Restaurant Week starts today! I hope you all have your reservations ready
In honor of Restaurant Week (which, personally, for me, dinner is no longer worth it, because for $35, instead of being forced to order from a prix fixe menu, I’d prefer to order a la carte), my best friend and I decided to hit up Roy’s– the Friday before Restaurant Week started, so that we could order whatever we wanted. I did, however, manage to score a 20% off the food coupon through another friend, which was a nice little bonus as well. If you want to see my original review of Roy’s, click here– I dined here for summer Restaurant Week for the past two years.
As we had a lot to celebrate- our lives are just that great- we opted to start with the Bellinitini, which sounded promising- Stoli O, fresh peach nectar and champagne. The only problem was, there wasn’t enough peach nectar and too much vodka. The taste was overpowering at best, and at its worst, straight alcohol, with- as is standard for most champagne cocktails- subpar champagne. Ah well, cheers!
For our appetizer, we went with the Rock Shrimp Tempura with Sweet Thai Chili Glaze over Papaya and Mango Salad.
Rock shrimp, if you’ve never had it before, tastes like mini-lobster tails. Sweet, with a denser consistency to give it that extra chew, I’ve noticed that rock shrimp – particularly fried in some way- is an extremely popular appetizer choice in many of the trendy/upscale restaurants these days. I am not complaining- I love rock shrimp, and this dish was no exception. The sweet chili glaze was not overpowering, though after a few pieces, does start to tingle the mouth a bit, but the mango and cucumber (we didn’t see any papaya, but that was perfectly fine with us) tempered out the spice quite well.
I should add here that the first thing I did was drop a piece… right into my loose, waist-length hair. It hung there for a good 15 seconds while I just looked at it, trying not to move but laughing at the same time. Then it fell out, and my hair clumped up into a sticky mess right where it’d been (which came out with a little water in the bathroom). Be careful, these shrimp are “slippery lil suckers” or my chopstick skills aren’t up to par (the latter is probably truer).
For her entree, my best friend chose the Macadamia-nut Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Lobster Beurre Blanc. As you can see from my previous review of Roy’s, I ordered something similar last time, and it was fantastic. I heard no complaints from her except “I am so stuffed” at the end. She didn’t even finish the whole thing; she also commented that it was completely bursting with flavor. Yummy!!!
For my entree, I decided to try something different from my previous experiences and went with the Tribute to Roy- three different types of fish, three ways.
left to right: blackened ahi tuna; grilled salmon; butterfish
I am sorry to say I do not remember the exact names and ways the fish were prepared. However, I do remember how good they tasted. The blackened ahi tuna wasn’t quite blackened, though rare/raw in the center, and tasted good, except I did not like the strong mustard reduction on the side that wound up getting all over the rice. The salmon reminded me too strongly of salmon teriyaki- it was delicious, but it was still just salmon teriyaki, a dish I can get anywhere, anytime, and even make myself. The vegetable rolls on the side were yummy- crunchy and great dipped in the sauce on the salmon.
The real star of the night, the gem, the sole reason that I was thrilled with my decision, was the butterfish. I thought I’d had butterfish before, but apparently not. The fish itself was firm, but melted once in my mouth. The beurre blanc on the side added to the rich, soft taste of the butterfish, which had not a distinct flavor of its own, just a gentle sweetness. The salmon roe on top added a burst of saltwater, which again, despite the softness of the butterfish’s flavor, did not overpower this sweetness, just enhanced it. I will definitely be ordering butterfish if I see it on a menu, to compare another interpretation. I would go back just to order an entire entree of butterfish (which they have on the menu). That’s how good it was.
And then, of course, there is dessert.
Delicious, as always. Raspberry sauce laced with melted white chocolate, vanilla bean ice cream, and a souffle that opens and releases its hidden secret: a pool of thick molten chocolate. Heaven…. if you’re into that sort of thing, that is. (Which we definitely were.)
Yvo says: Again, I highly recommend this place. I have never had a bad experience here. YUMMY! As it’s currently Restaurant Week, perhaps ease your wallet into this and go for the prix fixe menu, and if you like it, you can try it again with the above-linked coupon (good until December). If you don’t- and this won’t happen- you won’t be too unhappy with the price, at least. Enjoy!!!!
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