The Hula Pie at Duke’s Waikiki enjoys near-legendary status among repeat Hawaii visitors.

A dramatic sculpting of macadamia nut ice cream, chocolate-cookie crust, whipped cream, chopped macadamia nuts and fudge drizzle, the dessert is at once familiar and, to the non-tropical palate, vaguely exotic.

It is rich. It is decadent. It is a triumphal close to a full Duke’s meal. It is not, however, particularly portable.

The inspiration: The Hula Pie is a towering dessert made of macadamia nut ice cream in a chocolate cookie crust that's topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream and drizzled even more (hot) fudge. (Courtesy TS Restaurants)

Thus, when the COVID-19 pandemic and its related public health mandates prompted restaurants to find other ways to satisfy the cravings of their loyal patrons, Duke’s got creative with its signature dessert, adapting the sit-down-and-loosen-your-belt classic into a something of a movable feast.

The Hula Pie Shake debuted in March 2021 and it’s proved a popular dessert item, even with the return of indoor dining.

Take it with you: The Hula Pie Shake features all the components (except for the mac nuts) of the pie, in a portable form. (Courtesy TS Restaurants)

A marriage of classic milkshake and the original dessert (no chopped nuts, wisely), the shake requires strong cheeks and a pinky-thick paper straw to enjoy. And while it lacks the texture of the classic pie — the firmly pressed cookie crust, the dense frozen ice cream, the airy whipped cream — it admirably preserves the various flavor components.

And at a priced-to-stroll $9, basically a high-end café splurge, it’s also half the cost of the original pie.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics and Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.