Though there are Roy's Restaurants dotted across the continental United States and clustered thickly on the islands of Hawaii, part of the premise behind this high-class Hawaiian fusion joint is that the individual chefs of each establishment are in charge of designing and maintaining a menu using fresh, local ingredients.
Though every Roy's serves a core of dishes from founder Roy Yamaguchi's roster, fully half of the menu is comprised of an array of concoctions inspired by the Hawaiian fusion theme but based entirely on the head chef's mood. For this reason above all others, I was intrigued by Roy's. Executive chef Rand Packer, who apprenticed with Yamaguchi in Hawaii before being packed off to the mainland to head up the Tampa Roy's, combines the corporate must-have recipes with a variety of his own creations that fuse seamlessly into the collection.
A dinner at Roy's will have you digging deep into your pocketbook. Few entrees run less than $20, and even the bargain prix fixe menu costs $30 for three courses. This is par for the course in the neighborhood; Roy's is surrounded by some of the priciest restaurants in town, and the International Mall is a pohaku's throw away.
The spacious dining area is decorated in soothing golden tones, reminiscent of a tropical sunset, and all the tables are arranged around a super trendy exhibition kitchen that gives local beautiful people a chance to watch the resident chef (who's not too shabby himself) make their dinner.
Despite the elegant casual atmosphere, save this eatery for a special occasion (like celebrating your tax refund) or a very hot date, because it's difficult to get out of the place without dropping at least $70 per person.
We began the evening with some of the specialty beverages available at all Roy's restaurants. The house martini ($9) featured a bracing mixture of Skyy vodka infused with fresh pineapple, Stoli Vanil and Malibu rum. The end result is a refreshingly tangy beverage that tastes nothing like alcohol, which makes it a dangerous – yet delicious – option. Roy's also offers a large variety of wines by the (very expensive) glass for $8-$15.
On the appetizer front, we sampled one of Roy's classic dishes based on the adulatory recommendations of one of my companions, who'd ordered it at the Honolulu original. The "Big Island style ahi poke" ($11) came topped with diced cucumbers, tomatoes and a spicy vinaigrette made with inanona, the roasted Hawaiian kukui nut that serves as the traditional condiment of poke.
Though the many permutations of ahi tuna have become ubiquitous on any menu with a ghost of a claim to modernity, Roy's version distinguished itself with high-quality fish and authentic touches that did not overwhelm the mild flavors of the tuna.
We also tried one of Packer's dishes, crispy crab cakes ($9) piled high with greens and garnishes and drizzled with a spicy, sesame seed-spotted butter sauce. I like my crab cakes chock full of lump crab meat and not much else, and these had more breading in their make-up, but the taste was perfectly acceptable.
Our final appetizer was a selection from the sushi bar. We ordered a lakanilau roll ($15), the restaurant's signature "sushi," which features lightly seared beef filet wrapped around tempura asparagus, crab and fresh avocado. Everyone at my table thought it was a dynamite dish, and were eager to try one of sushi chef Lan Mai's original creations.
Unfortunately, this is where the dinner began going downhill. Our server, who'd begun the evening impressing us with his knowledge of the restaurant and its dishes, took his expertise a step too far. I should have anticipated it. He was the type of server who was too fond of using corporate jargon ("Would you like to enjoy one of our signature cocktails this evening?" "What dessert were you thinking of enjoying next?") and crediting his own tastes above his customer's desires.
We happened to ask one of the service assistants which of the items on the sushi menu was her favorite; she demurred, but volunteered to ask the sushi chefs for a recommendation. Unfortunately, the poor girl was caught in the act by our server, who proceeded to scold her in front of us, then lecture us on how inappropriate it was to make a request of any server other than himself. In addition, we learned, sitting there with our mouths open in shock, it was entirely unacceptable for us to ask for another sushi roll, because our entrees were already being prepared.
We pointed out that we were in no particular hurry, and would be happy to get the sushi roll whenever it was ready, regardless of what other courses we were "enjoying" at the time. At that point, the server informed us in no uncertain terms that he would be the one to dictate to us what we would be eating and when. (I didn't realize that my chin could actually hit the table.)
Further, he informed us that if we wanted the melting chocolate soufflé dessert, we had to tell him precisely two bites into enjoying our entrée, because it would take extra time to prepare. I understand that such specialty deserts generally require an advance order, but his "two bites" decree clearly pushed the issue. (For the record, he returned after three bites.)
As you can imagine, the reprimand put a bit of a damper on the evening. All the joy seemed sucked out of our second sushi roll, though it was as delicately and expertly manufactured as the first. Although I was eager to try our entrees, the shadow of our waiter's officious demeanor loomed heavy over every bite.
My filet Caribbean queen snapper ($25) with wasabi mashed potatoes and a mild, sake-based sauce was flaky, white and tender, but a bit bland. I much preferred the strong flavors in the butterfish ($27). The classic Japanese method calls for curing black cod in a mixture of miso, sugar, ginger and rice wine for at least a day. At Roy's, the fish is then charred until the surface caramelizes around the sweet, buttery filet.
We followed up our entrees with the aforementioned chocolate soufflé ($8.50), which was delicious (though again, our enjoyment was somewhat muted by the experience).
As if to add insult to injury, over dessert we were treated to an unwelcome briefing by our server on why he is considered one of the senior staff members, and is responsible for training others. Pity. I've worked as a waitress at both independent and corporate restaurants, and understand the pressures and behaviors required of both.
As a restaurant reviewer, I take pains to try to present my experiences as reflective of an average diner at the restaurant. I don't usually point out small service snafus, and only incorporate such criticisms into the review if I feel that the fault is systemic or simply outrageous. In this case, I feel there's a danger of both.
My dining companions remained mystified by his treatment. We worried that this clod was in charge of training other servers. We fretted that we might have gotten the poor service assistant fired (when we'd much rather have gotten her promoted). I'm not sure if this is the restaurant's style of service, but if so, it should be revised.
Rand Packer runs a nice place, a place that his mentor Roy Yamaguchi should be happy with. The eatery has a great location, a gorgeous atmosphere and serves up some high-class Hawaiian fusion meals. It's a shame one bad orchid can ruin the whole lei.
Diana Peterfreund dines anonymously and the Planet pays for her meals. She may be contacted at diana.peterfreund@weeklyplanet.com. Restaurants are chosen for review at the discretion of the writer, and are not related to advertising.
This article appears in Mar 2-8, 2005.