There’s no denying that the thoroughly modern place with a slight Hawaiian feel called Roy’s of Newport Beach is a hot restaurant. Since it opened in July, it has been reeling in the trendy crowd, the curious crowd, and the foodie crowd that migrates around the Newport restaurant scene. It is one of the restaurants where making a dinner reservation is highly recommended if you want to be seated upon arrival. However, should you like to hang at the bar for a drink before dinner, as we sometimes do, you’ll find the wait quite tolerable in these lovely surroundings.
We’ve had some very interesting dinners here with some very interesting dining companions. There was the evening with Leo and Virginia Zlaket of Garden Grove, our longtime friends, and their neighbors Curt and Lexi Pringle (he’s the former Assembly speaker), who have become our dining buddies of late. There was a delightful evening with businessman Bill Ferdi and wife Miriam. There was a girls’ evening, too, in a corner booth for a stroll through the menu, a sampling of a couple of bottles of wine and an abundance of laughter.
Then, there was the rather amazing dinner a couple of weeks ago with the most intriguing winemaker of all, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon. Further discussion of the latter is held in abeyance for an upcoming column, since Randall and Roy’s in one article would be just too much of a good thing.
When Roy’s first opened in Newport Center, I liked very much the tastes of the food, but I wished for more of the Pacific Rim influence evident in namesake Roy Yamaguchi’s restaurants in the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and Tokyo. The wait was rather short because before long the menu evolved to give us a taste of a brand new cuisine for Orange County. Yamaguchi, along with the permanent chef at the Newport location, Chris Garnier (who has been working with the boss for seven years), came up with a long list of unique Pacific Rim dishes that mimic no other food. Can you hear me clapping?
For historical perspective, I should add that I first met Roy Yamaguchi, now 43, in 1984 at 385 North (as in La Cienega) in LA. Though a very young chef at the time, who had grown up in Okinawa, he has since been credited with creating the notion of fusion/Pacific Rim cuisine at that location. However, it wasn’t until he moved back to Hawaii that his new cuisine, grounded in French techniques with nuances of Asian herbs and spices, caught fire. Today, the Hawaiian restaurants are Roy’s, the others, including a few in the U.S., are partnerships.
The menu presents traditional Yamaguchi signature-style dishes on the left side and local Pacific Rim specialties on the right side that change day-to-day. This is food you really can’t cook at home, making it an extra treat. We just don’t have a pantry full of exotic spices nor lemongrass, cilantro, fresh ginger and such in the refrigerator at all times. Nor can we manage the techniques involved in making the layered flavors upon which these dishes are built.
In the appetizer realm, order the yummy lobster potstickers with an engaging soy-chile dipping sauce on the side. Tender baby back ribs are borderline Chinese with their hoisin-based sauce. Calamari is seared with garlic and broccolini (that retains its crunch and bright green color) and served with an Asian-spiced spaetzle in the center. Plump cubes of sashimi-grade tuna are barely marinated with a gingered sesame and soy sauce mixture for their rather royal version of sashimi called poke.
There are a few pizzas on the menu: tiger shrimp and peppered pancetta, Asian barbecue pork, and blackened chicken with stewed Louisiana andouille sausage being three of the most interesting ones. As for salads, I really like the Chinese chicken melange with candied pecans and a decidedly Asian dressing. I also enjoy the textural variations in the crispy calamari and shredded Napa cabbage salad.
Charred snapper and seared scallops are delicioso on their plate, painted with Thai-style coconut curry. A spicy crab and avocado mousse is an interesting juxtaposition to a generous cut of swordfish. We’ve twice ordered the charred sea scallops with pad Thai noodles because they are so good tossed in their sweet chile sauce. A new favorite of mine is the steamed Chinese-style sea bass: cilantro and ginger make a pesto draping the fish perched against a mound of jasmine rice.
Rack of lamb is exotic and wonderful, glazed with a Mongolian chile seasoning. There’s a very moist, slowly roasted chicken. Short ribs of beef are falling off the bone. Red-meat fans have appreciated the wood-grilled Porterhouse steak with rich scalloped potatoes and a bit of red wine-truffle jus. Filet has the unmistakable seared flavor from grilling over an open flame. The peppercorn and blue cheese “fondue style” sauce is a very nice enhancement. A combo plate featuring a ribeye steak with peppercorn brandy sauce and tiger prawns with lobster sauce is a good choice for those who cannot decide what to eat. And, sometimes an appetizer followed by soba noodles mingled with a stir-fry of baby bok choy and shiitake mushrooms is so satisfying.
The wine buyer for Roy’s, Randy Caparoso, gets my applause for putting together one of the most interesting lists around. It’s worth a gold star for eye-catching labels alone. Randy says that he “strives for as much variety, flexibility and surprise in the wine list as in the food.” This results in 14 very interesting wines by the glass. Rather than Chardonnay, have a delicate off-dry 1998 Zilliken Estate Reisling, or the amazing 1997 Treana “Mer Soleil Vineyard” Marsanne/Viognier. It is scented with tropical fruits, is creamy and lush in the mouth, and it lingers on the palate for a long, long while. Reds: 1997 Arcadian, Bien Nacido, Pinot Noir, or 1996 Justin “Isosceles” that’s a stunning, concentrated Bordeaux-style blend. Take your time reading the list. From descriptions alone, you’ll learn a lot about the unique wines from around the world.
My final demand is that you not pass up the molten hot chocolate souffle with vanilla bean ice cream. It is nothing short of awesome.
