The Sake Shop has opened at 1461 S. King St. with the goal of becoming sake-philes' destination of choice for specialty brews, “;ochoko”; (cups), “;tokkuri”; (serving vessels), literature and more.

The grand opening will be next month when suppliers have better post-holiday stocks, and the date and upcoming news will be released via Twitter, Facebook and a newsletter, said owner Nadine Leong.

The surname is her husband's, though she is Japanese and he is “;mostly Japanese,”; said Malcolm Leong. Both are local and learned to appreciate, then love sake during trips to Japan.

Sake has been widely available in stores like Marukai, Don Quijote (and predecessor Daiei) and grocery stores forever, “;but there's nobody to really talk to about the different sakes or share experiences or knowledge of what to buy,”; Nadine said. “;We're hoping that we can fill in that void,”; though they are still learning and don't claim to be experts.

Sake consumption is growing in the U.S. and Europe, and the “;Joy of Sake”; event gets bigger every year, swelling with the increasing number of Hawaii sake sippers they hope to serve, Malcom said.

The Sake Shop's hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 6 p.m. Sundays, though tomorrow it will open at 2 p.m.

Peer News intros editor

“;Journalists wanted”; are two words rarely seen together anymore, but Hawaii-based Peer News Inc., led by billionaire Pierre Omidyar, is looking to hire a few.

Omidyar introduced John Temple, former publisher and editor of the Rocky Mountain News, as the editor of his locally based, civic- and public affairs-focused news organization during a conference call yesterday. The service will launch in the second quarter.

The yet-to-be-branded Peer News will hire a handful of journalists, and those with knowledge of Hawaii will be at an advantage, Temple said.

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