CUISINES
Japanese
Contribute
4.0
15 reviews
Excellent
7
Very good
6
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1
MauiWorldTravelers
Kahului1754 contributions
Aug 2019 • solo
I was originally on the hunt for some DQ dessert but tragically they’ve closed up shop in Ala Moana! I’ve had ice cream from a similar place in Miami (Taiyaki NYC) so I knew what I was in for here. SomiSomi has other locations throughout California & Texas, with this as their sole Hawaii location.
MENU:
Soft serve in four flavors (milk, matcha, ube, Oreo), and four different fillings (Nutella, custard, red bean, taro). You then choose your serving style: “Ah-boong” is with the soft serve in the taiyaki cone, “upside down” is the Ah-boong upside down in a cup, or have your ice cream in a cup without the cone.
DESSERT:
Ah-boong - $5.95
The milk-flavored soft serve was your average run-of-the-mill stuff, good, not overly sweet but light on cream flavor. I got Nutella as a filling which went well with the milk flavor, and rainbow sprinkles which made the dessert look so festive and “happy”. You also get your choice of macaroon which they stick in the soft serve, which I ended up tossing as I don’t care for them. Enough sugar!? The fish-shaped taiyaki cone is soft and chewy, and tastes similar to a waffle cone. Eating it was a bit messy towards the end as it leaked out of the bottom, though it never got mushy.
SERVICE:
The gal at the counter was very friendly, patient and welcoming.
OVERALL:
No DQ? No problem.
Written August 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lwj
San Jose7082 contributions
Jul 2019 • couples
SomiSomi in Honolulu’s Ala Moana Center is located outside of the lower level food court in the parking area facing Ala Moana Blvd.
They sell a soft serve dessert in different flavors (green tea (matcha), Ube (purple yam), milk, Oreo , black sesame...) served in a freshly made fish shaped waffle lined with custard, red bean or Nutella called Ah-Boong. You can have an individual flavor or order one of two swirl combinations offered each week.
You then add toppings... fruity pebbles, Oreo crumbles.... finally, top it off with a macaroon or a strawberry.
Written August 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cloudy S
West Chicago48 contributions
Jun 2019 • friends
This place is SO cute! Although Honolulu tends to be expensive, I feel like this place was actually worth it. They have four flavors, ube, milk, matcha, and Oreo. They also have two swirled flavors, which changes every week. They allow two samples per person, so if two people both, you can try all four flavors before you settle.
Their soft serve is delicious and I recommend ube, which is their specialty. They also have the Taiyaki (which is the fish shaped pastry) that has a custard and is stuck onto the soft serve (just soft serve is $4, with the Taiyaki its $6), but I think it's totally worth it. You also get unlimited toppings and a choice between an orchid and a macron.
I think this place is totally worth it if you have the chance, it's right by the food court (on the outside) of Ala Moana mall, so as you stroll through Gucci and Fendi, you should get a Somi Somi ice cream as your hand candy.
Written June 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara S
Washington DC2 contributions
Nov 2020 • none
I recently had an ube and red bean dessert cup. Being vegans, my boyfriend and I both asked if any of the flavors were dairy free. We were told that all except the milk/milk tea options were dairy free. We were excited since the flavors are unique! When we got home and looked up ingredients after much stomach discomfort, we discovered that all flavors had milk. NEVER GOING BACK and thankfully I don’t have an allergy just a sensitivity!
Written November 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Family8travels
244 contributions
Apr 2019 • family
Came for a visit while at Ala Moana mall (it's by the main food court but you have to go outside to find it). We got the Ah-Boong. You can have it two ways - with the fish as a cone and ice cream on top, or ice cream in a cup and the fish on top - we opted for the cup version which ended up being a lot less messy than our friend who got the fish as a cone. Big hit with the kids and the ice cream is really tasty. We went twice (and will go again tomorrow!), it looks like they change the ice cream flavors from day to day. My fave so far is the ube but hoping to try the black sesame or milk tea. Tasty treat!
Written April 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Khyron82
Seattle1833 contributions
Feb 2019 • solo
I will freely admit to being a snob when it comes to fresh taiyaki with custard filling...
I've had many, from West Coast USA locations to Tokyo Japan, and apart from one very similar shop in Yokohama's Minato-Mirai district, Somi-Somi (outside of Ala Moana's Makai Food Court) is the first place I've had it hot, crisp, and fresh out of the maker,as it was meant to be.
I don't remember this place being open the last time I visited Ala Moana Center in August 2018, so chancing upon a mention of it the preplanning for this trip proved to be extremely fortuitous.
I also tried the Ah Boong soft serve cone version on the last day of the convention, with the milk ice cream, custard, rainbow sprinkles, and the macaroon cookie instead of the real flower: Excellent, though the custard and milk ice cream ended up blending flavors together at the end to not be distinguishable, so I'll have to try a different filling next time.
Not a fan of traditional red bean taiyaki filling, so I'll have to rate Somi-Somi higher on my personal scale when it comes to Ah Boong, than its counterpart at the World Porters Shopping complex in Yokohama (both are tied as far as custard taiyaki goes)
Written March 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aaronl520
Oahu's North Shore32 contributions
Jan 2019 • none
We saw a long queue and decided to check out what was so special about this place. Turns out we didn’t have to wait long as the turnover rate was fast. We got the Nutella taiyaki + Oreo soft serve + free toppings of rainbow sprinkles, capt crunch bits and macaroon. Blissfully delicious! We went back for another- it was that good!
Written February 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RLD808
Oahu5760 contributions
Dec 2018 • solo
This is really good stuff. The freshly made fish waffle is very good and so very enjoyable when it is still hot. Fill it with the taro and it is just amazing. The Ube soft service is fantastic as well. The line can be long and make you want to skip it, but he move right along and in the end, you get something that is fresh and really good. It is worth the wait for the quality. Staff are all friendly and seem on it. If you get the soft serve with the fish waffle, I recommend getting it in a cup. It could get messy with the melting and it is easier to hold and enjoy that way while eating this delectable delight.
Written January 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bf96819
Honolulu6 contributions
Jan 2019 • family
Ube soft serve with taro served upside down in a cup and topped with a flavorful freshly made taiyaki. A meal in itself or a really big dessert. Novelty ice cream stand on the outside of the makai (ocean) side of the Ala Moana Shopping Mall, near the door to the Makai Food Court. Tasty ube, really tasty taiyaki - fish-shaped waffle cone, tasty taro paste/pudding/smear. Very efficient order taking, making and serving if you come to the counter prepared with your ice cream choice, serving choice (upside down is in a cup with the cone on top), and choice of filling (taro, nutella, pudding, red bean). you'll wait l-o-n-g if customers are indecisive. There's only 4 ice cream and filling choices, but lots of topping choices.
Written January 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen H
Honolulu112 contributions
Nov 2018 • friends
Yummy ice cream and chewy/crispy taiyaki!! Loved the presentation and the taste! $6 well spent for ice cream. Taiyaki can be a bit filling so I wouldn't suggest it if you are full and there is usually a line... so be patient.
Written December 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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