Ice Garden.. how much longer can they keep going??

i really love shave ice. it's a simple treat that is very satisfying. i've done the Matsumoto's although i still think Aoki's is better. since being diagnosed with diabetes, i tried to switch to sugar-free syrup, no so great. a shop in Maui's sugar-free version tasted like dirt, which i assumed meant the fake sugar got too old. sad. then i tried another sugar-free syrup & it melted like crazy. i drank as fast as i could, but there was red ice water pouring from the paper cone cup & spilling onto my hand until it was gone. everyone else that got regular syrup could eat theirs at a normal pace, so i could only guess it was my syrup that caused the fast-melting. now i only have shave ice once in a while & i've really learned to savor it. i don't waste time trying to check out new places that serve it, i go straight to Ice Garden in Aiea.

My family in LA will also swear that Ice Garden is the best shave ice. it's a different style than Matsumoto's, but i like it much better. my aunt is a stickler for how the ice is shaved. it has to be fine & soft. packing it into a paper cone cup can make the ice hard, but IG serves theirs in a foam bowl. that leaves room for lots of toppings besides flavored syrup. i'm a fan of their pudding which is like a flan. it's surprising because i don't like eggy things, but i'm good with this pudding concoction. i get their #7 (two puddings, mochi balls, evaporated milk, simple syrup) add ice cream. even if i get brave & try a different combo, i always add a pudding. i did try their combo (can't remember what number it is on their picture board) with azuki beans, tapioca, green beans & peanuts. wow! that was good too. most of the time i stick with my #7. my sis likes the taro one with mochi balls add pudding.

shave ice awesomeness in aiea shopping center, 2nd floor, same level as McDonalds. 

taro share ice with mochi balls, evaporated milk, simple syrup & pudding.

pudding shave ice with mochi balls, evaporated milk, simple syrup & ice cream.

yum! we always send pics like this to my LA family or post it on Instagram & tag them. haha! they're on a mission to have IG when they're in hawaii. 

the part that worries me is that it's operated by two little old asian ladies. i'm talking grandmas & i wonder how long can they keep this up? they're open 7 days a week from 10am or noon until 4 or 5pm. i know they make their own pudding & i assume all the cooked toppings like tapioca, oatmeal etc. i've even been there one day where they ran out of pudding!!! the 4 groups before i ordered & the 3 groups after me all had pudding on their orders, so it eventually ran out. shocking!!! i'm just glad i got mine. idk if it would've been the same without it!