The next steps of the grand plan for Echelon, the fine dining restaurant that opened a year ago on S. Main, lead downstairs.
Part tiki bar, part speakeasy accessed from a separate W. Washington St. entrance, Hunã (derived from the Hawaiian for “secret”) fills 4,000 square feet with tropical trappings and a moody vibe. With a higher ceiling than most basements, it features a thatched-roof bar, bamboo-trimmed hut, walls of stone and primitive wood, and a mix of booths, banquettes, and high-tops.
Scores of tiki idols add to the ambiance. They come by way of Echelon’s sommelier Taylor Johnson, whose father, noted chef Jimmy Schmidt, collected them over years of international travel for use in the former Rattlesnake Club in Detroit.
“Our spin on the tiki culture is to be this one-hour vacation from your daily life,” says managing director and partner Emily Habib. Tiki bars swelled in popularity in the mid–twentieth century and have been making a comeback in recent years. Visits to noteworthy examples such as Forbidden Island, Trader Vic’s, and Smuggler’s Cove helped the team refine the concept, which has no local parallel, she adds.
Bar director Max Schikora has crafted twenty-two cocktails, many but not all rum-based, with several spirit-free selections. “We follow a lot of the traditional recipes,” Habib says, but with “some really cool modern twists on tiki culture as well,” including the Lilikoi Mai Tai with passion-fruit foam.
Executive chef and partner Joe VanWagner’s savory and sweet bites—coconut shrimp, bao buns, Galbi ribs, rum cake—are distinct from the offerings upstairs. Echelon was recently named one of thirty James Beard Award semifinalists for best new restaurant.
Related: Echelon’s Elemental Experience
The main bar and lounge space seats about eighty-six, and there’s a members area that can double as a sixty-seat private dining room for Echelon. Three membership levels offer various perks (skip-the-line access, collectible tiki mugs, members-only events); the top tier, the $395 per year Founders’ Club, is already sold out.
“The minute you walk into this space, you should feel like you’ve stepped into an island bar along the beach somewhere,” Habib says. “The world has gotten to be a little bit of a crazy place. And I do think it’s nice to step out and be able to close the doors on what’s happening outside and have a really fun escape.”
Hunã, 200 S. Main (W. Washington entrance). (734) 469–3799. Thurs.–Sat. 7 p.m.–2 a.m., closed Sun.–Wed. huna.bar
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Dear Mr. Algase,
Before you and the Ann Arbor Observer choose to continue to promote this sort of establishment, I would encourage you to consider the fact that so called “Tiki Culture”is rooted in racism, cultural appropriation, and colonialism, and something not appreciated by native Hawaiians. Stephanie Nohelani Teves, a native Kanaka Maoli professor at the University of Hawaii puts it this way in the article below “ “I do not appreciate colonial nostalgia” and “ Tiki bars are not cute.”
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2019-11-27/tiki-bar-problems
Lisa A. Johnson
Ann Arbor Resident
Thank you for engaging with the Observer and sharing your perspective. As the Marketplace Changes reporter, my role is not to “promote” or otherwise endorse the businesses I cover. Rather, I strive to introduce new businesses to the community, giving the people behind them the opportunity to contribute their input and share their stories. My interview with Ms. Habib did briefly touch on concerns regarding cultural appropriation, but publishing constraints prevented a full, balanced exploration of those sensitive issues. I encourage you to engage with Hunã directly to learn more about how their concept is informed by the cultural values involved.