Elyse is Chef Jonathan Krinn’s new 30-seater restaurant in a small building next to La Dolce Vita in Fairfax, Virginia. When I visited in March 2024, it was still in its soft opening stage, so I was glad to secure seats for the last seating at the Chef’s Counter on a Friday night. I missed the opportunity to try Elyse in February because the limited slots were taken within 45 minutes of the email blast. The restaurant will be open for public bookings from April 2024.

Elyse restaurant - by reservation only

In addition to tables, Elyse has a beautiful wooden bar counter that Chef Jon’s friend had made for the restaurant. There are eight seats around the L-shaped counter, which allows diners to interact with the chefs as their meals are being prepared. Chef Jon Krinn shared that his intention was for friends to bring other foodie friends for an intimate dining experience, so he has opted for the mailing list approach. Visit Chef Jon Krinn’s and his wife Antonia Le’s site to sign up for the mailing list so you’ll be notified when the restaurant is ready to accept new reservations.

Elyse’s Menu & Wine List

The first thing I noticed about Chef Jon Krinn’s menu was how he had incorporated lesser-known ingredients such as frog legs. Chef Jon Krinn shares his philosophy in his emails, “My personal goal at Elyse is to try new and creative uses of products that challenge myself and hopefully also challenge your palate just a bit.” The price for the Prix Fixe Menu at Elyse is $110 per person with a 20% gratuity and tax. The restaurant offers a small selection of wine, but diners are welcome to BYO if they are willing to pay the corkage fee of $35 per bottle. The menu changes every month to keep diners’ palates engaged.

Amuse Bouche & Appetizers

Elyse’s Amuse Bouche was a crusty crostini topped with deep, dark-cooked Vidalia onion, Parmesan shavings, and salt flakes. Incidentally, Chef Jon Krinn’s father makes excellent baguettes, so don’t miss out on the bread basket when you visit. Served in a cocktail glass, our first course was a decadent parfait of Carolina yellowfin tuna with mango, Champagne vinaigrette, and Oscetra Caviar cream. If you’re a fan of Foie Gras, you can opt for an additional starter of buttery Pan-Seared Foie Gras for $32 more. My friends and I are foie gras lovers, so we ordered a portion each. This is definitely a Must-Try for foie gras lovers.

Chef Jon Krinn’s Foie Gras Cooking Tips

One of the benefits of sitting at the Chef’s Counter is that we get to watch the chefs in action and to pick up cooking tips from Chef Jon Krinn. *Click on the sound button to listen to his cooking tips.

The Elyse Experience - March 2024

My favorite dish for the evening (besides Foie Gras) was the second course: Caramelized diver scallops, black Venere rice, French truffle & guanciale. The scallops were succulent with a nutty-flavored caramelized crust. The rice reminded me of a Singaporean dessert called Pulot Hitam (Black Glutinous Rice), albeit a less starchy version. Another Must-Try if it returns to Elyse’s menu. I forgot to snap photos of the second courses so you’d have to watch the video to listen to Chef Jon telling us more about the dishes and his guiding philosophy for Elyse. The other option for the second course was barbeque-cured roasted Moulard duck, smoked eggplant, and sweet sour peppers. I’ve never had duck breast resembling BBQ brisket, and neither have my friends. The small piece I sampled was flavorful, but I still preferred my scallops. *Click on the sound button for audio.

Main Courses & Dessert

I contemplated ordering the West Coast halibut with sherry broth, purple potato fondant, and frog legs. Still, I’ve never been a fan of frog legs despite trying various versions when I was in Singapore. I picked the Burgundy braised Virginia Beef Cheeks and Neck with kombucha squash, creamy spinach, and mushrooms. By this time, I was beginning to feel full and sleepy so I enjoyed the beef with spinach. I do not have a sweet tooth so desserts rarely get me excited. I shared the poached apple, dulce de leche pudding, and tamarind-based poaching liquid with my dessert-loving friend.

Chef jonathan krinn aka “Pivoter in chief”

Chef Jonathan Krinn has had an illustrious career, having worked with celebrity chefs such as Alain Ducasse and Tom Collichio - to name a few. Chef Jon Krinn opened “2941”, a fine dining establishment in Tysons, before opening Clarity in Vienna, VA. I first heard about Chef Jon Krinn when he pivoted and invited 12 DC-based guest chefs to Clarity restaurant for a series of sold-out Crossing Culinary Bridges events during the pandemic. I got takeout meals from these events and plated them to resemble restaurant dining as part of my #pimpmytakeout personal project on Instagram. It was my small contribution to the food industry to help drive traffic to restaurants so that they can survive the pandemic. It was also one of the ways I distracted myself from the stress of going to grad school for my Master’s in Social Work. I’m glad I got on his mailing list so I was able to try his new restaurant before it opens to the public.

Elyse
10822 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: (703) 801-6925
*Located in the small building next to Dolce Vita

Cuisine: Contemporary French
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Ambience: Contemporary Casual
BYO: Yes. Corkage is $35 per bottle.
Reservations required

Price Range: $110 per person + 20% tips & tax
* Price does not include drinks or supplements like foie gras