Asato’s Waikiki

From the Counter

Recent Google reviews

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  Caroline

  ★ 5 • a month ago

  Went here when they were filming a video for tv! It was so cool to see them and walking behind the window to hopefully be in the background on tv… I got the mango sorbet and it was so refreshing and smooth. It was scooped up perfectly to the taste. The flavor was what you would expect from a mango, but the texture profile was spectacular! Definitely would come again, especially if doing through the farmers market in front!

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  Cody Pham

  ★ 5 • 5 months ago

  Omakase, but make it dessert! Asato’s was such a fun and unique experience and the perfect start to our vacation in Hawai’i. We booked our reservation for the Flavor Lab Tasting Experience a week in advance. Actually, they only take reservations a week in advance. We were watching OpenTable like hawks, waiting for the reservation time to open and snatched it up in a matter of seconds heh heh heh… We arrived about 10 minutes before our 2pm reservation time and were immediately seated at their counter. The counter sits only four people, which explains why reservations were hard to get. The shop itself only takes up a small corner of the Kings and Queens souvenir shop, so seating is limited. If this is on your list, you’d better have quick fingers on OpenTable. If you’re unable to snag a spot for the Flavor Lab, you can still walk in to buy their candy, sherbets, and sorbets. The first course of the Flavor Lab tasting experience was a gummy bear jello served with lemon peel. This jello was made by melting down gummy bears and letting them coagulate into colored layers. It reminded me of the jellos from the dessert sections at Asian buffets. I thought it was a fun and creative way to showcase two of their candy products, gummy bears and dried lemon peel. Dipping the jello in the lemon peel gave it a nice tangy twist. They offer you a complimentary second jello if you’d like, which I gladly took. The second course was the “taste of the crack seed shop,” which was a sampler platter of 15 different pieces of candy sold at their shop. The platter featured candy with regional Hawaiian flavors influenced by Chinese immigrants such as li hing mui and haw flakes. Most of the candies were served sprinkled with li hing powder which added a salty, tangy kick. My favorite was the lemon peel mango gummy bear. The third course was a lemon peel soda, served as an interactive flavor laboratory. We were given a base drink of club soda mixed with lemon peel syrup along with 4 dropper bottles containing simple syrup, saline solution, citric acid, and malic acid. The idea was to experiment with the different ingredients to see how they affect the flavor of our soda. This, by the way, was why I wanted to come. It was really fun playing with the droppers to customize our drinks. They even gave each of us a bottle of the lemon peel syrup along syrup to take home! And yes, each bottle was under 3 oz, so you can take it on your flight in your carry-on. The fourth course was shaved iced. Typically, each person would get to choose between the Li Hing Strawberry Crunch Cake Shaved Ice or the Crème Brûlée Shaved Ice with Macadamia Crunch. But since there were three of us, they gave us both as well as an experimental third flavor - Strawberry Purée with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar! Each flavor was so good, and the portions were huge! We were so full by the end of this experience. We could not agree on which flavor was the best and each had our own favorite. My personal favorite was the Strawberry Li Hing Crunch Cake. I really liked the play on the classic strawberry crunch cake popsicle and the unique twist from the li hing powder. The cubes of chiffon cake inside were so soft, fluffy, and delicious! I always love a crème brûlée moment as well - especially when they blowtorch it in front of you. And the Strawberry Purée, sour cream, and brown sugar combo was so new and cool! Our omakase master informed us that this combination was inspired by a treat that locals would have as children - dipping strawberries in sour cream and sprinkling them with brown sugar. I would liken the sensation to a tangy, sweetened Greek yogurt. It was not a combination I expected, but I found myself continuously scooping away at it! I had such a great time at Asato’s. It felt like an experience that was unique to Hawaii that you couldn’t get anywhere else. I loved learning about the local customs and how different cultures came together to make something new. This experience made our trip so special, and I highly recommend for others to come try!

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  Susan Su

  ★ 5 • 6 months ago

  This place is very good and worth the visit. Can have local flavor sherbet and experience unique cola experience

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  E L

  ★ 5 • 2 months ago

  Rly yummy sorbet!!! We got the pineapple & it was so fresh & light & not too sweet. Didn’t taste artificial either