Henry's Place — Restaurant in Honolulu

The below paragraph after this one was taken from an article that Honolulu Magazine published in 2018. I copied it not to be lazy, but it pretty much says it all about what you need to know about this hidden gem on back street in Waikiki that has been quietly there for decades. It offers no frills and is what it is. I see some negative reviews and it is obvious that those bad reviews were from people who had no idea about this back story of this place.

One modest ice cream maker turned his humble fruit stand into a word-of-mouth find for foodies from around the world. Owner Henry Takahashi has managed to stay in business in Waikīkī for more than 30 years—despite moving the shop three times before settling in its current location on Beach Walk—with his grab-and-go snacks, sandwiches and fresh fruit bowls. But it’s the house-made ice creams and sorbets, made with fresh ingredients and packed in white Styrofoam containers in a freezer at the front of the store, that have made Henry’s Place a hidden gem for locals and travelers alike. The flavors change daily and range from a subtle ginger sorbet to a creamy Kona coffee to a mango sorbet that tastes just like eating cold, ripe mangoes. (The “RV” written on most of the cups are the initials of Takahashi’s daughter, who works there.) Just don’t keep the freezer doors open too long or you might be scolded. And that’s part of the...

Papaya is delicious and I have high standards when it comes to papaya. However, I must say the man mending the shop is one of the unfriendliest people I have ever met as a shop owner/keeper. When I was there, there were a few people in line in front of me. The man behind the counter looked as if he was doing all of us a favor by selling us his products. He got annoyed on everything, e.g. if one gave him the wrong coin or if one was asking for extra forks/napkins. There is a sign in front of the sorbet fridge that asks customers to decide on the flavor before opening the fridge. A guy behind me didn’t see the sign so he opened the fridge but didn’t make his choice immediately, big deal right? The man behind the counter said to him “make your choice before you open the fridge” in a “you bad kid can’t read the sign” way, and the customer was an adult!!! I don’t think people would just ignore the sign; if they didn’t follow the instructions they probably didn’t see it. You could say the sign was rather clear but when there was a million other signs on the same fridge door (in both English and Japanese), I am not surprised if one misses the sign. To the man who was mending the shop on Jan 11 2018, be nice, you live and work in paradise, what’s there to be...

2021: Usually open 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM, but Henry mentioned they’re open until 10:00 PM during the summertime. Cash only. ATM machine out front. Mango ice cream is one of their best sellers, and it was one of the best ice creams I’ve ever had! Fresh mango flavor, not too creamy and good texture. It’s hard to put into words, come try it for yourself! I was told their other best seller is Kona coffee ice cream. Definitely coming back to try that. Papaya and lychee look interesting also.

2021 Edit: Came back to try papaya and Kona coffee ice cream. The papaya was really good, fresh fruity flavor just like the mango! Was a little disappointed with the Kona coffee ice cream, texture was icy/slushy instead of thick/creamy - maybe I got a bad one.

2025 Edit: Came back again to try the papaya (again). It was still so good. But a little icy this time. Remembered texture being creamier. Also tried persimmons flavored ice cream! Very interesting since I’ve never seen this flavor anywhere before. It had a nice mild flavor, texture was better and creamier than the papaya. Looking forward to coming back again the next time I’m...