Wednesday, August 26, 2009

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Roy’s Restaurant opened in Hawaii Kai in 1988, at a time when most of the better restaurants were outdated steak and fish houses.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.

30 comments:

darsden said...

oh man am I hungry.. be right back.. that food looks fabulous... even the shrimp that would kill me dead..kill me dead I said!!

blogger patrol was going to write you up for being a thursday's post on wednesday but you put that disclaimer in so .. no ticket for you today.. ma'am ;-)

darsden said...

oh I want the book woman..!!

Joanna Jenkins said...

Great choice. Roy's is always terrific.
YUM!
xo

Cristin said...

Oh, I'm so not a foodie. I'd sit patiently and watch Hubs eat all that crazy food, then find a place that will plunk down some chicken fingers and fries in front of me.

Jan said...

Roy Yamiguchi is of Japanese descent and while he is a classically trained French chef, he did a great deal to define Pacific Rim/Hawaiian Fusion cuisine. He has a restaurant on every major island (I've been to them all except for the one on Oahu) and I have 2 of his cookbooks (both signed so) you don't have to put me in the contest.

For the person who wins this cookbook - his signature dessert, the Chocolate Souffle, is decadent and oh-so-easy to make. Oh, and his Blackened Ahi? MAKE IT.

essbesee said...

hawaiian fusion sounds very good. Enter me for my hubby who's the cook of the family.

Little Ms Blogger said...

Pick me, Pick me... I loved signed cookbooks

I saw him on Top Chef Masters and after hearing about his food, I'd like to make it.

Unknown said...

I'm so in the mood for some of that chocolte souffle; actually, I'm in the mood for the entire thing!

Sprite's Keeper said...

Yes, please! I'm entering! My post is centered around my stay at a hotel tomorrow. Can I use that for Travel Tip Thursday? It does include a lesson learned!

cheatymoon said...

You don't have to enter me in that cookbook thing, since I'm not a cook. But I am SURE I would find something yummy to eat there. Oh, the photos are making me so hungry. Great post!

Amy said...

That looks amazing. I want to go there and eat.

Twenty Four At Heart said...

We have Roys here too. We have Hawaiian friends who have relocated to the OC. They know all the chefs and every time we go there with them we are treated like royalty. It makes for a fun night!

ReRe said...

I want to go to Roy's! Thinking how I could get hubby to understand the need to travel to Hawaii for Roy's, but I am working on it!

Liz Wilkey (a.k.a. A Mom on Spin) said...

Why does everything look more appetizing on a square plate???

Mike said...

The cake looked good! Or souffle or however you spell that!

Kathryn Magendie said...

oh lord that food looks good - geez, and I'd love to have that choco dessert in front of me RIGHT NOW!

I like ROy and have never met him, but I wish he had a restaurant near me! *smiling*


Here's a post where I traveled to Louisiana and posted pics - of course, not sure that's what you mean by travel, but that's okay!

GMR loves to cook - and I love to eat it *laugh*

Good Luck to everyone! :)
http://tendergraces.blogspot.com/2009/02/louisianalouisiana-theyre-oaks-are.html

Vodka Mom said...

oh jesus, now I'm hungry.


damn you.

Beth said...

From the looks of it, I'd book a flight to Hawaii just for the chocolate souffle.

Now, I have an unexplainable urge to eat something chocolate.

Liz Mays said...

Serving is hard work but it really is good money so I understand why you did it for so long.

Those are some pretty fancy dishes there. I can imagine the explosion of flavors each one possesses.

ds said...

Wow! Can practically taste the food through the pictures...beautiful (and some story! No need to enter me in your contest...there's no room for the cookbooks we already have! Thanks, though.

Lori said...

I just ate supper but you have still succeeded in making me hungry. This food looks so wonderful and I know that if I tried making it, it would not look like that! LOL But, it sure would be fun and nice to have the opportunity and time to make some things like this...some day my day will come to try.

Hit 40 said...

My boys love chocolate lava cake with ice cream!! I need to bake some this weekend for them. Yummy.

Thank you for the restaurant tips.

Michele said...

Who doesn't love chocolate cake. Yum.

I'd love the cookbook. I did a travel post this week. http://michele-dogslife.blogspot.com/2009/08/road-trip.html

Does it count?

Smart Mouth Broad said...

Oh boy, does that look good! I think I just gained 10 lbs.

Erin@TheLocalsLoveIt said...

Man I'm hungry. That was fabulous.

Melissa B. said...

I will add Roy's to my list! Someday, Hawaii will be the cards for me...I just KNOW it...

Casey said...

For once in my life, I didn't drool over a food post. Nothing personal but I'm on the tail end of a nasty stomach bug and nothing looks appealing.

Captain Dumbass said...

I'm desperately waiting for Supreme Leader to come home with some beef brisket hot pot. I should not have read this.

shaunna said...

kinda wishing i was in ko'olina right now with you munching on something scrumptious and having a coffee drink... after a day @ lanikuhonua. sigh.

(you don't have to enter me in the contest.)

Fragrant Liar said...

How great to have people like that in your life. When I come to Hawaii, besides visiting my Pseudo, I'm going to Roy's. :)

Thanks for the foodie journey. Really, thanks. I'm starving now.