Élan, a French-inspired wine bar located above Hangang Korean Grill House across of Ala Moana Center, just soft opened on Halloween night. For business owner Jared Brown, this has been a long time coming.
“I always wanted a spot like this,” he says.
Brown — whose other Honolulu projects included Garibaldi’s, Fat Cheeks and Little G Café, and currently Katsu Zen at 808 Center — says that Élan is inspired by a French spot in midtown Manhattan, where he and his wife, Levina Moy, were industry regulars after late-night shifts.
He recalls how they would often finish work around 1 a.m. when they lived in east Manhattan.
“This little spot was open until 4 a.m.,” he says. “It was a French wine bar, but it felt sexy and comforting. And it was a spot where they got to know you really quickly — like they knew what you were going to order before you even sat down. We missed that; there’s nothing like that here, as far as we know, that caters to those feelings later in the evening in Hawaiʻi.”
Élan features a u-shaped bar with additional cafe-style banquette tables. The cozy space can fit around 28 individuals. The wine bar is currently open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays to Saturdays on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations are accepted).
The interior design and décor were intentional, according to Brown, who notes the music is as much a part of the dining experience as Élan’s food and wine.
“It should feel like this French-inflected dive bar from the East Village, back in the day,” Brown says. “We’re trying to craft something that feels like a totally different place. The music is American and French funk, disco and soul (from the ’70s and ’80s); the posters are a mix of disco, funk and some pop from Europe and France. The food is French-inflected; the mural has people partying in Paris. This is meant to be a getaway.”
He explains that “Élan,” as a noun, means a combination of liveliness, stylish elegance and vigor.
“We were burnt out from Fat Cheeks (which closed in June) and Little G Cafe (which closed in May); we wanted something that would revitalize us and excite us about hospitality,” he says. “I didn’t want to do something on a huge scale; you lose some of that intimacy. We wanted a small spot where people around the area or across the Island could hang out as adults, drink and eat, laugh, and have a good time, and give them a little respite from the day.”
While Brown is French-trained, he describes the wine bar’s food as “French-ish” rather than strictly French. While some dishes will stay on the menu, others will rotate.
“It’s not being pretentious; I made it (the menu) to go well with your evening and with your wine,” he says.
Speaking of menus, Élan doesn’t have a set wine list. Instead, guests are encouraged to share their drink preferences with their server, who will make recommendations. The wine bar has space for about 160 bottles — mostly French, with some Italian and Spanish wines — on-site, according to Brown.
“I always wanted a spot like this,” Brown says. “I didn’t realize that the ‘no wine menu’ is the thing now … it’s starting to be a thing. You don’t need to look at the same menu over and over again; sometimes, you want to do interesting things. Maybe I’ll come across a bottle and they only have six of it; we’ll grab it, and we can run that.”
Brown explains he did a similar concept with Little G Cafe’s slice shop, in that flavors would constantly change.
“Life is short; try new things,” he says. “You don’t have to get the same thing all the time, every day. Maybe that’s your tradition, but save some space for something new.”
Brown says that he hired “people with wine experience across the board” to help him with the new wine bar. He says Élan’s wine lead is Abraham Kim, whose previous roles included being a sommelier at R. Field Wine Company.
“Abraham Kim has been in the industry for 30 years,” Brown says. “He wanted to try something funky and fresh; we’ll see what it turns out to be. The wine menu allows us some adaptability in who comes along. We work with (master sommelier) Patrick Okubo as well, to craft some wine selections. I have a good group of people around me.”
The food menu features a la carte plates that are designed to share. From Élan’s opening night, the roll de crabe ($16) — sesame buns with crab and citrus cream — arancini a la truffle blanche ($10) and le burger ($19) were customer favorites.
The arancini were stuffed with mushroom fricassee, Gruyere, herbs and burnt lemon aioli. Le burger featured a 6-ounce patty with caramelized onions, peppercorn cream, and cheddar and swiss cheeses in a brioche bun.
Larger plates include a 16-ounce steak au poivre (market price), ravioles with clam beurre blanc ($17) and poularde vieille ($23). The latter is a chicken dish complete with maitake mushrooms, tarragon and chives.
Brown says he intended Élan to be a neighborhood space where people could dine with friends, or just as comfortably enjoy a solo night out. He says eventually, Élan will be open six nights a week.
“Honestly, I just want people to come in, have a good time, laugh loudly, have good conversation, and relax a little bit,” Brown says. “This is a space built to have some fun — just have a good time and forget about your worries for a little bit.”
CONTACT
Élan
1236 Waimanu St., Honolulu
Instagram: @elanhonolulu
Open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays to Saturdays
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
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