Il Gelato Hawaii
Sweet Treats on the North Shore
It is safe to say that the North Shore of Oahu is a treat in it's self but stopping for a real treat at Il Gelato Hawaii will complete your experience. The new face in Haleiwa is this sleek and entertaining store front. The staff at Il Gelato Hawaii are some of the best I have seen on Oahu so far. They were so helpful, nice, and thoughtful! You can tell they set the standards when it come to making the customer happy. Not to mention they serve you with the most outstanding products on top of the exceptional service.
They were so sweet and treated us to some homemade Gelato. We got the Pumpkin Cheesecake and Macadamia nut, and boy oh boy. It was the best Gelato I have had to date (and we are hard core Talenti fans :)). They slow cook and double roast the local macadamia nuts and the process is so worth it.
Il Gelato Hawaii uses so many amazing local flavors form Hawai'i: Pineapple, Coconut, Guava, Lilikoi, Macadamia and so many more. The beautiful colors of these amazing ingredients make the casing a Hawaiian sunrise as Gelato Chef Dirk Koeppenkastrop says. But not only are we lucky enough to enjoy these local flavors he also bring in the best of the local ingredients from his home in Europe. Imported pistachio from Sicily, Italy keeps Il Gelato Hawaii ranked as one of the best!
Have picky taste buds in your party? Don't worry their menu is full of so many tasty treats and drinks! They have Italian coffee to pair with the Gelato and a variety of crepes, waffles, and more to offer! List of flavors can be found here. You can call (808) 637-7100 to find more information on menu items.
We originally set out to cover a story for the local edition of the Kaleo, but soon found we were in for so much more! Chef Koeppenkastrop is Team Captain for team USA in the upcoming Gelato World Championships in Italy. He will be competing along side his five teammates against 15 of the best Gelato chefs around the world. The completion is four days long and take place in 2016 (competition is every two years). Over the course of four days they will be putting together a big showpiece with elements including: Ice sculpture, ice cake, savory gelato, a show piece, and a mystery box competition.
You can tell Dirk is so passionate about what he does and loves making amazing things for his customers. He has a PhD in science so it's safe to say this guy knows what he is doing! He practices and comes up with a perfect scientifically balanced recipe for all of his Gelato. He takes pride in the fact he keeps his butter fat down to 6-7% marking it as some of the healthiest along with most natural gelato on the island. Got to stay thin for the beach as Dirk puts it!
Il Gelato Hawaii is one of the best places to be in Haleiwa! Whether you sit in and enjoy or grab on your way to the beach, it will be the best decision of your day! But if you can't make it all the way to Haleiwa don't worry! With over 67 whole sale customers Il Gelato can be found in many hotels, stores and more. Plus he has retail locations on Waialae and Kahala Mall and offers a catering service. Keep an eye out for the Il Gelato Hawaii Cart next time your at Eat the Street or a farmers market!
It's so fun to be a part of the journalism world because it can open the door for so many unique experience. We leaned so much about Gelato, business, food competitions, and life and got some amazing Gelato! No complaints over here. The local issue of the Kaleo released and Rashawn's story can be found here! But in the mean time don't just take my word for it, go to Il Gelato Hawaii and tell me your favorite flavors below!