The sun is melting your brow. It’s hot. It’s sweaty. Even the refreshing moment of a dip in the ocean disappear when you think of the effort required to get there (not to mention getting sand in your bathing suit).

Only two words can save you from a sweltering summer…

Shave Ice!! Honestly, what could be better on a sunny day than a paper cone filled to overflowing with a finely shaved and packed lump of ice—topped with a sweet sugary syrup that sticks to your tongue.

Eat fast enough and you’ll get the notorious childhood dilemma—Freeze Brain!

Such is summertime life in sunny Hawaii.

Fortunately, Hawaii boasts the all-time world’s bestest shave ice store. Unfortunately, it’s way on the other side of Oahu in funky little Haleiwa town.  Fortunately, it’s worth a drive to the North Shore even if it’s just you and a friend.

{embed=“ads/content”}Unfortunately, you can’t bring one back to your Waikiki hotel—it’ll melt first.

A trip to Matsumoto’s on Kamehameha Highway is numero uno among those of us who know our shave ice (“shave ice” is how you say it—“shaved ice” is how it’s spelled—I’m spelling it as I say it, though…sorry for any inconvenience).

While you’re standing in line (there’s always a line) to order your hand-made shave ice, Matsumoto’s will entice you to depart with some more of your money with some of the island’s best active wear, and custom t-shirts. Go for the bright orange. If anything, traffic will slow down when you walk by.

Matsumoto’s has been selling shave ice as long as I can remember. I can remember longer than I care to remember. My favorite is cherry and grape, with an occasional banana and vanilla to keep the taste buds from anticipating too far into the future.

Others may prefer coconut, azuki bean (think about it before you try it—it looks like dog poo, but tastes better), or a local favorite—li hing mui (a salty and sweet Chinese spice mixture).

Haleiwa town is not quite as easy to get to as before—there’s a real honest-to-goodness highway bypass these days, so it’s easy to, uh, well, bypass. Take a left or a right (depending on which way you’re coming from) and stop at Matsumoto’s.

There’s parking. Take pictures.

Shave ice from Matsumoto’s is a slice of life from an older, kinder, gentler Hawaii.

Want to know the best places to eat in Hawaii? Click over to Ono Dining for totally biased reviews on Hawai's best (and not so best) restaurants.