Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Via Gelato

There’s been quite a bit of buzz about the new truck in town, Via Gelato (@ViaGelato). A bunch of us visited it on her opening night and were impressed with the interesting and intense flavors. I haven’t had time to go back, but I know reader @HarryCovair was so hooked, he visits her semi-regularly now to get his daily dose of chocolate.

Owner Melissa Bow uses local ingredients and/or works with local businesses to create her unique flavors, like green tea haupia, brown butter vanilla, almond cookie, or Makaha Mango sorbet. She even makes her li hing powder (sort of) herself to create a custom blend. It’s always nice to know that you’re eating something that is sourced and produced locally, so you’re supporting local businesses all the way around.

Although she’s always creating new flavors, she only serves just six at any given time to ensure no one gets overwhelmed by the choices. I’m a purist, so I’m inclined to eat just one at a time, but other people like to order two scoops of different flavors to create their own combinations. Or, if you’re like @HarryCovair, you can just eat two consecutive bowls of gelato.

One challenge for this truck, however, is that gelato is not a meal (although some may disagree); Via Gelato has to operate at slightly different hours to accommodate people looking for dessert. She’s only been in business two weeks, and school has just started, so as of this writing, she may be tweaking her hours again. I know a lot of you have been asking about when and where she will be, so the best thing to do is follow her on Twitter @ViaGelato or Instagram @ViaGelatoHawaii to get the most current information.

We jumped into the Via Gelato truck recently to see what it’s all about. Here’s our video:

We stuck around to talk story some more with Melissa — turns out she’s my niece, Ahnya’s classmate from Punahou — to see how she got started and what she has planned next. Visit HawaiiIRL.com to see more!

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