Roy's Restaurant

When I first heard of Roy's I was told, "it's a chain, but it's good." The term "chain restaurant" is synonymous with corporate pre-fab compost. While we have a nation of Olive Gardens and the like to thank for affirming this notion, we also have Roy's to thank for breaking the maxim that you can can't have a great restaurant in multiple locations. 

My friend Kevin joined me at Roy's for dinner. He's a Southern dandy by birth, but has as broad and sophisticated a palette as anyone I know. The two of us were looking forward to this meal for days in advance. So the drive to Pasadena was filled with as much anticipation as traffic. 

Our much needed Mai Tai's arrived and oh did they deliver. They were made with pineapple juice, a very pleasant surprise and paired delicious dark and light rums. The Mai Tai's were so tasty that I nearly forgot to order the Mojito, which came highly recommended. The Mojito was wonderful with loads of fresh mint and no shyness with the rum. 

Now it was time to navigate the menu. I expected the menu to be challenging, for everything I order, there's going to be something else I can't. After flipping back and forth through the pages I decided we would first start off with sushi and a few appetizers before the entrée. 

We ordered two rolls; the Little Feet Roll and the Lakanilau Roll. The Lakanilau Roll was the first thing I tried and it sent me reeling. This roll combined Kobe beef, crab, avocado and asparagus. I had to chew very slowly to comprehend all the flavors happening at once. The Little Feet Roll combined rich roasted unagi playfully accompanied by pineapple, avocado and candied macadamia nuts that gave it a nice crisp texture. 

In addition to the rolls, we had the Fillet Tartare and the Jerk-style ahi. Kevin tried the Fillet Tartare and was not taken, stating that it just wasn't his thing. That was my benefit because I thought this dish was perfectly done, well seasoned and a real treat. I will admit my fear of raw eggs resigned the quail egg to mere decoration. The Jerk-style Ahi was another standout. This dish was a daily special and not always on the menu. 

All this and we still had not ordered our main course. Once we cleared the table again we opened our menus, endorphins surging and cocktails emerging, decisions...still not forthcoming. I must say, our pal Jill was a real pro; she had great suggestions and gave real substantive detail on the dishes. Yet, in typical fashion I could not chose between land and sea so I did what I usually do, take the "and" option over the "or" option making the Surf and Turf an ideal selection. Kevin was also indecisive, but I kept repeating the words, "lobster cognac butter sauce" until he was hypnotized into ordering the Roasted Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi, in the aforementioned sauce. 

The entrees arrived and affirmed the feeling that we could do no wrong. My fillet was nearly the circumference of a softball, set upon mashed potatoes, surrounded by vegetables and topped off with a skewer that barely held a half-dozen massive tiger prawns. Kevin's Mahi looked impressive as well, but I could hardly take my eyes off what was in front of me. The fillet was cooked to perfection, seared on the outside and just the shade of pink I like to see on the inside. The prawns were seared in butter and lightly seasoned, which was nice because they had so much flavor on their own. The mashed potatoes were thick, decadent and dreamy. In all this I had lost sight of Kevin who was having a sensory overload of his own. I hadn't noticed that he had given me a little sample of his Mahi Mahi. This fish was heavenly; it practically melted in my mouth as I heard that faint voice repeating, "lobster cognac butter sauce." 

Now earlier in the evening Jill had told us about dessert, Chocolate Soufflé and Pineapple Upside Down Cake. She said these would take extra time and to just keep them in mind. Now at this point we had not eaten a thing and told her to put us on the dessert list for one of each. So Jill pops in after dinner to see if we want coffee and desserts. Without speaking Kevin and I look at each other, back at her and we send four thumbs pointing to the affirmative. At this point a latte sounded like a very good idea. Kevin and I are both reeling at this point from a parade of amazing flavors. When they arrived Kevin opted for the Pineapple Upside Down Cake and I gladly took the soufflé, one of my favorites. I tried both and found they were a bit over-cooked and dry. I was surprised by this as they were both made at our demand. However, we had such a fantastic streak that I was hardly disappointed. After all, the desserts were not bad; they just broke the string of perfection that we had been graced with up to that point.