Mock Dinner at Roy's Waikiki - Familiar Flavors with New Spice
Gail Jennings, Additional Photos by Scott Schultz
May 2007

How do you get invited to one of Roy's famous "mock dinners" that are an integral part of the opening process for all of the Roy's restaurants? Well, you have be a member of the "Roy's Ohana" which includes vendors, employees/family of employees and regular customers or, as it was in our case, be good friends of someone who is part of the ohana. Marianne & Scott Schultz, longtime "Roy's Ohana" members graciously included us in their party when they were invited. Needless to say, we were delighted to have the chance to get an early peek at the newest Roy's.

Located on the ground floor (makai of Yard House) of the new Beach Walk complex in Waikiki, the physical space is delinenated between outdoor and indoor by divergent design elements. The exterior, which starts on Lewers and wraps around to Kalia, sports a casual island air - cocktail tables topped with thatched canopies, tiki torches and a good-sized bar. As Marianne pointed out, it is easy to imagine tourists walking by being drawn in by the mildly exotic, yet friendly ambiance.

I found the interior to be much less tropical in feel, but quite attractive. The entry, foyer and hallway to the main dining room are elegant, understated and feature very appealing art works and a charming Buddha head wearing a beautiful cream and blue ribbon haku. As you stroll down the long hallway, the wine storage unit dominates the end on the right and entices you with the expectation of enjoying a glass or two from the always distinctive wine selections that Roy's restaurants are known for keeping. If you can tear your eyes away from the wine, the signature open kitchen is straight ahead with a short counter and stools in classic sushi bar style.

Two steps down and you're in the dining room which is done in warm shades of rich red, deep brown and gold with touches of royal purple from the napkins. There was an obvious effort to incorporate certain key elements such as a wave design which repeats in the flatware, the chair backs (not so comfortable - ask for a booth if you go) and on the glass dividers. The requisite gyotaku by fisherman and artist Naoki is stunning in size and color as the school of fish swim across one entire wall. The only jarring element which seemed really out of place was the industrial carpet on the dining room floor that can only be described as ugly - I'm sure it's functional, but it detracts from the whole.

The purpose of the mock dinners is to give the staff the opportunity to experience what it will be like when the restaurant is open and busy. The night we were there, they had anticipated 125 covers, but ended up doing somewhere in the neighborhood of 180. I would say it was an excellent learning experience for the entire team. Management members were monitoring the service and food asking for specific comments, suggestions and feedback. We couldn't help but appreciate the efforts from general manager Diva Schroeder who is not only one of the most gracious hospitality professionals in Honolulu, but is also an example of Roy Yamaguchi's philosophy of promoting from within. According to Marianne, Diva started as a server at the Hawaii Kai Roy's many years ago and worked her way up to general manager, first in Hawaii Kai and now in Waikiki. Frankly, I was amazed at what an outstanding job everyone did. The service was very good and the food excellent with just a couple of minor bobbles.

Regarding the food, the menu we were offered included many of Roy's signature dishes as one would expect. Just because it's a signature dish doesn't mean it doesn't need to be practiced by the kitchen and serving staff. Some of the dishes were created for the Roy's Waikiki and, as we were instructed, everyone at the table ordered a different entree as well as a variety of sushi, appetizers and desserts.

We ordered the Tanimura Roll which was not just a delicious inside-out sushi roll of shrimp, roasted garlic cream cheese and avocado dressed with a creamy Shiracha based sauce, but an architectural wonder as well. At first we weren't quite sure how to tackle it; eventually we figured out that we needed to topple the bridge and it would gracefully separate into pre-sliced rolls. The bright orange sauce actually resembled a bottled creamy French dressing which could have fooled someone who wasn't paying attention to the menu. The flavor was off the charts delicious and had a nice amount of heat.

One sure way to get almost every appetizer offered is to order the Roy's Canoe which is usually made for two. It can be made for more, if you so request. It comes with a mini-version of Roy's famous crab cakes, seared tiger shrimp, baby back ribs, chicken spring rolls and spicy tuna roll. The shrimp were so perfectly done, they provided the inevitable reminder that the best items are often the simplest ones. The spicy tuna roll was a big hit as the thinner-than-usual slices had been lightly battered and deep fried. They were accompanied by a wonderfully spicy-crisp kimchee which was a perfect complement to the sushi. Marianne found a couple of inedible chicken bits in her spring roll; when it was pointed out to the staff, we could see the kitchen madly digging through the filling seeking out any other offending pieces.

Roy's Waikiki offers a special version of the retro iceberg lettuce salad that has become commonplace on menus over the past few years. This one features baby iceberg lettuce, crumbled prosciutto, baby grape tomatoes and a tangy buttermilk bleu cheese dressing. The other salad offered was called Sweet Home Waima-Nalo and was created with delicate greens and thinly sliced radishes, and a wee bit too much dressing which caused the greens to wilt a bit. The dressing itself was a sweet cream herb dressing from Nalo Farms owner Dean Okimoto's line of dressings.

As I mentioned earlier, the specially printed menu requested that each person order a different entree and we spent considerable time debating whether to order familiar items from the Roy's classic selections or new dishes unique to executive chef Jason Peel's kitchen. We finally decided just to order whatever we wanted regardless of whether the item was a classic or a (hopefully) future classic.

From the original Hawaiian Fusion choices we ordered Jade Pesto Steamed Local Onaga and Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Butterfish; from the new choices we ordered a surf & turf combo of Foie Gras Butter Glazed Flat Iron Steak & Hawaiian Shutome Au Poive and Grilled Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs.

The onaga remains one of the favored choices in no small part because of its lovely appearance. The brilliant green of the pesto contrasts beautifully with the pink and white of the fish making it a delight to behold. Fortunately, it also is very tasty due to the Chinese-style sizzling preparation which seals the tender meat while adding flavor from soy sauce.

Every time I've tried Roy's misoyaki butterfish, the taste brings back memories of beloved Japanese flavors - the sweetness of sake combined with the earthy richness of miso transport me back to happy times spent in Japan. The ginger wasabi beurre blanc elevates the experience adding a complex dimension that is familiar yet intriguing.

The new dishes did not disappoint either. The only flaw in the surf & turf was the fish was slightly overdone which made it just a bit dry particularly in comparison to the lush moistness of the onaga and butterfish. The red wine sauce with truffles worked well with both the beef and fish and that is not an easy thing to do. There was no flaw whatsoever in the short ribs. It was accompanied by Maui onion Lyonnaise potatoes and a small dish of poi topped with spicy lomi tomato. The ribs were proclaimed a favorite by everyone at the table.

Judging from the appetizers and entrees, I would say that executive chef Jason Peel is doing an excellent job of upholding the Roy's standards while adding his own touch. That touch will develop over time, but I think one element of it is his willingness to add more spice and heat to dishes where it is appropriate. There was nothing bland or boring in anything we were served. Everything was vibrant and appealing.

Now, as regular readers know, I am passionate about desserts and this paragraph contains information that non-dessert lovers will find completely irrelevant. Here goes. If there is a blind spot on the menu, it is with the desserts. While it is impossible to fault the classic Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle, the very success of this (and the Warm Big Island Pineapple Upside Down Cake with yummy dark rum caramel sauce) may have resulted in a lack of attention to the new offering, Beach Walk "Smores". Described on the menu as a nutella cheesecake topped with home made marshmallow, I envisioned a luscious cheesecake coated with warm marshmallow creme and possibly drizzled with dark chocolate sauce - all the elements that make 'Smores such a summertime favorite. So I was understandably disappointed when it turned out to be an chilled dessert with a rubbery marshmallow perched on the cheesecake (which did have a nice texture and flavor). The entire dessert was buried under a mound of whipped cream - it was almost like they were trying to hide the evidence. Once again we proffered feedback. I went so far as to write a note suggesting the warm marshmallow creme, dark chocolate sauce and, as tribute to Hawaii, toasted fresh coconut rather than whipped cream.

In the end, we all agreed that the meal was one of the best Roy's dining experiences we've ever enjoyed. The original Hawaii Kai location has been like the Schultz' second kitchen since it opened and we have been privileged to dine there with them numerous times over the past few years. I am also a longtime fan of the Roy's on Guam which was my favored fine-dining destination during the many years I lived there. Between the Schultz' and myself, I believe we've dined at Roy's from Tokyo to Chicago. The new Beach Walk location more than fulfilled our expectations and I believe this place will become a must-try destination for tourists and locals alike. Roy Yamaguchi and the entire team should be proud as they are off to a brilliant start.