Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Good things in small packages
Let's face it. We love high culture -- theater, dance, music, cinema -- but weekends are also made for shopping. Today we're introducing Shopping Fanatic, dedicated to the pursuit of unique retailers beyond the giant malls. At J n J Food and Beverage, you can buy a distinctive bottle of wine, or Pokemon cards. A meal of salmon with cream sauce over pasta, or a chili dog. A rare bottle of scotch, or Salonpas.
The place defies description, as does its owner, Nathan Yuen, a man who doesn't drink but loves fine wines (he spits a lot), who gave up a restaurant career to open a tiny convenience store/plate lunch stand that also offers what could be the most extensive selection of wine, scotch, vodka, bourbon and tequila west of town.
"I wanted a little bit sundry, little food, little liquor," Yuen says. "That way, in case no one wants to drink, they can eat, or at least shop."
In a space of only about 1,000 square feet, Yuen has assembled a collection of wines more familiar to fine-restaurant wine lists than your average liquor store: a 1998 Makor Zinfandel ($18.99), a 1997 Nema Boutari Agiorgitiki from Southern Greece ($11.59), a 1999 Ca' del Solo Malvasia Bianca ($11.89), just to name a few.
Yuen worked jobs from bus boy to assistant manager at the Maile Room, Parc Cafe, Plaza Club and the old Uraku (now L'Uraku) before opening the store in 1995.
His stock reflects this restaurant past and tends to focus on balanced, softer wines that pair best with food.
He also offers personal attention. Stop by the store and he'll gladly speak geek if you understand wine, or guide you gently through the choices if you don't.
Signs on shelves suggest dishes to serve with certain wines, and he's begun holding wine tastings every two weeks -- the next will be at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Yuen also offers 60 types of high-end spirits and a decent selection of beers, including the most expensive item in the store, a 3-liter Salvatore millennium bottle from Munich -- about $100.
J n J -- in Aiea Town Center on Kauhale Street -- is open 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Call 484-4591.
By Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Bulletin
Click for online
calendars and events.
