Best Açai Bowl on the Island
I have sought out the best acai bowls on the island for some time now and have concluded that Tropical Tribe takes the cake. For those who do not know what an acai bowl is or acai, let’s start off by saying, it’s similar to a fruit and granola yogurt parfait sub the yogurt with a thick frozen berry smoothie consistent to a frozen yogurt.
The base to the thick frozen acai smoothie is usually a deep purple-red berry color mixing frozen acai berry packets, blueberries, strawberries, bananas and a liquid base (almond milk, soy milk, apple juice or OJ). Once smoothly blended in a Vitamix or commercial grade blender you scoop into a bowl and top it with fresh thinly sliced bananas, strawberries and a handful of whole blueberries. Also layered with granola and drizzled with honey. Some will also add bee pollen and perhaps coconut shavings or other specialty toppings but it usually doesn’t come with the added toppings unless you pay more.
I definitely have other favorite places with their acai bowls but Tropical Tribe, hands down makes the best one for various reasons. The first and foremost is the acai that is used. They are Brazilian and get their acai straight from Brazil and it is just acai. Everyone else has access to what is sold to America across the board and that is the pre-packed frozen original blend packets from Sambazon. It’s pricey so many don’t just use the pure acai, they mix it with other fruits like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, cherries and a fruit juice or milk. This definitely dilutes the unique acai flavor. Tropical Tribe only uses pure frozen acai and guarana juice for their authentic acai bowls. Since they buy it in bulk directly from Brazil, their pricing is more manageable and each bowl is how they make them in Brazil. The flavor is like no other and due to its deep purple color, your teeth may get slightly tainted blueish-purple for a short time after partaking in this healthy snack but it soon goes away. The consistency to the frozen blend is perfect, there is a slight natural grit to the smooth texture but I have grown to love the unique texture Tropical Tribe has mastered.
Are you convinced yet? Well once you actually find this hidden gem located in The Discovery Bay in Waikiki, under McDonalds you will need to know what to order. After choosing the medium or large “Tropical Tribe Bowl” your next step is choosing a topping. (Small is rediculously small, you will want more than that teaser even if you aren’t hungry) They have three different topping options and the one I stick to is the “Premium Topping” because it is less sweet and reasonably priced. They slice the bananas really thin and use fresh strawberries, blueberries, granola and honey as toppers. Enjoy!
A few extra notes, they have recently started selling their acai to other reputable companies that make acai bowls and if you want to try a close second to Tropical Tribe, checkout Nalu Health Bar & Café. Another favorite with the mainstream acai is Bogart’s Cafe on Monsarrat near Diamond Head. Lastly, they also sell this amazing Brazilian cheese bread at Tropical Tribe called “Pao de Queijo.” It’s $2/piece but make sure it just came right out of the oven or else they won’t taste good...as in a couple minutes or less.
