Elemental

The epitome of «hole in the wall gem» this place is so quaint and perfect for a good night of fine wines and good conversation. Kevin is an awesome host and is plenty knowledgable on what type of drink you’d enjoy, from a mellow Spanish red to a smooth Japanese dark on the rocks.
It’s located in such a cool out of the way space, I will definitely be returning for some more of the elemental experience.

This invitation only, secret wine bar is quite special indeed. You buzz the door of what looks like an office or apartment building and wait for one of the owners to come let you in. The room itself is full of interesting wines and they offer special events, such as karaōke and from what I’ve read, burger nights. We decided on a few wines by the glass and sang a few songs. Lucky for us (and for others) it was only us in there at the time. There are only 8 seats so it’s a very intimate experience. Both of the owners are very friendly and very knowledgeable about wine. A very fun and unique experience!

Apparently, I ascribe way more importance to my Unilocal reviews than what is accurately reflected in reality: hence my up-​to-​now reticence to review Elemental for fear that my high praise would influence my 65 fans (snicker) to bumrush the doors like Charlie Murphy at a Earth Wind and Fire concert. And yet, like that nagging case of HSV-​2 your immune system just can’t shake, my feelings about this place have been bubbling up inside screaming for an outbreak until I can’t take it no’mo’ and gotsta tell the world. Yeah, so… not the greatest analogy…
Elemental offers fantastic service and products. Travis and Kevin were the top of the pops when it came to easy conversation and were extremely helpful and proactive with their wine selections. They had a really easy interplay and it seems like they sincerely enjoy working with each other — which as a customer is always a good thing to witness.
And the wine: My friend (unwisely) ordered the «house red» at Far Bar before we arrived here. So after trying the good stuff, he kept on remarking throughout the night of the vast superiority of the interesting selections at Elemental. Lots of unique wines like the Tempranillo we had and the Huge Bear Cabernet, a second label Sonoma wine. Way better than that swill at Far Bar, for sure. Travis very generously sliced us up some delicious salumi while Kevin alternated manning the 1’s and 2’s with some timely wine tips. Well done sirs… well done.
All of the preceding stuff was top notch, no doubt, but what really sets Elemental apart is the incredible atmosphere of the joint. Firstly, I think the semi invite-​only door policy is a fantastic idea and definitely lends to a more upscale and exclusive vibe without falling into the realms of pretentiousness. Furthermore, it seems absolutely necessary to limit the number of guests at any time because the place is positively tiny.
It harkens to the pocket sized bars in Shibuya’s Nonbei Yokocho (aka Drunkard’s Alley) where bars fit a maximum of 5 – 6 people. (
) I surmise that Kevin and Travis — having both lived in Asia — were trying to go for that vibe. Of course, as this is America, everything is bigger: but I’d estimate Elemental can probably seat 10 – 12 tops. Anything more would be standing room only.
The place looks great too: fantastic mood lighting, lots of wine racks artfully arranged amongst the furniture, comfortable seating and ambient music at an appropriate volume… that last item I’ve found is something that is increasingly important to me as I’ve somehow morphed into the world’s youngest crotchety old man. Paired with the exclusive door policy and the speakeasy-​esque mise en scene, I’m looking forward to taking women to Elemental and inducing eye rolls from both proprietors when I lavish my date with tales of how «Oh, behbeee, this place was so much better before I wrote that Unilocal review and that shit blew up, brrro…»
And why do I sound like a sleazy Armenian in this scenario… *sincerely confused*

Amazing tiny little bar in Little Tokyo. Every time I come here, I feel like I’m in the real Tokyo, and not Little Tokyo. Located in a converted office-​space, this dive serves carefully selected wines (mostly imported, given that the owner is a wine importer by day), cheese plates, and occasionally pizzas. The place is tiny, even by Tokyo standards, but that makes it even easier to talk with and witness the passion of Travis and Kevin, the two ultra-​cool operators of this tiny tiny bar. (Yup, it’s tiny)

Travis and Kevin, what a perfect duo. Let’s just say that if the world was going down, this is the last place you’d find me. Cocktails, wine, food, music and atmosphere… I’m sold.

If you enjoy great wine, cozy spaces and actually learning about what you are drinking, then this is the place to visit. The owners are very friendly and obviously like what they are doing.
My first visit was with a larger group. This place is small so if you have any social anxiety you may want to rethink your plans. I got to sample tons of wines. We were also served some very tasty food, my favorite being the lamb chop. My last visit was pretty awesome too. We showed up for the bordeaux night and were able to taste a nice variety of wines from regions that I knew nothing about. I appreciated the amount of knowledge and time that was taken to teach us about the different regions.

I knew we were going to have an adventure and that this place would be tiny, but I was underwhelmed with what we ended up experiencing.
We paid a reasonable amount for the wine tasting, and all we really ended up with was crammed into a tiny room with 12 people (4 more than the space can accommodate), sitting on metal stools (ouch) and poured 3 glasses of wine with little explanation. We even tried to engage the owner a few times about the wines but he was pretty busy with everyone and with this random person who came in about half-​way through (a friend? clearly not a customer).
Thankfully we knew there wouldn’t be much (if any) food so we’d already had dinner before. They prepared a cheese plate for a few people who asked, but we wouldn’t have had anywhere to put it since we weren’t even sitting at the small counter space, but next to the door.
I know they’re moving to a new space and maybe that’ll open up enough room to interact with the customers more or provide a deeper experience. Until then, I wouldn’t go back.

This is one of those places that you just cannot stop talking about for days afterwards. I think I have told every one of my friends about Elemental and how they absolutely must experience it for themselves.
Proprietors Travis and Kevin are serious wine connoisseurs and have amassed a collection that they have expertly paired with a charcuterie and cheese plate. Everything they presented was delicious, from the wines right down to the cornichons and almonds adorning the platters.
Tucked away in a back corner on the second floor in a Little Tokyo strip mall on busy 1^st Street, Elemental is a true gem. A small room that seats only 8, the atmosphere is dim and fosters an intimate environment for a speakeasy. Edison bulbs hang over the bar and the room is stocked with wine shelved along the walls. You are literally seated in a wine cellar that feels like it could be straight out of the 1920s.
If you love wine then you will appreciate the thought and care Elemental puts into their collection and selections. If you love cool, unique experiences off the beaten path, you will delight for days afterwards just like I am now.

I love Elemental wine bar! Best kept secret in Little Tokyo. Private wine bar that nobody knows about, only the people in the know, know and invite only! Every week they serve wines by the flight, so its a different experience each week you visit. Only opened Thursday and Fridays. Depending on the week they’ll serve food to pair with the wines, which has always been delish! Get on their mailing list and get invited, you will have the best wine experience. There’s truly nothing like this type of wine bar in Los Angeles.

Discoveries like Elemental Wines are about as rare as sighting Bigfoot. Sure, the rumors of an amazing, private wine bar gets bandied about, but rarely does it actually materialize. They’re either too exclusive, too highbrow, too expensive, too… not cool. And yet once in a blue moon, you stumble across a gem like Elemental Wines. And as much as it’s an invitation only wine bar, this ain’t no fight club so I’m happy to bring you into the family.
And that’s such a good word to describe the experience at Elemental Wines — family. Let me explain. The tasting room cum office is located on the second floor of a nondescript office building just two doors down from Daikokuya. Call or text the proprietors, Travis or Kevin, to get into the building. The tasting room is a cozy, dimly lit room with a simple bar area with seating for 8 – 10 and a few shelves stocked with wine bottles from wineries I have never heard of. The size and setup of the room fosters intimacy with the hosts and your fellow guests. For close to an hour, we chatted with Travis before other guests arrived. By the end of the evening we had met 6 other people including Kevin and Travis’ beautiful wife. We all had developed a wonderful connection that felt more like hanging out with close friends and family. It’s so hard to find this type of real connection in a world where we’re flooded with countless ways to connect and yet so starved for genuine connection.
I like that Elemental Wine’s approach to wine is approachable. There’s usually a flight of wines from regions and makers you’ve never heard of that are featured that evening. Often, they’re paired with food, but you can just stop by for wine too, although I’d highly recommend sampling Kevin’s food. Note the food is one serving so don’t expect to make it your dinner if you have a hearty appetite, although the karage chicken that Kevin served that night was not only stellar, but sizable to be a meal replacement. Travis and Kevin are happy to share their knowledge of wine with you so whether you’re an absolute wine neophyte or a dedicated wino, you will have no problems fitting in. Bottles are also available for purchase and they’re offered at a great wholesale rate. I picked up two bottles myself. Those bottles plus a food and wine flight pairing, and a shared glass of a 30 year tawny port came out to $ 50 a person. Beyond reasonable in my book.
When we left that evening, we were genuinely wistful about leaving and seriously contemplating when we would come back. If there is a wine bar Cheers equivalent, Elemental Wines would be it. They’re open Wednesday through Friday and it’s easy to become a member by joining on their website. An e-​mail gets sent out once a week usually on a Monday informing you of the featured wine/​food tasting. Great for a date or a small group of friends. Kudos Elemental Wines. I feel like I’ve discovered a best friend.

elemental wines is a place where you take your friend, miles; it is not a place to take your friend, jack.
it’s a small intimate, rough around the edges place to experience a flight of wine with food/​cheese. no secret password, but done with a modern prohibition «unmarked» kind of style– no sign out front and you need to be on the list. it just sounded like the perfect midweek mommy escape for me. when i get the opportunity for an evening among adults, most wines i prefer are just not offered by the glass and i cannot either waste wine sitting in a bottle or drink the whole bottle by myself. three tastings of small batch, artisan wines with a food/​cheese pairing thought out by professionals-​i grabbed my local «miles» friend and headed down to little tokyo.
this week: sausages from pop-​up kitchen, knackig, paired with three small batch reds. my knockwurst was awesome, great «snap» and plenty of flavor. i love mustard, especially spicy mustard, but i decided not to have any with this one– it can hold its own alone.
the wine flight was paired with an old vine grenache from a french vineyard by the spanish boarder (my personal favorite of the night), a french syrah blend, and a bold floral wine from the central coast (finish was quite «clean»). all were amazing, full of depth and distinctive from each other.
my only disappointment was that my friend and i were gabbing so much to each other that we didn’t get to chat much with the guys that run this place– my fault. next time– definitely will be a next time for me. so happy to have a local unique gem like elemental!

Elemental Wines is an invitation-​only secret wine bar in the heart of Little Tokyo. There’s ample parking on 1^st and Judge John Aiso for $ 1 per 1 hour.
I attended a cheeseburger event with a client on a Tuesday night. It’s a small area with rare wines from various parts of the world. Kevin cooked up a handsome burger that just dissolved in my mouth. Travis served the wines.
There was a handful of people in here, which made it a very intimate event. I got to meet every one there. I felt remarkably close to everyone. It was like going to a friend’s house party.
I met Thomas, the artistic photographer with luscious hair and a casual coolness about him that made everyone adore him. There was also Justin who was sensible and funny. Travis was personable and glowed with a deep rich tan. I didn’t have the opportunity to interact with Kevin much, but it was cool that he knew Japanese.