I’ve had many delicious acai bowls, but this was the first time I saw acai come out of a slushy machine. The texture was unbelievably creamy — so much so that I found myself craving another one the following day.
OAKBERRY ACAI is recognized for its all-natural, sustainably sourced acai bowls and smoothies. The business soft-opened its first Hawaiʻi location at Kapolei Commons on May 19, and its grand opening is this Saturday, May 31 (it’s in the vacant Menchies spot in the shopping center).
OAKBERRY has more than 700 stores in more than 35 countries, including Brazil, Australia, Colombia and more. It was founded in 2016 in Brazil, and its acai is from there, according to OAKBERRY Hawaiʻi's chief operating officer Bonny Amemiya.
“This acai is not mixed with any other berry or banana,” she says. “Other acai sorbets are usually mixed with apple juice or banana; it really changes the flavor and texture. Ours is organic, and we don’t mix it with anything else.
“The thing that makes us unique is it’s all customizable,” she adds.
The business’s 100% natural acai features no dyes, corn syrup and artificial preservatives. Create-your-own acai bowls come in three sizes — classic (12 ounces, $12.25), works (16 ounces, $14.95) and The Oak (24 ounces, $19.45). Acai smoothies are also available. Customers will love the unlimited toppings that come with each cold treat, including options like cacao nibs, granola, peanut butter, chia pudding, blueberries, strawberries and almonds.
“You can come in and have your choice of unlimited toppings,” Amemiya confirms. “There’s a handful (of toppings) that are upcharges; the proteins (like whey protein and vegan protein) are an upcharge and the peanut butter crumbs, too.”
The PB crumbs ($1.50), however, will be worth it for any peanut butter fanatic.
OAKBERRY also features a menu of signature combos for its bowls and smoothies (all signature treats are 16 ounces). The original ($14.95) — acai, granola, peanut butter and bananas — is the most popular, but other options include Crunchy ($14.95) with chia pudding, granola, strawberries, blueberries and cacao nibs, and matcha ($14.95). The latter has layers of acai, double matcha chia pudding, strawberries, goji berries and honey.
You can clearly see the layers in the bowls, which are shaped more like parfait cups; they’re designed so you can enjoy all the layers in each bite. The acai itself is refreshing and not overly sweet, even when you add honey.
OAKBERRY Hawaiʻi plans to expand and have more locations in the next five years. Once the Kapolei store is more settled, customers can anticipate an expanded menu, according to Amemiya.
“We’ve been working on this particular location for a year and a half,” she says. “So far, the response has been unbelievable. For our opening, we wanted to get our core menu down, but we definitely want to look at seasonal menus for Hawaiʻi.”
The store is currently open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays (hours are subject to change).
CONTACT
OAKBERRY ACAI
Kapolei Commons
4450 Kapolei Pkwy., Kapolei
oakberry.com/en-us
Instagram: @oakberry.hawaii
Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
