Even as DD asked those words, I was trying to balance whether he would be tired, or whether I was feeling introverted. This particular evening, I was open to anything. Those are usually the evenings that end up with the most potential, because really, anything can happen. So despite the fact that a home-delivered pizza and a Vietnamese roast duck was on the table, I opted for adventurous. Who knows what the night would bring?
So to Roy's we went, a place DD had not been to in something on the order of 6 years, and a place I had never been to. I always walked by the Roy's in downtown Los Angeles, but I never went in. Looking back at it now, I should have stopped in at least once a week, if only to savor the glory of The Lakanilau. The Lakanilau is a sushi roll described in the menu as: Seared Kobe Beef Wrapped Around Yuzu Crab, Tempura Asparagus & Avocado. The Lakanilau is nothing like your everyday sushi roll. Whereas you would typically eat a sushi roll for freshness and a delicate flavor intermingled with a soft texture, this roll was an explosion of both flavors and textures. It's almost hard to describe, and I'm not usually at a loss for words... It was like the texture of the rarest of meats combined with a mildly crispy tempura asparagus surrounded by the warm, almost sticky rice. Delicious!
For my entree, I could not resist the mahi mahi: "Roy’s Classic Roasted Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi", a tender filet of mahi mahi, covered in crushed macadamia nuts and seasoned in a lobster cognac butter sauce. Oh yeah, you heard me. Lobster. Cognac. Butter. That's almost all I need to say! The fish was cooked to perfection, nice and tender, flaky to the point where that knife on the edge of your place settings looked on with envy. Each time you dipped it into the sauce, which was a full, thick glaze, you felt like you were going to have a heart attack, and it was going to be worth it!As part of the prix fixe menu, DD had the crispy shrimp lumpia, which was lightly crispy on the outside (not overcooked or too oily, as many lumpia tend to be), and soft and tender on the inside. The flavors were a mix of salty and sweet and sour all at once. Not your everyday lumpia! The entree was the "Pulehu" sirloin, with truffled fries and roasted shallot jus. The sirloin was prepared rare, though still a little tough on the outside. It was very tender on the outside and very richly marinated, almost like a red wine reduction. When you mixed this with the truffled fries, which were more like truffled potato fritters, it was yet another mix of textures and flavors, salty and sweet, tender and tough and crunchy, fully roasted and fried. It seemed like the theme of the evening was "multi-pronged approach", with both rich flavors and textures, and being a huge fan of textures, especially crispy/crunchy textures, this was quite a treat!
The finisher on the prix fixe menu was the "Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle", which was so very rich and thick. The top surface was crisp, almost like a brownie, but the inside was flowing out chocolate like molten magma--the way every chocolate souffle was born to disperse. And while I didn't like the crispy texture of the top, since I usually like my souffle's soft and tender, I loved the richness of the flavor. DD and I got through maybe half of it, as opposed to my usual one or two bites. (My favorites, for the record, are still the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris, Paris, Las Vegas, NV, and Ten Restaurant, Costa Mesa, CA. This does come a close third!)
Without adventure, we cannot discover potential new #1's, new options, new taste explosions... And while the dessert that drew us to this restaurant wasn't the absolute best I've ever had, everything else was so decadent, so full and rich, that I couldn't help but feel absolutely content and happy. It was delicious. And all was well.
Maybe I should have taken that lobster cognac butter sauce to go.
Roy's Restaurant
453 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, (949) 640-7697
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/
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