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Wahine Kai

4.5 (672 reviews)
Closed • 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated a few days ago
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Wahine Kai Photos

Business Info

WAHINE KAI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Wahine Kai

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Reviews With Photos

Strawberry bingsu
Alice Y.

Ordered the strawberry bingsu and it is massive!! Great value for the price with how much they give and perfect for sharing. I appreciate that there was a lot of fresh fruit that came with the shave ice and it also includes condensed milk and mochi. I wouldn't say it's the same taste as Korean bingsu dessert spots since this is a Hawaiian shave ice store, but it was really refreshing on a hot summer day. There was only one gentleman working when I went with a friend and he was really kind. There was no wait and the store has a handful of tables available for seating.

Iced Kona Coffee
Jack M.

Oddly enough, I did not have shaved ice at this place, but an iced coffee, because I was dearly in need of one. They use Kona coffee, which is a little more costly, but it certainly fits the theme of this place. The Kona iced coffee was very good. It had good flavor, a medium strong, and certainly hit that afternoon spot. It could have used a little more ice given that it melted pretty quickly. The service was friendly. They offer inside seating and a variety of tea based beverages as well.

Sunset Beach - passion fruit, mango, guava shaved ice over coconut pineapple ice cream with condensed milk topping
Maria C.

Wahine Kai is a wonderful family owned dessert shop located in Scripps Ranch right off of the 15 freeway. I was amazed by all the different types of cold treats that they offer on their menu. They have everything from shaved ice, kakigori, bing su, smoothies, and teas. I ordered the Big Kahuna (large) , Sunset Beach Triple Crown ( 3 flavors) shaved ice, which is served over ice cream. The shaved ice was so fluffy and soft! Shaved ice with ice cream is a must, and also topped off with condensed milk for creamy deliciousness! The staff here were friendly and kind. It was fairly busy when we arrived on a warm summer Saturday evening. With only two workers it took a bit of time but it was worth the wait because they care about the quality and presentation. My family and I were all pleased with our orders. Everything came out perfectly and tasted great! I'm happy to have discovered this place via yelp. The only downside I would say is that theres limited seating inside. Perhaps that shopping center doesnt allow outdoor tables for additional seats. Interior wise the restaurant could also use some updating and their bathroom was out of service. But other than that, the desserts that they offer and the staff were excellent! I will be definitely be returning again

Mango kakigori and tigers blood shave ice
M C.

Softest ice in San Diego. A lot of flavor options. $15 mango kakigori does NOT come with ice cream, condensed milk AND mini mochi. You have to choose whether you want ice cream OR condensed milk OR mini mochi. For that price, you should get all 3 options on top. When we mentioned the sign to the worker, she said , "OH... sorry" Visit 3:30pm 7/3/26

Wahine Kai shave snow
Andrea R.

I'm unfamiliar with shave snow so I definitely didn't realize how big the portion size would be. It's massive! I mean an entire family can share it!!! The Thai tea flavor was delicious and milky as usual, not a big fan of mochi myself but they did seem fresh and perfectly soft. Such a fun beach interior. I was surprised it was empty as we popped in for dessert after dinner on a Friday night. They have SO many flavors, but definitely go hungry since the portions are so large. I could see this being a fun stop after sports games!

Nikki Y.

This place is hands down some of the best shave ice I've had since going to Hawaii! The mango and POG combo was pure perfection. It was so soft, flavorful, and hit the spot. I'm already planning to go back to try the halo halo next time! Service was amazing and there were seats available inside.

Mango Kakigori + strawberries
Nancy T.

Local mom & pop shop with many new added menus such as Korean Bingsu, Kakigori, & a few others since I've last visited. Service is quick, and my favorite part is the amount that you get for what you pay! The shaved ice is soooo fluffy. The atmosphere is simple & island vibes. Nothing extravagant. It was perfect for a hot day!

Mango tango shaved cayenne powder on outside.
Dave M.

This is Hawaiian SHAVED ice, not snow cone granular ice. Many flavors, boba and pop boba, soft mochi. Also ice cream and smoothies. Hawaiian feel inside; bamboo, murals. Vietnamese coffee and egg cream coffee.

Bird of Paradise
Annie T.

Wahine Kai is hands down the closest thing to authentic Hawaiian shaved ice you'll find in San Diego. From the moment you walk in, the laid-back island vibes hit--great Hawaiian music always playing and comfortable indoor seating that makes you want to slow down and enjoy every bite. They offer so many delicious flavor options, but our go-to will always be the Bird of Paradise--perfectly balanced, refreshing, and full of tropical flavor of pineapple, mango and coconut ice cream. The ice is soft and fluffy, just like in Hawaii, and every visit is consistently great. If you're craving a true taste of the islands, Wahine Kai is a must-try. Highly recommend!

Hula Girl
Adessa R.

We just moved to the San Diego area and wanted to find a shaved ice place that also has ice cream in it as well. This place is really cute and it was SO GOOD. I got the Hula Girl, which was peach and piña colada syrup with vanilla ice cream inside, and I'm still thinking about it two days later. It was worth the 30 minute drive to get it. The man who helped us, which I think might've been the owner, was very nice and it was really fun to watch him make the orders. Me and my family will definitely be back!

Kahuna and Big Kahuna

We got two shave ice, portions are huge. Good serving and flavors. Nice treat! We did the pick your own flavors and condensed milk topping on one.

Main counter/ordering area

Everything was great! Reminded me so much of being at Hawaii. Such great staff, very welcoming, and big portions for a great price!! Great decor as well definitely Hawaii/beach vibes!

Blue Hawiian over vanilla ice cream.  This is the SMALL!!  Perfect to share.

After a long hot day at the Safari Park, this shaved ice was perfect!!! Was hoping it had ice cream at the bottom & it does!!! So yummy!

Strawberry kakigori shave ice with mochi, condense milk, and coconut pineapple ice cream

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15 days ago

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Business owner information

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Michael H.

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1 month ago

They have good amount of yummy choices & Patbingso was good, my fav there. A bit far from our place, so haven't been there recently.

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1 year ago

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2 months ago

Everything about this place is glorious. Everything on the menu looks delicious. I loved the vibes inside. I want to go here everyday

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1 year ago

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Ask the Community - Wahine Kai

Is this business kanaka owned?

Yes

Is Wahine Kai offer shave ice training school now?

Yes

Is the taro milk tea with boba supposed to have white waxy bits in it?

The owner makes the taro milk tea with powdered taro and real taro. The white bits are the taro chunks. It gives the milk tea a thicker consistency because of the starch from the taro. Most places in SD make their taro milk tea out of powder.

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4.3(132 reviews)
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Oh damn! We actually stumbled upon this little gem by accident. It became our most delicious…read moreaccident ever! We've never seen ube banana pudding before so that was our first item selected. We also ordered crinkle cookies, brownies, and crookies. We also bought two ube energy drinks just for fun. I'm so glad we decided to go in. I ended up eating the BEST ube crookie in the entire world! While they may look appealing, most crookies end up over-baked, way too dry, and super crumbly. This ube crookie was f*ckin fantastic!!!

This is located in the Miralani plaza. Its situated around the right hand area of the building…read more The parking isn't most desirable. The shop itself was very tiny. They have a small bench to sit on. There are multitudes of reasons why I could not like this place. The selections of bakery were meager. They also sell drinks. I got a halo halo. From the bakery side, I got an ube crinkle. The halo halo was such a pretty dessert, but after eating it, I felt sick in the stomach. I got a really bad ache and was EXTREMELY thirsty. I drank two bottles of water! I could not finish this dessert. It also tasted weird. It wasnt so sweet and the texture was OK but something was amiss. As for as the crinkle cookie, that wasnt very good. The food here made me sick and this doesn't bode very well with me. The cashier doesn't smile and service was OK.

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Cafe 86 - Ube crack cheese cake

Cafe 86

4.4(350 reviews)
4.7 mi•Mira Mesa
•$

Food was really good, service was great, and the overall vibe and ambiance were amazing. I'd…read moredefinitely come back again!

This place is complete and utterly UBE HEAVEN!! The place was small, but charming; the feel and…read moreaesthetic was welcoming. The staff also greeted us once we stepped inside. They don't have a lot of seating inside the cafe, but there are lots of tables and chairs outside at the plaza area. We were incredibly happy and super impressed with every single thing we got--from the drinks, to the desserts, to the famous halo-halo. Everything was delicious and perfectly balanced in flavor; none of them were overly sweet or bland. Here's everything we tried: ORIGINAL HALO-HALO: 9/10 This one was the more traditional version, having the brown sugar milk base with ube ice cream on top. It was really good, a little more on the sweet side. But I just loved and preferred the upside down version more. UPSIDE DOWN HALO-HALO: 10/10 This one had the ube base with vanilla ice cream on top. I loved this one so much more than the original. I really liked how the ube flavor stood out. I just think this one was more balanced compared to the original. UBE MATCH LATTE: 9.5/10 I love that the ube flavor was prominent enough here that you can really taste it with the matcha. None of the two overpowered the other--it was the perfect balance. It wasn't too sweet either. I also appreciate that they did not charge an additional fee for any of their milk substitutes. UBE BUTTER BAR: 9/10 This dessert tastes *so much* like the ube halaya we have and LOVE in the Philippines. Ultimate *chef's kiss*! UBE CRACK CHEESECAKE: 9.5/10 Creamy and luscious with a really good amount of ube flavor! Would gladly have another piece of this dessert, or five. UBE LECHE FLAN CUPCAKE: 7/10 I had high hopes for this one, but the leche flan on top was not as soft and bouncy as a leche flan should be. I found it a bit dry, like it was sitting out for way too long. The cupcake was okay--good ube flavor, but a bit dense and dry too. MILO CUPCAKE: 9.5/10 This one was really good--the cupcake was moist and fluffy with a great amount of chocolate flavor. I think the Milo was only in the icing, but I only got a slight hint of it there. Still very very tasty though! Overall, this was by far the best and most Filipino-tasting ube I've ever had here in the US--and we've had a lot of ube here. Will definitely be back!

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Food court plaza where the cafe is located

Wahine Kai - shavedice - Updated October 2026

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