Visit a Roy's Restaurant on your Next Trip

By Christina VanGinkel

If you happen to be in one of the states that have a Roy's Restaurant, and you are looking for a meal that will leave you satisfied and wanting to make your next reservation before you are even finished with the meal in front of you, then check out this restaurant chain. Located in the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas, these restaurants are the culmination of a man's memories of his childhood, when he visited Maui with his grandparents. There, he was treated to the dishes of the islands fresh from the oceans, and these mouth watering delicacies made such an impression on that child that years later he vowed to bring those tastes and feelings to his own customers.

Roy Yamaguchi, though born in Tokyo, must have a bit of his heart from Hawaii, because he has managed to make sure that each of his restaurants makes you feel as if you are in Hawaii, at least a bit, even if you happen to be seated in Maryland or Pennsylvania.

A Culinary Institute of America graduate; he continued his education in the art of food and went on to become a Master Chef. All of these experiences and education prepared him to open his first restaurant in 1984 in Los Angeles, though it was not a Roy's Restaurant as so many have come to know and love. Not until 1988, when he returned to Hawaii, did he open the first of what was to become many Roy's Restaurants.

He has dubbed his menu what he refers to as Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, which is literally a fusion of those first dishes he tasted when visiting Maui with his grandparents and local ingredients (which is a testimony to his own excellent tastes and ability to take regular foods and turn them into some of the finest dishes you will ever taste). Add to that fresh fish, along with some of his own favored European sauces, and Asian spices, a mouth-watering assortment of desserts, and you have a menu that will please even the most discerning diner.

I visited my first Roy's restaurant many years ago when on vacation with family members, and my brother promised me a meal that would make all future dining experiences pale in comparison. The thing you need to know though is that I was never a fan of seafood or fish. I enjoyed the occasional deep fried shrimp basket at a local diner, along with a side of just as deep fried French fries, but somehow, I do not think that qualifies as having a basis to say that I liked seafood. Actually, if asked back then, I would have chosen any other style of restaurant o go to over one that served mainly, as I saw it, fish and seafood. My brother promised me a meal to remember and one that I would definitely enjoy, and so with just a bit more prompting, we went.

I did enjoy the meal, immensely. It was a full course meal, starting with an appetizer, followed up with Hibachi Style Grilled Salmon which was as mouth watering as it sounds. This was followed by a dessert that I cannot remember the name of, but was the most tempting display of chocolate in a souffle type serving that I have ever had. To top the whole meal off, the pricing was not even that outrageous. I believe that for four of us, our meal came to less than two hundred dollars. My brother paid on that occasion, so for me the price was even better.

I have since gone on to recommend these restaurants every chance I get, and I can promise you that you will enjoy both the cuisine and the atmosphere at any Roy's Restaurant you visit. Gift cards are available for gift giving at any of their locations, or they can also be ordered online. If you have friends or family nearby one of their many locales, a gift card for a meal out would be an excellent choice of gift for just about any occasion I can think of. Gift cards are designed to be as pleasing to the eye as the meal it will provide will be mouth watering delicious!