Haus Supper Club is a new bar and lounge with a sophisticated vibe — combining a main room that offers booth and bar seating, a stage and dance floor with a sushi bar that welcomes guests in an adjacent, more intimate room that has a speakeasy feel.
The spacious venue is located in the former Brilliant Ox/Pearl Ultralounge space at Ala Moana Center, below Macaroni Grill. Two additional rooms are available for private parties or karaoke.
THE EXPERIENCE
Haus was welcoming from the moment my party stepped up to the front desk, all the way through till we were leaving. The host up front was gracious and welcoming, and the servers attentive.
The main room has a dark, clandestine feel, with rich blue-velvet couches and blue accent lighting. The room’s tone is gold, and the tall ceilings are hung with a disco ball and myriad lightbulbs emitting a distinctly golden light, strung at various heights and richly glowing, like a sea of steampunk stars.
The place has a new feel to it and the fresh smell of wood. Wooden counters and brick walls give the main room a modern, urban look. During my pau hana visit, two large screens near the bar played quintessential karaoke videos like Whitney Houston’s “Unbreak My Heart” and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”
Go through the door that looks like you’re entering a British red phone booth, and you’ve entered the speakeasy area with a separate sushi menu and craft cocktails. The room is posh, with a shiny central bar, red accents, chandelier and Asian-influenced wall murals.
We arrived right at opening as a quiet crowd trickled in to fill the main area. No particular demographic was represented, with both locals and visitors gathering for the evening. Among the diners, a single Gen Xer sat at the bar, and nearby, a millennial couple sat next to a table of baby boomers celebrating a woman’s night out.
THE FOOD
We ordered three of the five $5 bar bites: Grilled Elotes, Nori Salt Calamari and Mozzarella Spring Rolls. The sizes are half of the regular portions, priced normally at $8, $14 and $11 respectively. All three were superb in taste and presentation.
The elotes were especially scrumptious. How does corn on the cob get so yummy? With generous coatings of cilantro aioli, cotija cheese and chili powder, that’s how. With a grilled flavor, a thick layer of dense Mexican cheese, spices to accentuate the taste and lemon drizzled on top, we were left craving more. My date and I could have each eaten two happy hour orders ourselves.
The calamari came in a generous portion, combining some chew with a crispy outer layer. It came layered in furikake, accompanied by a creamy yuzu wasabi aioli.
Finally, the spring rolls were crunchy and cheesy, but what really made the dish was its piquant marinara dip.
THE DRINK
We cleansed our palates with a $5 happy hour Strawberry Lemon Drop Martini (normally $11) and $5 POG Mimosa (happy hour special).
The martini was a very drinkable elixir of strawberry and lemon with a vodka afterbite — the color of sunset, I found it an ideal post-work cocktail. Sugar and a wedge of lemon on the rim left a sweet taste on the lips.
The sunrise-colored mimosa was garnished with a slice of strawberry, with a strong prosecco kick and a bubbly, peachy finish reminiscent of POG.
THE VERDICT
This is a place where the dishes are excellent and it’s a pleasure to settle down and take in the environment. I found myself wanting to bring my friends so they could enjoy this new hotspot.
HAUS SUPPER CLUB
Ala Moana Center
466-1888, haussupperclub.com
Happy Hour: 4:30-7:30 p.m. daily; 11 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays and Thursdays
>> Cocktails, $5
>> Bar bites, $5
