The editor goes retro with milkshakes at Kono’s.
Nostalgia comes to us in many forms, often through the music we listen to, the memories we mull over and, of course, the food we eat.
I may not have been around to frequent the diners and burger joints that served up milkshakes to fashionable youngsters in the 1950s, but the mere image of those creamy frozen desserts still conjures up a sentimental feeling of classic Americana to me, harking back to a seemingly simpler time when life was sweet.
Milkshakes remain one of the ultimate comfort foods to this day, and if you’re willing to put down your green smoothie for just one meal, I know you’ll have a blast revisiting some of these ice cream-filled treats — especially since a number of eateries around town are bringing them back into style!
Kono’s new Kailua eatery
PIG OUT ON MILKSHAKES
You’ve probably already fallen in love with Kono’s for its succulent 12-hour slow-roasted kalua pig, which serves as the foundation for its menu of sandwiches, burritos (aka “bombers”), salads, tacos and more. Equally as impressive, though, are the takeout spot’s hand-crafted milkshakes that add some sweetness to any pork-filled meal.
Offering around 15 to 20 varieties at any given time, Kono’s evolving selection of milk-shakes ($6.50 each) is anything but standard. As owner Stan Glander explains, his staffers get creative when coming up with each gourmet option, speaking to one’s sweet tooth with flavors such as strawberry- and coconut-accented Lava Flow, bursting with vanilla ice cream and a pop of pineapple juice.
I was lucky enough to sample some of these milkshakes at Kono’s brand-new Kailua storefront, and let me tell you, the Oreo Cheesecake is downright addicting! It’s prepared with a few special ingredients that give it extra richness and that authentic cheesecake flavor: “We use real cream cheese, so it tastes a lot different than just a regular milkshake. And the graham crackers are like the (cheesecake) crust, so it makes it even better,” says Glander.
Perhaps my favorite is the Cinnamon Roll, which — I kid you not — tastes just like a luscious Cinnabon. Cream cheese and graham crackers work their magic in this shake as well.
Slurp up these milkshakes and more from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Kailua, where you’ll find the same menu as the other Kono’s locations in Haleiwa (open 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) and Kapahulu (7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.). Glander reminds readers that Kono’s now offers customizable catering options, including trays of kalua pig, for your party needs. The Haleiwa and Kapahulu branches also deliver to their surrounding areas through delivery partners, while the company plans to offer delivery in Kailua soon.
Kono’s
Merchant’s Row
131 Hekili St., No. 102, Kailua
(also in Haleiwa and Kapahulu)
261-1144
Kailua, HI 96734
FRESH SPIN ON A CLASSIC
Franky Fresh knows a thing or two about those aforementioned feelings of nostalgia, as the burger shop pays homage to owner Darien Provenza’s passion for hip-hop culture of the ’80s and ’90s.
Kono’s Cinnamon Roll, Lava Flow and Oreo Cheesecake milkshakes
Recently, while admiring the retro boom-boxes displayed on the wall and the old-school music videos playing on the TV screens, I got excited about the selection of cereal milkshakes offered at Franky Fresh.
Provenza found a way to blend one of his favorite childhood dining memories with the most classic of cold treats to form his unique menu of shakes. “When I used to eat cereal when I was a kid, the milk at the end was my favorite part,” he says. “So I thought that it would taste great in a milkshake. We started out with the Cap’n Crunch and just took it from there,” says Provenza.
The editor kicks it old school-style at Franky Fresh.
To make these fabulous milkshakes (priced at $7.49 each), Franky Fresh starts with a base of vanilla ice cream from local vendor Meadow Gold and mixes it with all your favorite cereals — from Lucky Charms and Reese’s Puffs to Cocoa Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You can even mix cereals if you’d like, and for $1 extra, you can add chocolate fudge, peanut butter or caramel to your shake.
The ice cream takes the flavors of the cereal to a whole new level, so it’s no surprise that adults and children alike enjoy these sweet treats.
Franky Fresh’s Reese’s and Cocoa Puffs milkshake with chocolate fudge, along with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms and Cap’n Crunch cereal milkshakes.
And what better to go with a milkshake than a classic burger? Franky Fresh strives to offer high-quality burgers, using locally sourced beef from the Big Island. “There’s no antibiotics, hormones or anything like that in the meat, and there’s omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B6 in it,” says Provenza.
Last, but not least, I’ll leave you with an insider’s tip: Dip some of Franky Fresh’s perfectly salty french fries into the sweet milkshake and you’ll really taste a flavorful explosion.
Franky Fresh
3040 Waialae Ave., Kaimuki
744-7728
Honolulu, HI 96816
See more articles from: Franky Fresh, Kono's
