Waiahole Poi Factory offers only-in-Hawaii treat

Townies who hunger for a taste of Hawaiian food might find it nonsensical to make the long drive out to Waiahole Poi Factory, but I’ll give you one good reason.

Beyond the scenery, beyond the Hawaiian plates, you’ll find an only-in-Hawaii dessert. As far as I know, and as far as they know, this is the only place so far to get the Sweet Lady of Waiahole, a dessert of kulolo topped with haupia ice cream.

Though fairly ordinary when eaten separately, there’s something about the tapiocalike consistency of the warm taro-and-coconut pudding and the cool creaminess of the ice cream melting over it that works well together. It adds up to paradise in a cup.

The dessert is named after the song by Gordon Broad and made famous by Bruddah Waltah, about fruit seller Fujiko Matayoshi, who set up shop on Kamehameha Highway near the poi factory site, where she could be seen from the 1960s through the mid-1980s, when she died.

The cost of the dessert is $4.50 with one scoop of ice cream and $6 for two scoops.

And regarding those plates: Single-entree plates are $9.50 and two-choice combo plates are $12. Both come with rice or poi, lomi salmon and haupia.

Waiahole Poi Factory is at 48-140 Kamehameha Highway and open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Call 239-2222.