Restaurant Review: Roy's Hawaiian Fusion, Anaheim, CA

Roy's - dinner on May 7, 2014, 4-star rating on yelp, 702 reviews

On my last night at our annual convention, I went with a few of my coworkers to Roy's Hawaiian Fusion. Roy's is also within easy walking distance from our hotel and I'd gone there last year for the first time. Ironically, there's one much closer to me at home than a business trip a plane ride away but I've only gone to the I'm-on-a-business-trip one.

Appetizers at Roy's include a free plate of spiced edamame - it's like their version of a bread basket but healthier.

Edamame

However, we opted for lobster potstickers from the appetizer menu too. They were good but I'd have to give the nod to the lobster ravioli at The White House for being a tad bit better in terms of lobster filling and flavor. Still, it was a good choice for an appetizer.

Lobster Potstickers

One of my coworkers opted for the Butterfish. She'd been at Roy's the night before with her team, had gotten it then and got it again when we were there. I had a taste of her butterfish and had to admit I could see why she had it two nights in a row - it is good. The sauce they pour over it caramelizes in the cooking and it was delicious. The butterfish was also tender, not soft like a sole (I don't like soft-fleshed fish) but nowhere near as firm as a swordfish or halibut. From a Goldilocks and Three Bears standpoint, it was just right.

Misoyaki Butterfish - $34.95

Another coworker got the Lobster Pot Pie. My only brush with lobster pot pie was the one at Michael Mina's in Las Vegas and that one was $85 so I didn't get it. Roy's lobster pot pie was a bargain in comparison at less than half that price. I had a sample taste of that one as well and thought it was also good. They seemed pretty generous with the chunks of lobster in the pie and who doesn't like pie crust, whether it's a sweet or savory pie?

Lobster Pot Pie - $38.95

As for my own entree, I ordered the halibut. I love halibut and this one came with risotto. This was also tasty but I have to admit, compared to the butterfish, the halibut comes in second. The sauce and flavor of the butterfish was superior to the halibut. It was still a delicious choice but next time I go to a Roy's, I'm getting the butterfish.

Alaskan Halibut - $34.95

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

There were two desserts on the menu that our server said had to be ordered ahead of time and we opted to get both of them: the pineapple upside down cake and the molten chocolate cake. I expected the molten chocolate cake to be my favorite and it was good but, surprisingly, the only non-chocolate dessert we got, the pineapple upside down cake, turned out to be the winner for me. The cake itself was delicious, the baked pineapple was the perfect complement of tart yet sweet and it was served warm, yum. The accompanying pineapple-shaped cookie was cute but it was soft, not crisp so it wasn't to my taste. I'd go back to Roy's just for the pineapple upside down cake if that gives you an indication of how much I liked it. That and the butterfish.

Molten Chocolate Cake

The third dessert that the four of us split was the Kona Chocolate Bread Pudding. I like bread pudding and I love chocolate but, another surprise, this came in third for me. I don't know if it was the Kona flavor or what but I didn't love this bread pudding. I liked the texture but wasn't enamoured of the taste. No matter, that meant I could focus more exclusively on the molten chocolate cake and the pineapple upside down cake.

Kona Chocolate Bread Pudding

Roy's is another place that isn't cheap but it's nowhere near as expensive as Morton's and if you want somewhere a little nicer in the mid to high price range, it's a good option. Our server was extremely friendly, not to mention passionate about her job and the food she was serving which is always nice to see. The place does get crowded though, at least it was when we were there, so I also recommend making a reservation, either through Open Table or by calling them directly.