In spite of his success in business, Paul Kang, president and CEO of Island Vintage Coffee, said he always felt intimidated when ordering wine. Given the mystique of varietals, vintages and terroir, understood best by sommeliers and oenophiles, he felt he didn’t have the knowledge to make the right pairing decisions, so he always played it safe. “I always ordered the house red.”

Believing there are many who feel the same way, Kang vowed to create a safe haven for others feeling similarly challenged.

His newly opened Island Vintage Wine Bar, next door to his coffee bar in the Royal Hawaiian Center, provides a welcoming space for those who want to savor and learn more about wine in a non-intimidating setting.

“I just want people to feel comfortable, and that they don’t have to be ashamed when they order something or want to ask a question,” he said. “Basically, I just want people to have a good time.”

ALTHOUGH THERE is much to know about varietals and regional distinctions and even the proper way to hold a glass, Kang assures that there are no right or wrong choices. It all comes down to personal taste, and it’s perfectly OK to drink what you like.

To determine what one likes, Island Vintage Wine Bar offers about 120 wines with full-service or 40 self-service options via a cuvenee wine dispenser system using pre-paid cards. Wine selections vary daily, although the most popular ones tend to stick around. You could opt to go straight to the top with Opus One, at $37 an ounce, or more egalitarian with Napa Valley Duckhorn Vineyards merlot at $4 an ounce ($18 for 5 ounces), one of the most popular selections.

The wine bar’s full menu features 120 selections from around the world, most from the United States and France.

Those not in the mood for wine could opt for any of eight local draft beers and five international bottled beer selections, as well as cold sake, with three available in the cuvenee.

TO GO with those wines, Kang offers an impressive menu of dishes from a kitchen shared with Island Vintage Coffee. To be honest, I never knew the extent of the coffee bar’s menu. All I ever saw were people enjoying coffee, smoothies and acai bowls, but that discounted Waikiki’s huge takeout market — visitors, residents and workforce — who were wise to the small restaurant’s breakfast bagels, wagyu loco moco ($18.50), kim chee fried rice ($15.95 with pork belly, $17.95 with shrimp), garlic shrimp plate ($18.95) and a vegan poke of beets, purple sweet potato, cucumber, avocado and more ($15.95),

In addition to this extensive local menu, Island Vintage Wine Bar has a page of exclusive dishes created to enjoy with wine.

If you just want something to pick at, start with one of the cheese or charcuterie platters, such as the burrata ($24) platter with prosciutto, diced Honey Cream pineapple and arugula.

I had stopped ordering mac-and-cheese dishes because they’re usually a letdown, tasting more of macaroni than cheese. But with other dishes going well, I wanted to try the Island Vintage truffle version. This one was particularly full-flavored with a secret four-cheese combo, of which the flavor of smoked gouda is a standout.

Those who can tolerate spice will love the poke bento ($12), essentially a poke rice bowl of avocado and spicy ahi poke served in a pretty lacquer-style box.

I know a lot of people who for some reason prefer a liquid diet over solid foods. Maybe they have a point regarding the sating factor of beer and wine, etc. I felt like my appetite was suppressed too, so I’d be satisfied here with a single appetizer, an entree to share and the arugula-peach salad ($15), a pleasurable combination with feta, strawberry slices, the delectable creamy sweetness of white peaches, the crunch of whole pistachios and a light balsamic vinaigrette.

The heaviest of the main plates are the wagyu burger ($18) and ahi burger ($16). Both are excellent, so your choice will come down to whether you’re in the mood for meat or fish. The extras on the wagyu burger are lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and grilled onions, and on the ahi burger are tomatoes and bok choy coleslaw, but the defining flavor on both is a delicious wasabi aioli that perks up the taste buds.

Those who crave simplicity will find minimalist treatment in a dish of braised beef with mushrooms and asparagus ($26). Koji smoked pork belly ($19) was delicious, but smoking didn’t render the fat enough, making it more chewy than the melt-on-the-tongue consistency we’ve come to expect.

A highlight of the menu is the seafood platter ($29), a stack of the day’s catch (recently monchong), Keahole clams and butterflied Kauai shrimp served in a tomato-wine sauce. If there had been more sauce, I’d call it cioppino. It was much better than a lot of dishes served locally in the cioppino name.

The dessert choice is easy, more wine. After having been to the Ramos Pinto winery in Portugal and tasting all it had to offer, I’m partial to its 20-year tawny port, at $5 per ounce from the cuvenee.

ISLAND VINTAGE WINE BAR

Royal Hawaiian Center

Food: ***1/2

Service: ***1/2

Ambiance: ****

Value: ***1/2

>> Call: 799-9463

>> Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

>> Prices: $50 to $60 for two without alcohol

Ratings compare similar restaurants:

**** – excellent

*** – very good

** – average

* – below average

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.