Dachi’s Miki Ellis and Stephen Whiteside, with chef Justin Lee, are set to open Elephant, a new 18-seat restaurant and wine bar at 1879 Powell Street in East Vancouver. The menu will feature a variety of unique protein and vegetable forward dishes, paired with emerging organic, natural, and bio wines.
The 525-square-foot room, which was previously the award-winning Trans Am, features a warm, casual, and playful vibe, featuring artwork by Michelle Nguyen and Paige Jung, amongst the intimate and wine-filled room.
“Elephant is small and cozy, which allows us to create a vibrant experience for our guests,” says Ellis. “With Justin’s bright flavours in his changing menu and Kelcie’s exciting and unexpected pairings, we are having a lot of fun bringing this restaurant to life.”
A small amount of reservations are available for Lee’s omakase-style tasting menu, with most of the seats open for walk-ins to enjoy some snacks – or go for omakase on a whim. Current dishes include a Caramelized Rutabaga with chickpea shiro miso and brown butter; Dashi-braised, charred Celariac in a walnut ‘gomae’; and Beef Tartare with smoked tuna and horseradish.
“The more we share with guests what our farmers and producers in BC have to offer, the more reason they have to support local. We can only thrive if we help each other,” says Lee, who was previously the force behind the kitchens at Crowbar and Superflux. “So we’re excited to share their stories in this new space.”
The wine list is curated by sommelier Kelcie Jones and features wine from small producers who farm regeneratively, and whose business ethics reflect Elephant’s own ethos. Guests will find a variety of organic, natural, and bio wines and sakes from around the world.
Elephant officially opens its doors to walk-ins and limited reservations tonight, Friday, December 3, 2021. It will then be open from Friday to Monday, 5 p.m. to late.
For more information, please visit elephantinvancouver.com.
