Today in Las Vegas Magazine

The Ballad of East and West

Roy Yamaguchi may very well be the father of fusion cuisine in this part of the world, in fact, he was hailed by Gourmet magazine as “the father of East-West cooking,” while the New York Times described him as “the Wolfgang Puck of the Pacific.”

The beauty about Roy’s is that you can always count on their classic dishes, year-in and year-out such as their signature sushi, sashimi and rolls; and other main courses; while at the same time, local Chef Partner, Percy Oani, produces inventive new dishes, based on the season and whatever produce is freshest and available. In this sense, the menu at Roy’s constantly evolves and is never the same, save for the ‘classics’ which are mainstays.

Being quite wary of restaurant chains and not having been to Roy’s before, I had visions of pineapple ham steak and spam musubi (sushi-style spam) being served, idiot that I was, not knowing exactly what “Hawaiian Fusion” meant. Was this moniker simply a way to charge diners twenty bucks for a teriyaki pork chop? The easiest way to describe it in layman’s terms, is that it is a combination of eastern or Asian ingredients, but prepared with western (or European) style cooking techniques. For example, you might have Korean-inspired short ribs paired with a potato gratin; or a macadamia-encrusted mahi mahi, but served with a cognac butter sauce. It may sound simplistic, and may get you thinking, “Well, I can do that at home…” but you can’t. Take my word for it. The dishes are perfectly executed and tasty; very good actually, and more importantly, very very affordable.

This is a great way to introduce newbies to Asian cuisine as the menu is at once, Asian and yet, Western. Those who may balk at the thought of trying sashimi, may well opt for one of the specialty rolls, though we think that one bite from any one of them, will make a convert out of a doubter.

We thought it best to sample the classics and started off with the canoe appetizer for two. Ours had lumpia (Filipino spring rolls), shishito peppers, grilled shrimp and some spicy ahi rolls. Everything was wiped out, the plate, (almost) licked clean. Who would have thought we would develop a taste for shishito peppers? The sizzling kona kampachi was also delicious. Again it was served with shishito peppers and a sweet and spicy ponzu sauce. We also sampled the ‘Sunrise at Haleakala,’ which was a tuna, kampachi, salmon, avocado and asparagus tempura roll with togarashi (red chili pepper) butter – an out of this world combination of salty, spicy and sweet.

For a very affordable $35, diners can have a complete ‘Roy’s experience’ with the prix-fixe menu – consisting of a choice of one appetizer, one main course and one dessert. This is perhaps the most value-for-money deal in the restaurant, especially if you’re having a hard time deciding what to order. An alternative is to order one of the Hawaiian-style mixed plates, which we did. The Roy’s classic trio was a study in East-West perfection. Consisting of hibachi grilled salmon with citrus ponzu sauce; blackened ahi with a spicy soy mustard and Hawaiian-style misoyaki butterfish with sizzling soy vinaigrette, the fish served as canvas to the palette of flavors, spices and ingredients used in each dish, resulting in an explosion of tastes, bite after bite.

Another classic, for the meat lover this time, is the slow-braised and charbroiled short ribs of beef. Tender, moist and perfectly-seasoned in a sweet and salty way and served with the most divine and creamy potato gratin.

Desserts continue along the same lines of east and west, and one in particular, the chocolate soufflé, is a must-order.

Hailing from Hawaii, another one of the restaurant’s strong points lies in its service. While the ambience is decidedly upscale and modern, the wait staff don’t have the corresponding arrogance usually expected of restaurants of this type. They’re genuinely warm and all-ready to help you out with the menu and whether the dishes need to be custom-made.

Never the twain shall meet? You know what they say, “Never say never,” for it’s here at Roy’s, side by side, a perfect pairing, like Siamese twins.

-Rachel M. Sugay