Paleo Restaurant Review: Roy's Hawaiian Fusion

Roy's was my favorite restaurant prior to going paleo.  My parents took me there for my 21st birthday, and I've been a slew of times since then at different locations across the country.  Almost always for a special occasion because Roy's isn't cheap.  However, if you stick to their prix fixe menu, you will leave very well fed without having to refinance your house to do so.  Oh, and on Mondays they have make your own prix fixe.  So check that out too.

I've been to Roy's twice now since going paleo and it still holds up!  They now have a Gluten Free (GF) Menu, which you can also apply the prix fixe (all but one the items in their prix fixe were offered GF).  This isn't another cop-out GF menu either, where they simply list items that were previously GF to begin with.  Roy's makes the extra effort.  For example, my fav, the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi becomes the Macadamia Nut Dusted Mahi-Mahi sans gluten.

Roy's isn't the perfect paleo meal, but can be if you so choose.  You sit down to a small bowl of Edamame - similar to chips & salsa at most Mexican restaruants.  Legumes;  no good.  Let them sit there and eventually your server will catch on and take them from the table.  It is a Hawaiian Fusion restaurant, so many of the dishes are Asian inspired and include soy and/or rice.  Potatoes are another starch you'll see on the menu often.  Overall, the plates are filled with paleo goodness (meat, fish, & veggies), with a few unwanted ingredients (soy, rice, butter).

Oh, and I almost forgot.  Prior to going paleo, my favorite dessert in the world was Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle (a chocolate molten lava cake, with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a raspberry puree).  It came as no surprise that I now consider this to be quite possibly the best cheat dessert after I saw it on their GF menu.  The only difference is that the original comes with a scoop of vanilla on top of a small cookie, but for the GF version the ice cream rests on small bed of coco nibs.  Sure, it's loaded with sugar and dairy, but it's still GF right?  No, it's not good for you, it is still a pretty big cheat, but it's so good, it's not the type of cheat that you'll regret later on (a la most desserts - especially those containing gluten).

To avoid the temptation of having to eat 2 Souffles (which means that I eat 1 and 1/2 and Stacey eats 1/2), I ordered a GF prix fixe, and Stacey ordered an app and an entree from the GF menu.  I had the Short Rib Bi Bim Bap App, the Kalbi Grilled Hangar Steak Dinner, and the Souffle (to share).  Stacey ordered the Roasted Beat Salad, and the Iron Seared Filet Mignon.  We both started off with a specialty cocktail (another can't miss at Roy's), and Stacey followed up with a glass of wine with her steak.  The whole meal came out to about $120.  A hefty sum, and had we not had a $100 gift card thanks to credit card rewards, we'd have eaten at home.  Without drinks, and sticking to the prix fixe you could get out of there spending less than $100 tip and tax included.