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| Roy’s: A Hawaiian Delight by Christine Woodhouse If you share my slightly unoriginal fantasy of jetting off to Hawaii for a luxurious island getaway, you may be interested in escaping for the evening to Roy’s, right here in Atlanta. This local destination has been steadily treating Atlantans to the pleasures of Hawaiian food and drink for several years now. And while I rarely approve of chain restaurants, I can’t wait to taste test this one. Founding chef and owner, Roy Yamaguchi, opened the original Roy’s in Honolulu in 1988. Since then, his fusion philosophy of bold Asian spices and traditional European sauces has caught on in locations such as Austin, Texas, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York City, and now Atlanta. Yamaguchi’s fundamental love of food, European training, and childhood in Hawaii and Japan are the secrets to his delicious inspiration. For a most authentic start to my first experience at Roy’s, I choose the Hawaiian martini. The signature house infusion is made over a period of days by immersing fresh Hawaiian pineapple in a blend of straight vodka, vanilla vodka and rum. I fear an overly sweet, alcoholic concoction but my island fantasy is calling loud and clear. It turns out, there is no need to worry. The drink is absolute perfection. The pure mix of fruit and complementary liquors bares no resemblance to the sticky sweet drinks served at your average bar. It’s a light, more refreshing martini that still delivers that trickle of warmth to your throat and chest, giving your neck and shoulders permission to release after a long, long day. Sinking into utter relaxation, I can’t imagine exerting the energy to debate appetizers and quickly acquiesce to Roy’s canoe for two. The predictable sampling of coconut shrimp, dim sum, egg roll and ribs gets points for adding a sample of sushi with the spicy tuna roll. My favorite, however, is the coconut shrimp. I almost forgot how much I love that crunchy sweet coconut coating. And the shrimp are big enough to spoil my appetite if I’m not careful. Roy’s salads, I discover, are a great way to taste a variety of tropical ingredients all at once. The Molokai chopped salad combines pineapple, carrots, jicima, macadamia nuts and a crispy goat cheese crouton. The sweet fruit brightens up a salad laced with creamy dressing and studded with crunchy macadamia nuts. The Maui Wowie salad is another good way to get your greens, with a mix of sweet kula onions, capers, shrimp, avocado, feta cheese and fresh lime. There are so many tempting entrees mai ke kai (from the sea), I barely notice the pork, steak and lamb options. Luckily, my friend agrees and we decide to share the cedar plank nairagi and the scallops. Nairagi, the waiter explains, is a Hawaiian fish similar to marlin or swordfish. It’s cooked on a cedar plank soaked in tequila and complemented with margarita rice. One bite and I’m sold. The fish indeed resembles the thick texture of a steak and transfers the smokey essence of its oven time straight into your mouth. The rice is soft and flavorful, pleasantly shirking its plain white reputation. The day boat scallop plate reflects Yamaguchi’s European influences with Mediterranean hummus and fried artichokes on the side. A drizzle of lemon emulsion brings life to all three and makes sense of the unusual trio. My trip to paradise is incomplete without a stroll down dessert lane. Both the pineapple upside down cake and the chocolate soufflé are baked to order and both are divine. They arrive warm from the oven and I dive into the melting hot chocolate first. The flourless cake is blissfully dense and rich. If left to my own devices, I would consume mountains of such decadence. But there are witnesses so I share it politely while reaching for a taste of pineapple upside down cake. Its sweeping curve of cookie garnish is quite elegant but I’m more interested in tasting that spongy goodness underneath. Sweet bits of pineapple fleck the deliciously moist cake while a scoop of vanilla ice cream starts to melt alongside it. Dragging a forkful through the growing pool of cream, I breathe a long sigh of thanks for my newfound island retreat. Roy’s is located at 3475 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30305. For more information or reservations, go to (404) 231-3232 or visit www.roysrestaurant.com. |
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| From top to bottom: Mowie Wowie Salad with Capers, Shrimp, Tomatoes, Feta, Bib Lettuce and a Yuzu Lime Vinaigrette. Blackened Ahi Tuna with Spicy Soy Mustard and Buerre Blanc. Chicken Spring Rolls with Black Bean Dragon Sauce. Lakanilau Roll/ Inside out roll with Snow Crab, Tempura Asparagus and Truffle Oil. |
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