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    Kokoro Cafe

    4.3 (385 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    KOKORO CAFE
    Sandy W.

    First time trying this ice cream ,Perfect soft ice cream i loved it !! Amazing customer service ! I really enjoy everything about, its in a Mall so its perfect that you also get to other options food (:

    Dole whip
    Paul M.

    Royal Hawaiian Center 2nd floor food court. I know shaved ice is very popular but hands down give me the Dole whip 10/10 times instead. Order: Dole whip was light fluffy and extremely satisfying. I could eat it by the gallon! Great flavor and texture. Overall: Don't walk here..run as fast as you can. You will not be disappointed!

    Shaka soft serve
    Dani M.

    Located on the 2nd floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center (in the food court), this spot offers a unique dessert if you want something other than shave ice. It's comparable to "Somi Somi" where they have soft serve, fresh waffle desserts, and other sweet treats. The cashier was extremely helpful and made sure all of our questions about the menu were answered. I highly recommend!

    James G.

    I ordered the dole-whip Shaka boom and it was 10/10. I recommend to anyone trying to get their dole-whip fix.

    Shaka boom with dole whip
    Claudia D.

    Stumbled on this place that is located in a shopping area within a food court. At first we thought no one was there but they came out to take our order. I had to try the Shaka boom with the pineapple dole whip and it comes with two toppings. We also ordered a sweet iced tea. It was all good and came out quick. The waffle cone was a little soft but still good and it does come with an ample amount of ice cream. Since it is in the food court it was very busy, loud and crowded so make sure you grab a table quick if you plan on sitting down to eat your ice cream.

    Dole Whip Soft Serve
    Nette T.

    Royal Hawaiian Center is bustling, on the second floor there is a food court and Kokoro, which has Dole Whip Soft Serve Ice cream. I had to get away from the crowds for a bit and went straight to Kokoro. I ordered the Dole Whip in a small cup and it was creamy and delicious. It was really warm that day that I had to hurry up and take a picture before it melted! I liked Kokoro so much I came back two more times (once for Dole Whip and once for the Shaka Boom) and each time I finished it in 6 minutes flat! The Shaka Boom had vanilla/chocolate soft serve, Oreos, Pocky sticks and shaka waffle was fun to eat. The owner or Kokoro is a really nice guy and we had fun chatting about football (apparently there was a big game that my SO was watching).

    Shaka boom with vanilla chocolate swirl and Oreos
    Shaela T.

    We came for the Shaka... and it did not disappoint. It's a light crispy waffle on a mountain of ice cream and filled with ice cream. We also had the pineapple dole whip. Both were great but what was a pleasant surprise was the service. The owner made our dishes and he had such a passion for what he was doing and was beyond friendly. I'd go again just to see him!

    Dole Whip Float

    this place did not disappoint. absolutely incredible. the float was amazing, unlike anything i've tasted in the mainland. i didn't get the name of our server but that dude was awesome. whoever was working 4/8 afternoon, you are the GOAT

    Dole Whip small with cone
    Alex J.

    I got the Dole whip in size small in a waffle cone. It was $5.50, I compared a few other places and thought this was a fair price. A friend got a lychee drink for $3 and they said it tasted just like the can lychee drinks. Knocking off a star for the drink but dole whip was good.

    Shaka- boom
    Kay B.

    Came for the gram...stayed for the flavors The Shaka cone was lovely and crisp, and the soft serve was extremely smooth and perfect balance of richness . The café is nice and central in Waikiki so makes an easy stop after some time on the beach and ready for an afternoon treat.

    Shaka boom w/ dole whip
    Melanie C.

    Came here for dessert after eating breakfast in Waikiki. It's a small stand in the Royal Hawaiian Center. Menu consists of ice cream, soft serve, mochi pops, or juices. You order on a tablet at the stand. The worker was super nice & answered all my questions. It takes a bit for them to make because they put the decorations on it so perfectly. They're known for the Shaka Boom & you can choose your soft serve that goes with it. I chose the dole whip with fruity pebbles on top of the Shaka waffle. 8/10. The dole whip is tart & also creamy because of the vanilla in it. The waffle is kinda hard near the fingers but everywhere else was softer. Melts pretty fast so has to be eaten quickly. My husband got the Oreo sundae, 6/10. It was a vanilla soft serve with Oreo crumbles, fudge drizzle and an Oreo. A little bit too sweet for my liking but it's a large portion so definitely shareable!

    Jaimie S.

    Yummm. You get 2 free toppings. I got the Shaka and pineapple dole whip. So refreshing!!! Service was quick and they were really nice.

    Sunrise

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    21 days ago

    Gill is the man! Awesome vibes and the Shaka boom is soo good. Love supporting local business whenever we can. Thanks brah

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

    Super basic cheap ice crusty soft serve. Not even as good as a basic frozen yogurt you can get locally. Very disappointing

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    8 months ago

    Customer service is always excellent and imo they have the best soft serve on island.

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    6 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Love this place for a little dessert after dinner. Highly recommend the dole whip by itself but if you want extra sweet make it the float

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    Kokoro Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kokoro Cafe

    Will the acai sherbet ever be brought back?

    Aloha and thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately we will not be bringing the Açaí flavor back.… Read more

    Is it vegan friendly?

    Aloha! Thanks for the question.… Read more

    Are there any dairy free ice creams?

    Aloha Liane! Thanks for inquiring.… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Leonard's Bakery - A dozen goodies

    Leonard's Bakery

    4.5(10.3k reviews)
    1.1 miKaimuki
    $

    Malasadas are popular in Hawaii due to their 19th-century introduction by Portuguese plantation…read morelaborers, becoming a staple treat. These fried, sugar-coated dough balls, often filled with custard or haupia, are beloved for their fluffy texture and association with tradition, especially "Malasada Day" (Fat Tuesday). And Leonard's Bakery malasadas are popular in Hawaii because they are served fresh, hot, and fluffy, establishing the Portuguese doughnut as a staple island treat since 1952. Founder Leonard Rego pioneered commercializing them, creating a cult following for the crisp-on-the-outside, doughy-on-the-inside treats. There's nothing like a nice, hot, and fresh malasada. At $2.20 each, there's just no point resisting. Twinsie "Auntie" Nadine C. dragged me here, told me where to take the Instagram shot, and the correct stance to tear into these pillowy fried dough balls. Yum.

    Hot & fresh malasadas, I get the hype…read more The parking lot isn't much of a lot, in my opinion. There's about 6 spots available but it's also a tight squeeze in so I would consider parking along the side streets and walking over if possible. My group and I opted for 6 total malasadas to share and they tasted great when they're hot so best to eat it while it's fresh. We ate more after dinner when it's already cooled down and it was still good, but nothing beats fresh. Service was efficient and the line moves pretty quick.

    Photos
    Leonard's Bakery - Original Malasada

    Original Malasada

    Leonard's Bakery - 3/29/26 get the guava & mac nut filled ones

    3/29/26 get the guava & mac nut filled ones

    Leonard's Bakery - Inside of a Guava filled

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    Inside of a Guava filled

    Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery - Pumpkin Crunch

    Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery

    4.4(891 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    If you're more into lighter Malasada and other sweets, you have to give this place a try. I got to…read moretry their cinnamon Malasada with some pimples on them. It must be from their fryer or something. Nevertheless it was light, fluffy, fresh, warm to my tummy. We also got the hazelnut cake. Cake texture with coconut like flavor (I maybe wrong) with chocolate like hazelnut flavor coating. Also light and good. I saw ice cream too. Gotta try that next time. You can street park or Kaimuki municipal parking across the street.

    Everyone knows to go to Leonard's for freshly made malasadas, and the constant crowds there attest…read moreto their quality and variety (review: https://yelp.to/jaduiZfQRq). However, there are many alternative malasada purveyors throughout Honolulu, so I depended on local vloggers to find the best ones. This one popped up often on YouTube, and as luck would have it, we were dining at The Pig & The Lady on the next block. How calorifically convenient. We took the opportunity to stop by for a pre-dinner snack since they closed at 6PM. It's a cute shop with multiple sweets including quite a selection of housemade ice cream and delectable mouthfuls called Cake Bombs (Photo 10). We decided we would be good and ordered one unfilled Malasada each. Dusted with various sugar flavors, they were just $2.65 a piece. I went for the Coffee, while Jamie chose the daily special, Cinnamon (Photo 6). They were soft and tasty, quite comparable to Leonard's albeit a tad smaller. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing since we had dinner ahead of us. However, we let temptation get the best of us and shared a $5.50 slice of the Ube Haupia Mac Nut Bar, a yummy combination of sweet potato and ube topped with haupia (coconut milk pudding) on a macadamia nut crust (Photo 9). Truth be told, it stole the show from the malasadas. FOOD - 4 stars... the malasadas were good, but that ube dessert was next level AMBIANCE - 4 stars...really a takeout operation with a lot of temptations SERVICE - 4 stars...very calm and orderly TOTAL - 4 stars...yet another spot for sweet Hawaiian decadence RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/U7YPblfoMP

    Photos
    Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery - Interior during Malasada Day / Fat Tuesday, 2/17/2026

    Interior during Malasada Day / Fat Tuesday, 2/17/2026

    Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery - 1/2 dozen malasada

    1/2 dozen malasada

    Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery

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    Cha To Gelato Zen - Matcha gelato

    Cha To Gelato Zen

    4.6(166 reviews)
    1.0 miKaimuki
    $$

    New flavor Strawberry White Chocolate and Hojicha Chocolate gelato was delicious. All of their…read moregelato options are great because I tried all of it. LOL It's no secret that I love this place and my friends also love it too. It's our fave place to hangout and chill. Noticed that at night closer to closing time they get flooded with people - do keep that in mind when coming here. Was lucky to snag a seat at the counter but it was packed! Please be patient with the help as well because most of the time it is just them trying to handle the huge barrage of people waiting in line as well as dine-in customers. Great experience nonetheless.

    Walked in happy to try a new spot. No greeting. No acknowledgment. Nothing. Just dull pasty people…read morestanding around and some dude in a suit looking like he's lost. Three staff members present and not one offered so much as an aloha or hello. For a local, "Hawai'i based business", the complete absence of aloha was jarring. I came ready to try all kinds stuff, especially matcha, but only ended up only smelling it, because the energy in that room made it clear my presence as a Black man wasn't wanted or needed. If business is going so well that customer service is optional, congratulations. But for the rest of us who show up hoping to feel welcome for overspending on your match and ice cream, especially in a place that's supposed to represent the spirit of these islands -- this wasn't it. This is clearly one of those places that feel like they're too good to serve you if you're not meeting their aesthetic. Yeah, very Beverly Hills (attempt, but likely wouldn't do well there), kinda "clicky" like vibe, snooty, haughty seeming like vibe, maybe a lil tad bit stuck up, and for the tiny little portion and "big show" , I probably would have liked it somewhat, but also would have felt guilty for paying a fortune to be treated that way lol This place likely won't be around in a year, by the vibe I'd say it's slow times (wonder why). I know I will, happy to spend even more down the road- so many to choose from, trust me this place ain't unique in my experience. In these times, be kind to yourself, and love yourself enough to go where you're treated best, people.

    Photos
    Cha To Gelato Zen - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    Cha To Gelato Zen - Tea leaves with some shoyu topping

    Tea leaves with some shoyu topping

    Cha To Gelato Zen - New friends

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    New friends

    Kansai Yamato - Mango Mochi and mango and cream mochi

    Kansai Yamato

    4.3(148 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $

    I like my dessert wrapped in carbs, which is why mochi is one of my favorite things. Especially…read morearound New Years and Kansas Yamato has some of the best mochi on island. You can find this mochi around the island at different supermarkets but it's best from the source on University Ave. You can't miss out on their peanut butter stuffed mochi. It's just such a classic. I also love their strawberry stuffed mochi- so ono!

    Always wanted to go to their shop but since it's far from where we live, I didn't make it out…read morethere: We finally went to Kansai Yamato because my boyfriend wanted to try their fresh mango mochi. I've always been a fan of them since they were in the old 99 Ranch so I wasn't complaining about going there lol. We parked in the open lot on the left of the store. But you could also park in the parking inside. When we entered, it's a very small store that's hard to walk around if there's people in there with you. We got the fruit parfait cups, the fresh mango mochi, and the ones on the stick (which I forgot to take a pic of). The parfait cups were good with cream cheese, strawberries, and mochi. I didn't care for the mochi with the sweet soy sauce on it although I know that's what Japan is known for. And the fresh mango mochi was good. The only thing I didn't like was the Lima bean paste inside. I'm not a fan of that. I would recommend eating fast since it's fresh and the wetness of the mango can make the mochi soft and rip. I'm glad we got to try new items. Can't wait to go back and get their peanut butter mochi and other favs. The cashier that helped us was very nice and gave us a bag even though we said we didn't need one. If you love mochi, this place is for you!

    Photos
    Kansai Yamato
    Kansai Yamato - Assorted stuffed mochi. Orange one is the mango.

    Assorted stuffed mochi. Orange one is the mango.

    Kansai Yamato - Refrigerated mochi creams

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    Refrigerated mochi creams

    Kokoro Cafe - desserts - Updated May 2026

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