Nowadays, you can get an acai bowl at just about any Hawaii eatery. That doesn’t mean they’re exactly the same, however, as each business brings something new to the table. And for acai lovers, like myself, the added variety is a welcomed treat.
I happened upon the acai bowl at Whole Foods in Kailua. It was after spending most of the morning at Lanikai Beach with some friends. Usually, going to Lanikai Juice (right across the street from Whole Foods) would have been a no brainer. We’ve been patronizing Lanikai since the day they opened.
But we decided on venturing outside of our comfort bubble, by exploring the menu at Whole Foods. I was pretty certain they had acai bowls here, and sure enough, they offered both the bowl and the smoothie. While some of my friends got other things, I was still craving an acai bowl.
One major plus was that I didn’t have to wait in a ridiculously long line to order, like at Lanikai Juice. The bowl came out within a few minutes, and we had a sat next to the juice bar. My first impression of the acai bowl was that it looked like a good portion for the price I paid; the fruits flowed over the bowl’s brim.
However, I’m not sure why the gal didn’t dice up the fruits smaller (or even cut off the leaves from the strawberries). That was definitely a first for me. Eating around the leaves had been a challenge, so I decided to ditch the berries and scoop up the bananas instead. I know, #firstworldproblems.
But if you’re looking for a basic acai bowl with just enough fruits and granola, then I would recommend going to Whole Foods. There wasn’t anything spectacular about it. It was just, OK. I think it could have been even better if they drizzled some honey on it or added more granola. It did its job, though, and satiated my craving for acai.
