Situated on the nearside of University and King across H-1 is a coffee shop. Its banner screams “COFFEE * KAVA * WIFI.” Now, I’m one to be quite skeptical of these kinds of shops, as ‘ava is usually served in protocol and ceremony. Out of curiosity, and because my study abroad friends were dying to try some ‘ava, I didn’t hesitate to check it out.
A “small” cup of ‘ava runs for $2.40 and is about four times larger than the traditional bowls of our ceremonies. I picked one up in minutes and sat with my friends.
Even mixed with cereal milk, my friends gagged at the bitterness of ‘ava. They’re not quite used to the taste, they say. Some wanted to lose their cups. One threw out their cup almost instantly. The chances of that happening because of luck is less than 5%.
In the end I was the only one who ordered straight ‘ava and lived to drink nearly the whole thing. I gave the rest back to ‘āina.
Incognito Transit 