Alan Wong's, Mavro's, 3660, La Mer, Roy's -  it takes a lot to be mentioned in the same breath as high-end restaurants like these. All are definitely considered at or near the pinnacle of the Hawaii dining scene, and all have been pushing the envelope for many, many years, some from the very beginnings of the modern cuisine movement, or whatever you wanna call it, that began way back in the '80's. Chef Roy Yamaguchi played an instrumental part in those very beginnings, being one of the now-famous 12 chefs that first began meeting, trading ideas, and sharing comaraderie. These drink-filled gatherings of collective culinary genius quickly resulted in an evolutionary style of fine island dining, along with an official term to describe it - Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

The name was first officially used on some of the outer islands in 1986 through chefs like Peter Merriman, Mark Ellman, and Jean-Marie Josselin, but it was Chef Roy Yamaguchi, through his flagship Hawaii Kai location, that first introduced the concepts publically on Oahu. From there, it wasn't long before many of the other big chefs in the movement began arriving in Honolulu as well, such as Alan Wong at his name-sake restaurant, George Mavrothalassitis at La Mer Halekulani, Jean-Marie Josselin at A Pacific Cafe, and Russel Siu at 3660. It was the turn of an era, a beautiful thing to behold, a culinary flowering that continues to this very day.

Don't get hung-up on all the names and descriptions, though. We've all heard the various terms bantered about through the years, including Pacific Rim, Asian Fusion, Euro-Pacific, and more. Chefs to this very day will describe their cuisine in different ways, with chef Roy himself now settling upon the name Hawaiian Fusion. No matter what it's called, though, rest assured that while dining at any of these fine restaurants, you'll undoubtedly be treated to the freshest, highest-quality ingredients, the most impeccable service, and the very best chefs Hawaii has to offer! And that's saying a whole lot!

As far as culinary greatness goes, things haven't changed much these days for chef Roy Yamaguchi. His ever-growing family of restaurants throughout the world are still as competitively taught and creatively sharp as things were during the very opening of his first location in Hawaii Kai:

Gyotaku-filled stairwell at Roy's Hawaii Kai

Bar area

Open kitchen and dining room

Chef Roy has even introduced a menu priced for the common man like me, called Aloha Hour, which occurs nightly but at different times according to location, usually during the first 60-90 minutes after opening. Here in Hawaii Kai, that means from 5:30pm Monday-Friday and 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Only a handful of items are offered and bar seating is mandatory to participate, but with Kona Fire Rock's at $3 and other deeply-discounted drinks, as well as appetizers for $5 each, it's all well-worth your time. Check out this line-up of exquisite pupu's:

Spicy Ahi Roll

Shrimp Skewers w/Cucumber Namasu

Szechuan-Spiced Baby-Back Ribs

Braised Clams

Five bucks each? At Roy's? Get outta here!

Upstairs, in a more formal setting, is the main dining area, complete with gorgeous second-story views overlooking the Hawaiian sunset and beautiful Mauna Lua Bay. Here, a sampler platter, otherwise known as a Roy's Canoe, is a good way to enjoy several different items. Normally, they serve at least two people and are impressive in both size and presentation, but so sorry - while I have enjoyed several full-sized canoes over the years, the only picture I've got to show for it is a smaller, scaled-down sampler, a version presented as the first course in an individual prixe-fixe dinner. It came with a Szechuan-spiced beef rib, duck spring roll, crab cake, and seared ahi:

Sampler Platter

I luv, luv, luv prixe-fixe menus! They are the best way to really get acquainted with the chef and to sample as many different items as possible on a single evening. With places like Mavro's offering up to 15 or 16 different courses, the most I've seen on the island, and many other spots offering 6-8 courses regularly, I was a bit disappointed at Roy's prixe-fixe of only one app, one entree, and one dessert (the above 4 different items on one course does help, but still, it's not quite the same!). Of course, that takes nothing away from the actual dishes themselves, as despite having to stick with just one entree, I've found just about everything here top-knotch and satisfying over the years.

Here's a ginger port wine-glazed duck breast:

Duck breast

Absolutely delicious! The tender, tasty cuts of boneless duck was cooked to a perfect pink, with just the right amount of meat and just the right amount of fat. Underneath, a couple of sausage and mushroom-stuffed ravioli pieces were also phenomenal, with a smooth but very rich blend of meat, vegetable, and pasta that took the dish to a whole 'nother level, kinda like stuffing to a Thanksgiving turkey!

Likewise with one of their turf offerings:

Gorgeous rack!

Of lamb, that is. Covered with an herb/panko dusting, the large, thick cuts were beautifully done to a medium-rare, and accompanied with a sweet Kabocha puree and balsamic reduction sauce. With no gaminess whatsoever but that slightly exotic taste that makes lamb so delicious, it just doesn't get any better!

We'll check out another dish from Roy's Hawaii Kai in the form of their most famous dessert (bet ya already know what it is!) later, but for now we'll switch places to their Waikiki location, at the Embassy Suites Beachwalk:

Entrance shot, Roy's Beachwalk Waikiki

As roomy and gorgeous as Roy's Hawaii Kai is, I think Roy's Waikiki has stolen my heart! I mean, it has just as much room if not more, and being much newer, the place seems to me a bit cleaner in design, with a more modern touch. Like the original, it also oozes with a very inviting, local-style openness, sporting that very familiar look of Gyotaku fish walls and a giant, open, very busy kitchen. The dining areas, however, are slightly away from guests, making dining less noisy and a bit more intimate.

Main dining area

I'm always amazed how restaurants like these can not only stay in business, but thrive. I mean, the place is huge! How do they pay for such a giant chunk of astronomically-priced Waikiki Real Estate, as well as an entire brigade's worth of employees waiting hand and foot on your every move? I guess in the end, however, when you're good, you're good. With dishes like our next entree, I can better understand how they keep packing 'em in, night after night, year after year:

Trio of Fish

Without a doubt, the most frequently-asked question I get from visitors to the islands is regarding where to find fresh fish, and "Everywhere" is my usual answer! I mean, being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, as long as the restaurant is on the higher-end side, you can usually find super-fresh fish of a world-class caliber, and Roy's is no exception. Of course, with two varieties of fish on this particular platter, salmon and butterfish, not caught in Hawaiian waters, I guess visitors might prefer opakapaka, onaga, opah, mahimahi, and other such varieties instead. Still, the entire trio of fish was as delicious as it gets, with the sweet sake/white miso butterfish being a proven winner here at Roy's from the very beginning and the ponzu citrus salmon prepared to a tender, flaky, fatty perfection. The remaining fish type is from Hawaiian waters, and when done in the classic Hawaii Regional Cuisine style of seared lightly, left completely red in the center, and drizzled in a spicy soy mustard butter, there is perhaps no better symbol and no clearer way of presenting fresh Hawaiian fish!

Seared Ahi

Another way that Roy's has evolved over the years is the implementation of sushi, with this Waikiki location even housing a small sushi bar with a wide variety of traditional-style nigiri. Personally, I don't think their sushi compares at all with the best sushi houses on the island, but sticking to fancy, modern rolls aren't a bad way to go, especially with creations like this King crab-stuffed roll, redolent with lots of fresh crab taste:

King Crab Roll

Another timeless classic in the islands is boneless beef shortrib, slowly braised to a fall-apart, unbelievably tender finish. Just about every Hawaii Regional Cuisine restaurant features its own variety, with Roy's version coming glazed and charred with whole grain Dijon honey mustard, garlic, and herbs, then drenched in a beef jus reduction. Whipped potatoes, carrot, zucchini, and a fresh island tomato salsa complete the dish. No need for a knife here!

Braised Beef Shortrib

As for the famous dessert spoken of earlier, I think everyone on the island already knows exactly what it is - chocolate souffle cake!

Long-Time Island Favorite!

This piece of art is best requested from the very beginning, when entree orders are being placed, as it takes a full 30-45 minutes to prepare! The resulting flourless cake reveals a hot, molten center that literally flows like a dark chocolate volcano all over the plate! Anyway you look at it, it's an impressive, beautiful, and inter-active dish to experience, and when combined with a mound of silky-smooth vanilla ice cream? Life is good, lemme tell ya!

Surprise, Surprise!

A couple of years ago, I, along with Pomai Souza at Tasty Island and Ed Morita of Baker's Hours, had the privilege of contributing our own "Progressive Dinner Routes" for then-newspaper Honolulu Advertiser. I chose three locations within walking distance in Waikiki, the last stop being right here at Roy's for, what else - chocolate souffle cake! Since then, however, I've discovered a new dessert I'd be just as equally inclined to order, if not more so, and it doesn't even include chocolate!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Wow! While I'd consider the chocolate souffle semi-sweet, this pineapple cake makes absolutely no excuses for its liberal use of sugar! And the sweetness hits you from every angle, too - from the cake, the caramel sauce, the ice cream, even the crispy shell housing the ice cream! May sound a little overpowering, but the entire combination worked extremely well together. My new favorite dessert?

Yep, chef Roy Yamaguchi, after all these years - you still got it! Last month's visit to New York City was indeed memorable and mind-expanding, but never forget that the culinary talent in the islands leaves us with lots of ammunition to stand proud in our own right! The top chefs here combine the latest, most ground-breaking trends, the best of ingredients, and an unmistakeable island imprint, and you'll definitely experience all of these aspects when visiting Roy's.

Hey, hope you're closing-out the year strong, and don't get too carried-away with all these great grinds during the Holiday Season! It's too late for me, but maybe there's still hope for you!

Take care, and Aloha till next time!

Stan