Roy's, San Diego

Roy's Hawaiian fusion restaurant recently opened its 8th California restaurant in San Diego. Although I was told it was a good restaurant, I was reluctant to dine here because it is technically a "restaurant chain", which I am not fond of. However, Chef Roy Yamaguchi, who owns the chain, has been operating successfully for 20 years, and ensures that he trains and mentors each of his local restaurant chef partners. Chef Roy Yamaguchi is best known for his unique combination of European techniques with ingredients from Asia Pacific.

We sat at a patio table that was right beside a fire pit to keep us warm from the night time breeze. Hawaiian music was playing all night which made you feel like you were on the islands, far away.

Instead of dinner rolls to start, our waiter brought us a plate of edamame sprinkled with salt and a mild chili powder.

For an appetizer, we ordered the carving board. This consisted of cured meats, smoked sausage, goat and brie cheese, and a type of fruit spread. Just as we finished placing our order, we spotted another friend sitting all by his lonesome at the bar. We called for him and invited him to join us for dinner. We ordered a second carving board just in case there wasn't enough food to go around.

For mains, two of us ordered Roy's classic trio. This dish was marked as an original favourite on the menu which meant that it has been a favourite menu item since the opening of the first Roy’s in Honolulu in 1988. The classic trio is a sampling of three traditionally prepared fish: hibachi grilled salmon, blackened island ahi, and Hawaiian style misoyaki butterfish. This was served with white rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The misoyaki was divine, and I could have eaten a whole plate of it.

J ordered the Hawaiian Ono that was served with a sizzling bell pepper vinaigrette and tempura vegetables. He was raving about it all night, and said that if we wanted to try some, we should come back the next night and order it ourselves. I think he enjoyed it too much!

My friend S ordered the roasted macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi with lobster butter sauce.

For dessert, I ordered an upside-down pineapple cake served with pineapple ice cream. It takes at least 20 minutes to make, so if you plan on ordering this, they reccomend that you let the waiter know in advance so you don't have to wait for it.

Roy's prides themselves in their committment to sourcing the finest and freshest quality seafood available. They focus on delicacies from the oceans surrounding Hawaii, and mentioned that most of their fish comes from the island. We all had a great meal...so much that no one offered to share anything with anyone.

Roy's

333 West Harbor Drive

San Diego, California, United States

Telephone: 619 239-7697

Dinner Menu