The Elusive Purple Dessert on Oahu

When Andy Dalan remembered he had to go to a dinner party, he went over to the fridge at the Proud Peacock Restaurant in Oahu (where he was the executive chef) and started rooting through its contents.

He found a leftover custard base that had been previously prepared and saw there was a bunch of ube—or Hawaii’s purple yam—that was set to expire. Dalan put the yams, custard and "a few other things" into a blender, then poured the mixture into little tart-like cookie shells. He popped them in the oven and, not long after, ran out the door so as not to be late.

After dinner—Dalan almost forgot they were in the fridge—he placed the tray in the center of the table. With each bite, the guests of the dinner party began questioning what they were, how he made them and, most importantly, how they could get more.

In the weeks that followed, he made batches for his friends' parties, perfecting the recipe as he went. Word about the tarts began to spread beyond Dalan's network of close friends and the orders followed.

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As an executive chef, Dalan spent hours and days preparing complex menus.

But it's a single creation, known as the "Ube Tart," that has propelled him to success as an entrepreneur. He was receiving so many requests that, during the fall of 2015, he stepped down as executive chef and opened a shop in Wahiawa, where he could commit to the tarts.

He named his store the Uber Factory, because "uber" means outstanding and it also contains the word "ube."

Dalan took it slow, opening only one day a week. He would have an inventory of about 7,000 tarts and, between pre-orders and walk-ins, would sell out in three hours. Demand was greater than his supply, but he did not want to open more days.

The elusiveness was part of what made the tarts so sought after!

"I wanted to treat the tarts a bit like drugs," Dalan said, smiling, pointing to his branded t-shirt that has "addicted" written next to the Uber Factory logo.

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Though the Uber Factory still does not have a phone—all pre-orders must be placed via email—it's easier than ever to get your hands on some tarts. Whereas before they would sell out daily, prompting long lines early in the morning, Dalan is making larger quantities and thus rarely sells out anymore. The shop is now open Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for walk-ins.

The purple Ube Tarts are available every day they are open and can be pre-ordered in quantities more than 50. Dalan also comes up with an alternative flavor most days—black lava caramel, pistachio and white chocolate Oreo with Kona coffee are some past examples.

Information regarding special flavors is announced on their social media accounts. You might need to line up for the special flavors, as they are only available while supplies last (usually that day).

Dalan's recommendation is to freeze the tarts before you eat them. At that temperature, the sweet, creamy filling has the consistency of ice cream, the cookie shell wrapping it up like an ice-cream sandwich.

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They're sold in packs of eight for $10, cash only.

A dime bag for dessert? I doubt Dalan takes the drug analogy that far, but hey, I can't control what I come up with when I'm under the influence of ube.