Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant Introduces New Fall Prix Fixe Menus

Throughout the year, Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant offers seasonal prix fixe menus throughout all their restaurants. Their 3-course Fall Prix Fixe menu is currently available for $35.95 per person, which includes a fresh and flavorful appetizer, entrée and dessert. Recently, I was invited to a hosted Media Dinner at Roy's by Liz Murphy of Formula PR Inc to sample some of the dishes featured on this fall menu.

Our tasting menu started with "Elaine's" Kabocha Squash Salad with Cinnamon Spiced Pepitas and Cranberry Vinaigrette. Who's Elaine you may ask? She's the winner of a recent contest on Roy's Facebook where their Facebook followers got to suggest two ingredients that would be used for a salad and the winner was Elaine. Congrats to Elaine. As for the salad, it was a nice combination of flavors from the tartness of the cranberry vinaigrette to the sweet and woody nuttiness of the cinnamon-spiced pepitas.

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The second course was easily my favorite of the night and it was the Blackened Rock Shrimp and Red Bean Soup with Portuguese Sausage and Shishito. What a hearty and a fall appropriate soup. It was filling and full of flavor and I enjoyed the hit of heat that came from the shishito peppers.

Next to arrive was the Artichoke and Goat Cheese Crusted Salmon with Sundried Tomato Sauce. I really liked the golden crust on the surface of the salmon and enjoyed eating the little bites of embedded artichoke pieces, but where oh where was the goat cheese? Perhaps there wasn't enough added to the fish. Goat cheese to me has these pungent flavors and there's a bite to it that I adore. If the promise of the goat cheese had been fulfilled, this would have been a much better dish.

Following the salmon came the Cilantro Grilled Tiger Shrimp with Stewed Curried Lentils. At my table of four, this was the least favorite dish of the group. However, the spicy and peppery cilantro complimented the sweetness of the shrimp, so I enjoyed it; however, the curried lentils didn't do it for me. The flavor of the lentils seemed muddied and heavy to me. It was hard to distinguish what seasoning was used to cook them. All of them just melded together.

From sea to land and up next was the Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Natural Braising Sauce and indeed the short ribs were tender and those mashed potatoes were definitely creamy. I also liked the playfulness of how the mashed potatoes were piped to form a spiral shape.

Finally, it was time for dessert and on one plate, we were served both the Pumpkin and Ginger Cheese Cake with a Pumpkin Anglaise and Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé, which is a Flourless Chocolate Cake with a Molten Hot Center served à la Mode. I should probably mention that cheese cake isn't a favorite dessert of mine. It's not that I have anything against it, but there are other desserts I'd rather order.

Having said that, it's a good cheesecake and you can definitely taste the pumpkin. I also really liked the ginger cream that was served with the cheesecake and the pepita brittle was pretty darn good as well. I've had Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle before and it's just as good now as it was the first time I had it a few years ago. It's hard to resist a chocolate cake with oozing chocolate sauce. I know I couldn't.

To end, I always appreciate it when a restaurant changes up its menu to fit the season. For one thing, it makes use of ingredients that are at their best. Second, for regular diners, it's a nice change from the regular menu and it's an invitation to come back and visit if you hadn't been at the restaurant in awhile. So if you hadn't come by Roy's downtown LA location, now may be the time.

Click here to view the entire Fall Pre-Fix Menu!

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant
800 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 9007
(213) 488-4994


Just an FYI, that along with the hosted meal, I also received a Roy's $50 Gift Certificate.

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