Roy’s Ko Olina
92-1220 Ali’inui Dr
Kapolei, HI 96707
Yelp

I’ve been to Roy’s a few times and have never been terribly impressed by the fancified Hawaiian Asian fusion cuisine.  The food is good, but it’s never been worthy of a strong recommendation or repeat visits.  The Roy’s in Kapolei, which is conveniently located within walking distance from the Disney Aulani resort, is pretty much the nicest and best dining option in the area.  It is also probably the best Roy’s I’ve ever tried.

Ogolicious tempura king crab, avocado, cucumber, torched b.i. kampachi, citrus rayu emulsion
We started off with this delicious roll.  The flavors were balanced, and the roll was well made.  A poorly constructed roll that’s falling apart before it even hits your mouth is always a disappointment.

Mochi Crusted Island Ahi uni puree, confit hamakua mushroom, house smoked bacon
The ahi in Hawaii is incredibly fresh.  The unique use of a mochi crust was both crispy and a bit chewy.  The sauce was very subtle in the uni flavor.  Some at the table enjoyed it, and some found it weird.

Portuguese and Kahuku Corn Chowder
I didn’t get to try this, but the Twin Tornados seemed to enjoy it.

Grilled Crispy Brussels prosciutto parmesan truffle cream
I’ve had brussels sprouts with varying types of vinaigrettes, but never with a cream sauce.  The parmesan truffle cream sauce here was simply magical.

Open Fire Citrus Grilled Local Kampachi melted kahumana fennel & king crab, yukon potato puree, black truffle jus
The kampachi is probably the best cooked preparation of fish I’ve ever had on any Hawaiian island.  People talk up a storm about the stuffed mahi mahi at Mama’s Fish House in Maui, or the sesame seed crusted ahi at Lahaina Grill also in Maui.  This totally blows those dishes out of the water.  The mash was heavenly.  The black truffle jus is what probably knocked this out of the park.  But really, the kampachi was fresh and tender.  Mahi mahi can be dry.  So YUUMMSS!!!

Seared U-10 Day Boat Scallop prosciutto flavored aloun farm kabocha mash, makaha lilikoi cabernet syrup
Hard to go wrong with big sweet wonderfully seared scallops like these ones.  Different levels of sweetness were brought with the kabocha squash and lilikoi syrup.  YUMS!

16 oz Garlic Crusted Organic Black Angus Prime Rib & Garlic Shrimp Duo confit marble potato, brussels sprouts, garlic butter, black tiger shrimp
Smooth Obturator went for the surf ‘n turf.  He liked his dish, but it was hard for him to enjoy things with his crazy kids melting down and screaming all over the place.  Bless the restaurant for giving us a large private room for our party of 7 adults and 5 kids to dine, without even having to ask.

Despite the craziness and distraction of all the kids, I can safely say all the adults enjoyed the food here.  The food is contemporary, creative, and local.  Everything was on point from the execution down to the service.  The place is especially kid friendly, offering light kids meals (quesadillas, veggies, fruit, milk, and ice cream sandwiches) at no extra charge!  The edamame was on the house , stir fried and seasoned with sesame oil, making it especially tasty.  We probably went through a couple plates of that.  This is probably not the last time I’ll be visiting the Disney Aulani, so I look foward to returning to this Roy’s.

10 – You NEED to eat here
9 – Awesome
8 – Very good
7 – Good
6 – OK
5 – Average
4 – Not bad
3 – Not good
2 – Terrible
1 – Do NOT eat here