Shave Ice Tege Tege

So after two visits to Kauai and multiple attempts to try Shave Ice Tege Tage only to find that they were closed for the day, or sold out… or in Japan… I FINALLY got my hands on some and oh man, it was totally worth waiting for! The most incredible, and beautiful, shave ice I have ever had!
We ordered the blackberry and green tea flavors and enjoyed our snow under the shade of the Healthy Hut picnic tables. I still dream about this shave ice and the day I’ll get to try it again.

During Thanksgiving, we were happy to find out that Shave Ice Tege Tege was in Kapaa, and we didn’t have to trek all the way to Kilauea – although we would have! Four of us ordered two Shiro Kuma to share, and we didn’t mind the 7 minute wait per order. The Shiro Kuma are so cute, and chock full of fruits. So refreshing and almost too cute to eat! Almost.

Respect, man. This is shave ice on another level.
100% organic everything, from the syrups made with real fruit (some even grown out of the owner’s own backyard garden) to the handmade ice cream. A 45 minute wait in line is justified, as they use a hand-​crank shave ice machine from Japan, which delivers perfectly light and fluffy shaved ice. I wonder how those workers don’t have huge biceps with all the manual labor. They only serve 100 customers per day due to the process, so catch them early to secure your dessert!
The all-​organic, real-​fruit syrups really pay off in taste in such a special dessert. The flavors are true to their fruits and not overly sweet like the artificial flavored syrups we’re used to. And organic homemade ice cream?! They could’ve just taken the easy way out and buy the gallons from Costco, but they really work hard for that 100% organic label. I wouldn’t even compare Tege Tege’s shave ice to the ones we’re used to locally because they’re so different. I’m such a fan of their concept and product!

After hearing about this I was super excited to try this place. We got there around 1:30 — 2:00 so they were still serving. Keep in mind that they only sell 100 then they close shop. They are also closed half of the year as they go to Japan. There were only two flavors, strawberry and blackberry. They had already ran out of the strawberry so I got the blackberry. They were giving free ice cream with each order that day. The blackberry was a little sour I was hoping that it could’ve been a little sweeter. The shave ice was very soft and is worth it.

Absolutely delicious & refreshing! Be prepared to wait in line since each order is carefully made with perfection & takes time to shave the ice finely, add layers of organic syrup, condensed milk & fruit topping. Menu may vary depending on availability of fruit. 2 years ago enjoyed the blueberry, this year enjoyed blackberry & strawberry. Definitely if you are in Kapaa, treat yourself to a Tege Tege shave ice, very yummy!

BEST SHAVE ICE EVER.
My husband and I finally decided to check this place out last week while we were visiting Kauai and we were happy to find out that we didn’t have to drive all the way to Kilauea because they are now located in Kapaa.
My husband is not much of a shave ice fan but he always takes a bite or two of whatever I order. After checking out their menu, I decided on the strawberry and added their homemade organic vanilla ice cream for $ 2. It was very crowded when we got there but we did have to wait awhile because they don’t use an electric shave ice maker— they use a special hand-​crank machine that the owner brought from Japan— and I must say it was well worth the wait! My husband took a couple bites of mine and said he wanted to order his own! The organic ice cream made the whole thing even better. To quote my husband, he said it was «the best ice cream he has ever eaten»!
We will definitely be back for more the next time we’re on Kauai!

While vacationing in Kauai last year, we became obsessed with Tege Tege and went every day they were open.
This is the ONLY place to go for Shave Ice on Kauai. Tege Tege offers authentic Japanese Shave Ice using all natural and organic products. You won’t find high fructose corn syrup here, only fresh fruit syrups and natural sweeteners (honey or sugar). The green tea shave ice is amazing, and any of their fruit shave ice are so delicious.
Follow them on Instagram to confirm they are open for the day, and go early as they sell out fast. Worth the line and wait!

I am always on Kauai so I know like most things there you got to jump on it or you miss out. On my fourth attempt I was able to finally get to Tege Tege in time before they either moved to another location, sold out for the day, or were closed already. The biggest TIP I can give you is to get there early. They open at 11am and make everything by hand so it takes longer to crank out their creations. Once they sell out, they are done for the day and head home. So make sure you are first in line otherwise you will be waiting quite a while or not get any at all.
As I mentioned, each shave ice is made by hand cranked shave ice machines that take longer, but make the ice so light and fluffy. While waiting in line we had ample time to check out all their flavors. They offer flavors such as green tea, mango, hibiscus, strawberry, passion honey, Tahitian Gooseberry, Brown Sugar, and Coconut. The rich flavors are layered in so it’s just enough in every bite without being saturated. The ingredients are fresh, organic, and you get real fruit. Even the condensed milk topping is organic. There is also a homemade organic ice cream option if you want a scoop in yours for an extra $ 2. One size, one flavor and the price ranges from $ 7 to $ 8.50. Cash only! Also if you are the lucky one to order the last one, they give you a sign to wear to let every one else know that you are that lucky person and that they are sold out.
While the line and wait can be long, it is well worth it. I am glad I was finally able to get my tege tege fix and I will definitely go again next time I head back.

Amazing. The cost — high. The wait — long. The shave ice is worth all of that. All of the syrups are homemade… no artificial crap. Would definitely return!

Five stars for this tasty treat. It was like a work of art, they really put a lot of time into it. However, since they seem to spend a little extra time, the service was pretty slow. That’s the only thing I wasn’t crazy about but the ice is very finely shaved and everything tastes really fresh. My husband repeatedly said it was one of the best shaved ices he’s ever had!

«The best shave ice I’ve ever had», that’s what she said.
Despite the wait, it’s so worth every bite. On a Saturday around 12:30, we waited for about 45 minutes for our shave ice. I ordered the strawberry and my boyfriend ordered the blackberry. It literally broke our mouths because it was so tasty. The ice was so fluffy and fine because they don’t pack the ice in the cups like everywhere else. And everything is organic which makes me feel a little better after eating so much food on this trip.
Overall, just go get it. We heard they only make 100 a day then close, so go early! Wait in the line. Calm yourself, because this isn’t somewhere you want to miss!

Honestly, you’ll walk away pretentious and jaded after trying this Japanese-​style shave ice. Once you take your very first bite, you’ll never want shave ice anywhere else, ever again — and that’s a very good thing.
By using traditional Japanese ice machines, the ice itself is the closest thing to eating snow that you’ll ever have this side of the Pacific. But what makes the experience from this Kilauea food truck? The fragrant sauces and syrups and ice creams Tege Tege makes daily. Whether it’s hibiscus flower or passion honey, you won’t go wrong with any of the hand-​hewn flavors.
PS: be prepared for a wait. Perfection takes time, and these two take their fair share.

I’m glad someone told us about this place. There was a wait of 30 minutes but definitely worth it!
I ordered the Hibiscus (with organic vanilla ice cream) and it was the BEST shaved ice we tasted while here on the island (we had 4 different shaved ice from different places). We also ordered the Tahitian Gooseberry which was my favorite.
They top it off with condensed milk and layer the ice with the juice/​sauce that you select. The portions are huge!
Here’s why you know it’s good… there were locals standing in line as well as tourists and this place was suggested by a couple of locals and other business.
MUST visit!!!

After several failed attempts, I finally managed to catch the elusive Tege Tege shave ice food truck on a day when they were actually opened for business or not yet sold out. I would highly recommend going on a weekday, though you should also check their Instagram page to be sure they are open that day (their days off seem to change frequently according to other reviews) and that they have not yet sold out.
Quite honestly, I’m rather old fashioned when it comes to shave ice. I prefer the good old Matsumoto’s with artificial flavors and syrups. To compare that to Tege Tege’s organic fruit juices and fresh fruit would be like comparing a creamsicle to a real fruit bar. Both good in their own way, but you can’t really compare. Nonetheless, I thought I’d see for myself what all the hype was about.
First of all, the ice is shaved the old fashioned way, by manual hand crank. I can understand why some others have expressed concern about 45 minutes or longer waits in line and what they perceive as poor service, but I would probably be careful not to over-​exert myself too, if i knew I had a total of 100 to crank out per day (I’ve heard that 100 is their max per day). However, upon watching them construct the beautiful masterpiece as they added their homemade syrups layer by layer to the intermittent ice shavings, and finally topped off with carefully arranged fresh frozen fruits, I truly appreciated the artistic heart and soul that goes into each product. Granted there was no line at 12:15 pm on a Tuesday, but it was still slower than their electric counterparts used in other establishments. I didn’t mind, but I was also not in any particular rush.
The end result was a beautiful, very finely shaven, delicious and refreshing treat that was well worth the drive from Kalaheo. Since I was uncertain when I would be making another long voyage again, I decided to try the special of the day which was mango, along with strawberry, coconut, and green tea. The mango took the cake that day followed by the green tea which also included a small scoop of green tea ice cream and pureed adjuki beans. The limited selections aren’t cheap so I would suggest getting the ones that include fresh fruit toppings or the green tea to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Would I return? Yes, on days when I’m headed to the north shore or when I feel like taking a cruise. Would I wait 45 plus minutes in line for it? Probably not, but it was delicious and better than I expected. Everyone should try it at least once. Definitely make a stop if you are in the area!

3 ½ stars
Got the coconut flavor. It was alright, had a lot of coconut shavings in it so I felt like it was eating just that.
The ice was really fine, where it melted in your mouth. That was really good.
Other than that, I wasn’t too impressed with tege tege. Maybe I need to try another flavor. It was kind of pricey as well.

After the first time coming here, I told myself «dang that was a good shave ice!» I thought well hopefully the next time I come back to Kauai I’ll be sure to come back. Well the next day, I came back, then came back the following day just before heading back to the mainland because it was that dang good! It was worth driving 40 minutes and waiting about an hour in the blistering sun to get a cup of goodness! Day 1, I had a strawberry, day 2 green tea with azuki beans and a scoop of green tea ice cream, day 3 had their Jamaican lilikoi with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream all with organic fruits! The ice is all hand shaven and each shave ice is carefully shaven, mixed, and presented (which is why the wait is long). If you ever travel to Kauai, you MUST come here!

Oh yes, this is one of the top 5 Best Shaved Ice on my list! There are some good ones on the island. If you haven’t tried this spot, please do, I don’t think you will regret it. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s how the ice melts in your mouth.
There are a couple of picnic tables to enjoy your delicious shaved ice. Oh, and the small size, it’s a good size! The photos that I posted is a small.

Tege Tege is the most amazing and delicious shave ice we have had anywhere!
Though the menu is brief, you will not be disappointed with anything you get from the menu. Each cup of shave ice is creatively hand-​crafted! The owners are true artists who pour their creativity out to make the best cup of shave ice there is!
We enjoyed a cup of green tea shave ice, topped with a very high quality green-​tea ice cream and azuki beans! Oh man, we have been craving it ever since.
One note, the cart is only open during selected hours so be sure to check their schedule before you visit them.
Warning: you will be jaded after visiting this place. The machine shaved ice will never taste the same to you!

This is the shave ice of my dreams. I could eat this every single day throughout every season of the year, it’s that delicious. They have a pretty small menu & all the shave ice comes in one size & range from $ 6-​$ 7.50 depending on the flavor. Now the price may seem steep, but trust me, you are certainly getting what you pay for. Super finely shaved ice made from a Japanese hand cranked ice shaver topped with real fruit syrups — not that fake sugary syrupy stuff that gives you toothaches. You can literally drink the bottom of your shave ice as if it were juice because the syrups taste so fresh & natural.
The BF & I shared the coconut, which came with dried coconut chips & a snow cap, & upon first bite, I immediately wished I had my own. I love him to death & would share the world with him, but there are some things I want all to myself, like this freakin’ delectable shave ice!
The shave ice truck is kind of difficult to see from the road — it’s parked behind the Healthy Hut natural food store in a little food truck plaza.