He went home to Australia, quit his job in finance and returned to his birthplace of Japan, spending three years training under a traditional shochu “master,” who streamlined the 10-year apprenticeship period for Hirata, who was nearing 40. Figure an hour to drive cross-island to the Waimea Bay area, due to often-clogged traffic in and around Honolulu. Once free of the city, the drive is stunning in spots, so it’s no hardship if it takes a while; all the better to sink into your laid-back Hawaiian attitude. The low-walled enclosures make up the largest heiau (temple) on Oahu, one that has been used for rituals for centuries. Highway Inn provides a delicious lesson in traditional Hawaiian fare with lau lau (pork and fish steamed in taro leaves) and poi (fermented mashed taro).

Source: thestar November 09, 2017 13:52 UTC