Each Roy’s location has its own flair and coming from the Jacksonville Beach, Florida location Chef Opie admitted that he is able to make the cuisine a little lighter in Baltimore.  Being partially raised in the south, it wasn’t hard to understand because slathering  sauces, spices and butter are trademarks of  southern cooking . Roy’s, however, is all about Hawaiian fusion, which can be explained simply as combining the freshest local ingredients with European sauces and bold Asian spices. Nevertheless, there is nothing simple about the taste. It’s exotic, fresh, and an amazing experience to be had, especially on a wintery day in Baltimore.

 MCCN put ourselves in the hands of the chef as he took us on the task of introducing a few admitted novices to the likes of Hawaiian fusion cuisine.  Our venture took us on a journey through lobster potstickers, Lakanilau rolls (which were stellar), a Maui Wowie Shrimp Salad, Ahi Tuna Poketini, and Roy’s Trio (pictured above). Though, we enjoyed trying everything, gold stars have to be handed out sparingly, so let’s concentrate on a few items–the  lobster potstickers and Ahi Tuna Poketini. 

Presentation isn’t everything, but it sure does help, and the lobster potstickers were just perfect, drizzled with a spicy Togarashi Miso butter sauce with a memorable sweetness that was not at all overpowering. The potstickers were light, vibrant and a great starter.  Next, was the Ahi Tuna Poketini. Can you be in love with food? It was love at first glance with this beautifully displayed appetizer. Chunks of Ahi Tuna in a martini glass arrayed with its several herbs and spices and the result was amazing. The tender chunks were marinated in truffle oil, black pepper, sea salt among other spices. It would be impossible for your mouth to be bored because once it tastes one spice it’s on to the next. Definitely a winner, and if you are bold enough to go tartare…go ahead and do it.

Now in all fairness, my dining companion was bowled over with the Maui Wowie Shrimp Salad, which has noteworthy-sized shrimp, feta, avocado, sweet onions, tomatoes  and a caper lime emulsion. Aaaah...capers! It was extremely good and one of Roy Yamaguchi’s original Hawaiian fusion classic dishes.

Sometimes it seems that dessert is an afterthought for restaurants, but experiencing some of the desserts on Roy’s Sampler was a treat. The choices are clever and go along with the Hawaiian theme. My least favorite was the pineapple upside down cake served with coconut ice cream. It wasn’t bad; it simply wasn’t head-turning.

The Macadamia Tart was better than I expected. It simply looks like a waffle with ice cream on top, but the macadamia nuts are baked right inside which gives the dessert a burst of nutty flavor that was quite delicious. The tart is accompanied by vanilla bean ice cream.

Last but certainly not least, one could make the trip to Roy’s simply to enjoy Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé with raspberry coulis and vanilla bean ice cream. It is also referred to as a chocolate molten lava cake, but believe it or not, this is a flourless cake. Don’t let this dessert sit because it would be a disservice not to eat it while it’s hot and able to ooze down your palate in all of its rich chocolatey goodness. Paired with the raspberry and vanilla bean ice ceam the richness continues and sets the bar high for other chocolate lava cakes.

 Website: http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/MD/baltimore.asp

Atmosphere: Relaxed

Dress:  Casually Dressy

Price: Pricey but worth it.