RainBowls: New food truck brings cool taste of Hawaii to Vancouver
It’s been a hot summer in Vancouver, and there’s still time to enjoy the sunshine before the rain returns to the city this fall.
And if you’re looking for a refreshing way to beat the heat, you need to check out the new RainBowls food truck serving up shaved ice around the city.
A Dished reader emailed us to give us a tip about the Shaved Ice van dishing up the cold treats around Vancouver, so we knew we had to check it out. And our taste buds are really glad we did.
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“My goal with RainBowls was to properly introduce Hawai’i style shave ice to Vancouver,” explained Rick Sumimoto, RainBowls owner, to Daily Hive. “What makes our style of shave ice different from the typical snowcone is that we shave blocks of ice into a powder-like snow which better absorbs the cane sugar syrups.
“The result is a much smoother and lighter shaved ice dessert. Our flavours are also imported from one of the most popular syrup makers from Hawai’i.”
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Sumimoto immigrated from the US island state and married a Vancouverite. He describes himself as a homebody and introvert by nature, but he somehow ended up doing extroverted work.
He also enjoys building things and learning about tech, which is why his RainBowls food truck is an all-electric, solar-powered camper van.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“I still have a full-time day job working for an electric vehicle company,” Sumimoto explained. “There is a lot of potential in this field, and I wanted to get involved in EVs. That’s why I built this eTransit Van equipped with solar panels. I call it my ‘e-Gloo.'”
The line-up at the one-of-a-kind food truck was steady in Mount Pleasant on the day we visited, with people on the way home from work, couples out for a walk, and families with children of all ages stopping by to treat themselves.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
RainBowls can be topped with a variety of flavours ranging from Bubble Gum, Guava, Cotton Candy, Passion Fruit, and Lychee.
Sumimoto shared that he most enjoys meeting people and seeing the look on their faces when they have a bite of shaved ice.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“The best part is seeing the kids and even the adults get excited. I get to share in their nostalgic memories when they take their first bite. Some get flashbacks from their Hawai’i trip while for others, it may be their first time. No matter which it is, it is humbling.
“It’s sad that I’m just a few days or weeks away from ending service as summer comes to an end. It’s back to the drawing board after a trip home to Kailua, Oahu.”
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
RainBowls Shave Ice
Location: Various spots around Vancouver
Hours: Various hours
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