Roy’s, the restaurant of celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi in Fashion Island, is doing a culinary tour of the fresh flavors of the five Hawaiian Islands, something that promises to be an annual tradition.
Created by Yamaguchi, the inaugural Island Hop Wine Dinner is set to feature a five-course prix fixe dinner paired with premier wines from California’s award-winning Franciscan Estate Winery.
The artistic food and wine dinner is scheduled for March 15 at 6:30 p.m. The price is $85 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Sounds like a bargain to me.
The beautiful backdrop of Hawaii, with its wealth of resources, continues to inspire Yamaguchi in his every day cooking: “This special dinner is our tribute to the rich culinary diversity of the five Hawaiian Islands that have played a significant role in shaping my repertoire.”
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Hawaiian fusion sampler from Roy’s: Yamaguchi is a pioneer of the culinary style |
Yamaguchi is regarded as a pioneer who has mastered a distinctive style known as Hawaiian fusion cuisine.
As testimony to his success, there now are 31 Roy’s worldwide. Honored early in his career with the prestigious James Beard “Best Pacific Northwest Chef” award, Yamaguchi has hosted six seasons of the PBS-TV show, “Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi.”
Other TV appearances have included the Food Network’s “My Country, My Kitchen,” which featured him in Tokyo; “Emeril Live,” in which he appeared on an episode dudded “Emeril’s Cookin’ Kahunas”; and the American debut of “Iron Chef” on UPN.
Yamaguchi also has published two cookbooks, “Roy’s: Feasts from Hawaii” and “Hawaii Cooks.” He is a frequent guest chef on the Home Shopping Network where his line of cookware is sold.
The menu begins with pupus from Oahu. I already can envision the char siu pork and Kona lobster stir-fry that will be served with the Estancia 2004 Pinot Grigio (Estancia is a separate brand owned by Franciscan).
The formal first course represents the island of Molokai via steamed Molokai Channel moi fish and opakapaka with shrimp mousse. With it is Franciscan Oakville Estate 2001 Chardonnay Cuv & #233;e Sauvage.
A second course of Vietnamese-style Kauai shrimp with udon noodle salad is matched with Estancia Reserve 2002 Stonewall Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Two courses to go, the next of which is Asian barbecued Big Island filet of beef tenderloin in apple curry sauce, served with Franciscan 2001 Oakville Estate Magnificat (a high-end rich and polished meritage style wine reminiscent of fine Bordeaux, with layers of currant, blackberry, woodsy essence and receding anise scents in the background).
That leaves only the island of Maui. It is by way of that island’s signature Sugar Loaf upside down pineapple cake, which is to be savored with Ravenswood 2004 Sonoma County Moscato.
More details about Yamaguchi and Roy’s locations are at www.roysrestaurant.com. Roy’s: 453 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. For reservations, which are recommended, call (949) 640-7697.
Central Coast Wine Tour
Wine-intensive gatherings in various areas of California require enough notice for you to clear your calendar.
So I’m informing you of California’s SLO Reserve Wine Tour. Reserve Events & Destinations presents The Best of SLO County June 2 to 5. It’s a chance to get to know San Luis Obispo County’s elite wineries from Paso Robles to Edna Valley during this packaged tour, which includes three nights at the Paso Robles Inn, a welcome reception and wine tasting, two days of escorted wine tasting, breakfast and lunch and an elegant farewell winemaker dinner.
San Luis Obispo is a nice four-hour drive from here, a good little getaway. And, if you’ve not visited some of the wineries in the region, it’s an opportunity to expand your knowledge of some of the central coast’s finest wines. Information: (805) 237-0400 or www.reserveevents.com.
If you want to just wander up to the San Luis Obispo area and visit wineries on your own, then lodging is paramount.
I can suggest a trio of places that provide the kind of service and accommodations I appreciate. There’s the newly renovated Carlton Hotel. First built in 1929, the Carlton Hotel in Atascadero reopened only three weeks ago, after a major floor-to-ceiling renovation. Features of the 52-room luxury hotel include the Carlton Restaurant & Grill; diVINE, a gourmet dining restaurant with wine cellar; a lounge and wine bar and a European-style bakery and cafe.
For information, call (805) 461-5100 or see www.the-carlton.com. The 30-room Avila Village Inn recently opened in Avila Beach. The inn is faithful to the arts and crafts era with custom Mission-style furniture. All rooms and suites have fireplaces, wet bars and even spa tubs. Try for a room with a balcony facing the creek. For more information, call (805) 627-1810 or visit www.avilavillageinn.com.
Finally, there’s the Oak Hill Manor Bed & Breakfast in Atascadero. It even offers the use of a stretch limousine for your wine tasting tours in Paso Robles Wine Country and the Edna Valley, in addition to shuttling guests to restaurants and the theater. The gazebo and patio areas feature ponds and waterfalls and generally lush views of the whole surrounding area. Call (805) 462-9317 or visit www.oakhillmanorbandb.com.
