Travel Tip Thursday: Roy’s Restaurant

It's virtual travel day (tomorrow). I put the post up early as this afternoon I will be home late from work and there is a good chance a Teen Boy will be using the computer until after I am asleep. Plus, this gives you all plenty of time to get your own travel post or staycation post up (and to enter the contest).

And here we go...

If you are visiting Oahu, there are many excellent restaurants. From fancy to eclectic to hole in the wall to local drive in, there is something for every mood and budget. Due to Hawaii’s location in the Pacific and local demographics, Asian and Local cuisine rocks here. Since the late ‘80’s, so does Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

Roy’s Restaurant opened in Hawaii Kai in 1988, at a time when most of the better restaurants were outdated steak and fish houses. Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine is where “European techniques and Asian cuisine meet Hawaiian hospitality to create a fine dining experience unlike any other. Where the aloha style of service comes straight from the heart, and where any occasion becomes an unforgettable evening.”

Roy’s comes Pseudo recommended and not just because the food is fantastic or that the service is always great (not to mention the views). It come Pseudo recommended because Pseudo worked for Roy for nine years. I went back to waitressing when Daughter was barely a year old because the money doing anything else was not worth leaving my daughter with a sitter. I continued there even after I started teaching, during my entire pregnancy with Son (picture huge bellied Pseudo), and for six years after Son was born. For many years I taught school during the day and worked several nights a week at Roy’s Restaurant.

Roy is a cool guy and the best boss I ever worked for. Back then the Hawaii Kai restaurant was his first and only and he would be back behind the line cooking every night. After work, Roy and the managers would sit with the wait staff and we would have wine tastings and talk story. When my best friend left for a singing gig (she is the one who talked me into going back to waiting tables and into working at Roy’s) we all went out to a Japanese restaurant/karoke bar and Roy picked up the entire tab. I was sitting next to him and remember watching him order sake and beer and fill people’s glasses quietly.

Many of the original staff are now managing restaurants or are regional mangers. Roy helped a lot of people into careers. I have to admit there are times when I wonder if I made the right decision to leave Roy's to teach full time.... love my students....hate working for the State...

So, if you come to Oahu, head on out to the first and original Roy’s in Hawaii Kai. If you go early you will have gorgeous views of the ocean and Diamond Head. Or, head on out to the West Side to the Ko’olina Roy’s. It is a beautiful restaurant in a gorgeous setting. I like to sit outside at the wooden deck of a bar that is smack dab on the golf course.

These days (meaning low budget) we usually eat dinner at home then go sit at the outside bar for the chocolate soufflé. Must have for chocolate lovers.

For you foodies out there – now for a little something extra. Travel Thursday is giving away a signed cookbook from Roy’s. Leave a comment for an entry for the cookbook. Those of you who link a travel post will get five entries. If you are not that interested in winning a signed cookbook (rather go out than cook yourself), you can leave that comment too and I won’t put you in the running.