A Brunch Brimming With Flavor

While fine dining can tend to represent an overwhelming or intimidating endeavor, Brasserie Du Vin serves up a fun dining experience during which diners are transported half a world away.

Nestled in downtown Honolulu across from the historic Hawaii Theatre, Brasserie Du Vin offers a casual, rustic environment modeled after the inviting cafes and bistros found throughout the French countryside. In addition to a full indoor bar and seating area, the restaurant features a quiet outdoor patio decorated to resemble a quaint French setting, in which diners can escape the hustle and bustle of the city that surrounds the eatery.

As a way to supplement the flavorful lunch and dinner selections available Monday through Saturday, Brasserie Du Vin has cooked up a sensational Saturday Brunch menu available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The flavorful assortment of culinary crafts-manship continues to captivate diners as they begin the weekend.

Du Vin Loco Moco ($12) brings depth and rich flavors to a popular local fixture, and features braised short rib served over a hearty mushroom risotto and topped with a poached egg and rich, flavorful peppercorn demi-glace.

“It’s a whimsical play on the local loco moco dish. I took all the components and rearranged them a bit,” explains chef Marco Elder, who worked his way up through a small fine dining restaurant in Maine before supplementing his repertoire with culinary training at the Art Institute of Colorado. “The mushroom risotto provides a great flavor along with the short rib. The gravy is the same used for our rib-eye steak, and it incorporates a rich, reduced veal stock.”

Eggs Benedict ($11) offers a fresh take on the breakfast delicacy, as house-made English muffins are topped with prosciutto, perfectly poached eggs and fresh hollandaise sauce. The dish is accompanied by a fresh assortment of fruit that ties the rich flavors together.

Additional brunch favorites include Crab Omelet ($11), which incorporates rich crab meat along with caramelized onions, spinach and goat cheese along with a tasty potato hash. French Toast ($10) features distinct notes of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and sugar along with a raspberry-chocolate cream cheese blend that is used to “stuff” the toast, which is accompanied by potato hash.

“The crab omelet is one of our most popular items. Diners seem to gravitate toward it,” Elder says. “I prefer to use more egg whites, both for health reasons and it creates a fluffy omelet.”

One also may delve into dessert, including Devil’s Food Cake with Burnt Caramel Mousse ($7). The newly created menu offering features a rich chocolate ganache and cake crumbs to enhance the texture in every sweet bite.

To coincide with Le Tour de France, one of the world’s most recognizable and grueling long-distance bicycle races held in the country each year, Brasserie Du Vin is rolling out a special tasting menu chock-full of wine and cheese selections. The aptly named Trois Fromage et Deux Vin ($25) is available from June 29 to July 21 to coincide with the race, and features three wine varieties paired with Camembert, Comte and Roquefort cheeses, which represent some of the country’s unique regions. The special menu also includes French bread along with oil and vinegar.

Elder has been a part of Brasserie Du Vin’s heart of the house staff for five years, and was elevated to lead the kitchen roughly two years ago. The skilled culinary artist tantalizes diners’ taste buds with a wide array of French-inspired offerings and traditional favorites.

“We offer a fun dining experience, and we’re all about encouraging that laid-back, relaxed community feel. People often spark up a conversation with those dining at tables next to them,” Elder says. “It’s all about popping a bottle of wine and enjoying the company of friends and family. We have a great happy hour, and it’s an excellent way to check us out.”

Brasserie Du Vin offers Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m., during which diners can enjoy drink specials and a special food menu. To find out about other special events and happenings, log on to BrasserieDuVin.com and sign up for the restaurant’s e-newsletter.

Wine also takes center stage at Brasserie Du Vin, as diners can partake in one of more than 225 selections either by the glass or bottle. The restaurant was recognized with Wine Spectator Magazine’s Award of Excellence in each of the six years it’s been open, and every Tuesday night from 6 to closing, customers enjoy 50 percent off all wine bottles except French champagnes.

Customers also may utilize the complimentary WiFi internet — the perfect tool when getting work done while enjoying a bite to eat.

Brasserie Du Vin

1115 Bethel St., Honolulu
545-1115
Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch), 4 to 10 p.m. (dinner)
BrasserieDuVin.com