Roy’s Restaurant

The butterfish!!! You have to go for it. Even if you don’t like fish the miso black cod deliciousness will please! Literally melts in your mouth!
Order the lava cake with the dinner, it takes time to make!

Closed! Finally. Mercifully.

Came here for my birthday dinner with a number of friends, this year. I’ve also been to this location for a Happy Hour a number of times.
The HH here is a fantastic option for those of you that have a couple extra dollars in your pocket. For a few more dollars than other places, you can get some truly unique and flavorful bites as well as (in my experience) a mighty strong cocktail or two.
My dinner experience here was good, but neither the food nor the service lived up to my prior experiences with Roy’s (mainly the Roy’s in Kahana – now, located in Kaanapali, HI). I think Unilocaler Marko C. got it right when he said that he, «kept thinking that the recipes here seem to have been altered from [the] original recipes to meet Western (mainland) tastes.»
I also agree with him that the Szechuan Baby Back Ribs are the finest, most flavorful, and consistent item I’ve had from all the various Roy’s locations. These things are mind-​numbingly, crotch-​grabbingly, life-​changingly good. Get them… If you don’t, you are seriously missing out on Roy’s premier dish. You can order them as an appetizer or an entrée. (
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Roy’s usually rocks in the fish department, but while my Fish Trio was good, it missed the mark in a number of ways. (
) The Misoyaki Butterfish (black cod), while cooked beautifully, lacked the deep yet bright flavor I’m used to from this dish. (
) Secondly, the Macadamia-​crusted Mahi Mahi completely fell flat. (
) Under-​seasoned, over-​cooked, and the sauce was totally flavorless. Thirdly, the Salmon was slightly over-​cooked, as well; however, the Salmon dish was the most boldly flavored and the acidic balance brought forth by the pickled veggies was marvelous. (
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While the meal wasn’t as stunning as I’m accustomed to from Roy’s, the chocolate molten cake was as good as it ever was. Served piping hot, filled with molten chocolate goo, accompanied by vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce… Are you kidding me? I don’t even order desserts, but no trip to Roy’s is complete without topping it all off with their signature dessert. Along with the ribs, this dessert is a MUST-​ORDER.
OVERALL. I’m bummed out by the lack of flavor in my dinner. I hope my friends’ meals were superior to mine. Will I be back? Probably… If they re-​open somewhere nearby. The food here is basically good, artfully plated, and USUALLY well-​executed. It’s a great place to go to cut the boring routine of Mexican, Asian, and French… Pacific Rim-​Hawaiian fusion is a pleasure all it’s own. 3.5 stars, rounded up for their Happy Hour options.

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review for this place! I stumble across Roy’s in search of the best soufflé in LA! This has been my all time soufflé restaurant! I absolutely love everything about this place!
The restaurant is sectioned off, dining and a bar area. In my opinion the restaurant is set up in dim candle light atmosphere.
Parking is valet. I think there’s an empty lot across the street but I wouldn’t risk it.
I tried almost everything on their menu and I have never been disappointed!
I always end my evening with The Soufflé!! It’s ammmmmazing!!!

Roys has always been one my favorite restaurants but I’ve been disappointed the last couple times that I went, both to this location and the Pasadena location. Our most recent visit was for the Valentine’s Day prix fix menu, which turned out to be different from the one they posted online. This is what we had:
–Sunrise at Haleakala roll: tempura roll with tuna, salmon, and avocado. Not as good as I remembered! Needs a better sauce.
–Grilled shrimp: This really didn’t have much flavor to it and the lemon didn’t really do much for making it more interesting.
–Lobster soup: this was a clear broth that was not very flavorful and tasted kind of fishy. There was a lobster claw in it.
–Kale salad: One of my favorite dishes of the evening. It has a great dressing and the kale was not too «hard.»
–Butterfish ($ 70): huge portion with potatoes, carrots, and some other vegetable. The butterfish was moist and flavorful.
–Shellfish ($ 79): A mixture of scallop, shrimp, crab, lobster, and udon in a lobster broth. This was hard to eat and really didn’t have much flavor to it either. We really regretted getting this entrée.
–Chocolate soufflé: topped with vanilla ice cream. Perhaps the soufflé was too hot but most of my ice cream was already melted when I got it.
–Toffee cheesecake: Came with some popcorn. It was very good and one of the best dishes of the evening.
Butterfish and the pineapple upside down cake still top my list of favorite dishes at Roys. This last visit was definitely a marginal 3 stars but I’ll keep it at a 4 because I still love the food here overall.

**This review is only for Happy Hour**
The worst happy hour in a while.
Parking: it wasn’t too difficult finding parking around the restaurant. We parked right across the street.
Food: decent. I, for some reason, remembered it to be much better though. I’ve had a full meal and happy hour at two other Roy’s locations and enjoyed my experience both times. LA was by far my least favorite. Rolls came out clumsy looking. Portions were smaller. Overall, just A-​ok. Also, their Korean rib inspired taco had real kimchi like ingredient that I wasn’t crazy about. I think it was way too overpowering.
Service: the worst! Our waitress took forever to serve. Never apologized for the wait. Took one of our drinks away when the glass was at least ¹⁄₃ full. Broke one of our glasses. Really, she shouldn’t be in this business.

I love Roys restaurants and I’ve been to many in CA as well as Las Vegas and Hawaii. Food and service is always good. In my opinion, they have the best happy hour for a nice, casual yet upscale, restaurant — $ 6 drinks and apps, and it’s 7 days a wk 4:30 — 6:30PM. Bar service at this location is the best.
parking– difficult to find street parking. Lot parking across the street, but easy to find cheaper garage parking a block or 2 away.

I’ll admit that there are a few high notes from our dinner that exceeded a 3-​star rating (which I’ll highlight) but for the most part, I think for the price, 3-​stars is more than fair.
For the two of us, we spent $ 103 which included an appetizers, an entrée, a drink, and an appetizer-​entrée-​dessert combo.
My gf got the Prix Fixe dinner, which was fancy dumplings as an appetizer followed by an entrée that was one part Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi and one part braised short ribs. The dessert was a vanilla cremeux with a blueberry compote. From her 3-​course meal, the dessert was without a doubt the highlight. The fish was tasty, but overall mediocre. The braised short ribs lacked the marble and juiciness that I was expecting.
The other appetizer — the lobster potstickers — were a huge disappointment. You can’t taste any lobster at all — not in the dumpling itself, or the sauce that goes with it.
The Butterfish entrée was absolutely amazing though. While the rice and vegetables that went with the fish were okay, the Alaskan cod that they call, «butterfish,» was melt-​in-​your-​mouth divine. I’ve never had fish that was so delicious. That fish was definitely worth the $ 35 dish.
Pros: Butterfish, butterfish, and butterfish
Cons: Pricey, mediocre food

Roy’s is a chain restaurant with high prices… and worth every penny!
AMBIANCE/​LOCATION: Its Hawaiian Fusion, in both food and décor. This Roy’s is on Figueroa and has a good classy downtown clientele. We like to go here before Lakers, Kings, or other Nokia/​Staples events. Our most recent visit was because I had an Open Table gift certificate and felt like getting away from the Westside to use it… and downtown is sometimes its own area!
THE FOOD & DRINKS: Again, its Hawaiian fusion and so there’s a good mix of seafood and tropical drinks, along with some turf options. I am never dissatisfied with what I order, although sometimes I like the items my hubby gets better. :P I don’t think I’ve ever NOT liked something on the menu!
SERVICE: Typically superb service! From the host (esse)s to the bartenders to the servers, we 90% of the time have great service. (Other times, it has been so-​so to good… never terrible.)
Bottom Line — I love Roy’s! On that note, I think I’m due for another visit…

I came here for New Years Eve dinner, and enjoyed the dinner entrees very much. We had the filet mignon, which was so juicy and tender, and the perfectly cooked scallops. What I didn’t like is the fact that they make you order 1 appertizer, 1 salad, and 1 dessert for each entrée, making it a semi-​pre-​fixe dinner. It turned out to be way too much food and an overpriced bill. And to top it off everything other than the dinner entrees were mediocre at best.
I had to try Roy’s at least once, but I probably won’t be coming back.

In the words of a rappin’ Kekoa wearin’ a Viking helmet and a clock necklace …
Yeah, Roy-​eeee!
A modern Hawaiian menu and refined atmosphere make Roy’s Restaurant a nice choice for a business lunch or group dinner. The food, prices, and service are all somewhere between 3 — 4 stars. Choose wisely young Kekoa, for while the Lobster Roll will bring you flavor, the Butterfish will take it from you.
Olivia Z. and I started with a round of house-​specialty drinks to go with the free Edamame. Hers was a super sweet koolaid called «The Original» Hawaiian Martini ($ 12.95) that came with a huge chunk of Pineapple for fun. Even fruitier was my 1988 Cocktail ($ 11.95) with Finlandia Grapefruit vodka, SOHO Lychee liqueur, and Patron Citronage orange liqueur. Both drinks were liquid candy, but since it was lunch we didn’t want to hit anything harder.
For an appetizer, we split 5 Lobster Potstickers ($ 11.95) that had small bits (maybe) of Lobster and was made worthy thanks to a Togarashi Miso Butter Sauce. She rated them 2 stars, but I said 4. With no agreement or 2^nd round of drinks in sight, it was time to move on to the main dishes
Maine Lobster Roll ($ 13.95) was a triple-​thick slice of Brioche Bread loaded with huge pieces of lobster and flavored by a Miso Mayo mix. It is served with a side of Yukon Potato Chips. This was my favorite discovery at Roy’s. It’s a reasonably-​priced deal and the lobster is «fuh real» (4 stars). It only needs a bit more spice to make it magical. Maybe I’ll order some peppers or chilies on the side next time.
Misoyaki «Butterfish» actually Alaskan Black Cod ($ 33.95) is the most highly recommended and priced entrée; however, neither Olivia Z. or I thought it lived up to the hype. It was aight, but not very buttery-​soft, tasty, or memorable. It’s ok (3 stars), but probably not worth the $ or skipping something better.
I’ve been lookin’ east, I’ve been lookin’ west
For the Hawaiian’ dinin’ rated da best
Well, let me just tell you one thang
I’m gonna shout that foodie Kekoa’s name
I’m gonna drink and eat like a king
‘Cause I want that Hawaiin dinin’ thing
Yeah, Roy-​eeee

Been here before for dinner many times never for Happy Hour. This spot was amazing before a concert at Staples. GREAT options and everything was $ 6.
Of course I tried everything on the menu. I really enjoyed the sushi & wasn’t the biggest fan of the tacos, but my friend enjoyed them.
Must have, Mango Mojito!!! yum!

I came here for lunch with my coworkers and we were seated as soon as we walked in (with reservation). The service was fantastic and the lunch ambiance is very pleasant. They gave us complimentary edamame and kept our water refilled as we looked over the menu. Our table shared the lobster sushi roll and fried spring rolls. Both were good but nothing spectacular. I ordered the mahi mahi and it was really tasty. It came on a bed of thinly sliced potatoes in a light sauce. My friend ordered the bento lunch and it looked really good.
Note: (if you ask) This location offers printed photos of your table and they also put it in a nice Roy’s frame for you :) Also, Roy’s has a separate vegetarian menu for those of you who don’t eat meat or seafood.

OhMy ohMy… Talking about Hawaiian and Asian fusion food? This restaurant is great! I loved everything there, the beautiful décor, the relaxing & cozy atmosphere, mostly the food, so delicious! Surprised it took me a while to decide to try Roy’s, shame…
Made the last minute reservation, got there late, there weren’t too many dining people on a Saturday night, huh… kinda strange considering the great food there. Had a semi private booth in the back, started off with a bottle of French white wine, it was $ 50, I told hubby to bring our own wine next time, cork fee is much cheaper than a bottle. Loved the complimentary edamame, lightly salted and spiced, so yummy!
Loved the menu, so many choices, from sushi, sashimi to appetizers, entrees, specials and sides, lots of Pescetarian choices, I am usually not a vegan when I eat at nice restaurants, seafood is good! Our pretty Hispanic waitress told us about two deserts that needed 20 minutes to prepare, chocolate cake or pineapple cake, we chose pineapple one, it sounded more refreshing and light.
Lobster potsticker: soooo good! The sauce was amazing, very light, a bit sweet with enough flavors, the dumpling skin was thin and soft. I absolutely loved it!
Kimchee vegetables: I had it as appetizer in stead of a side, it was sour, not as spicy as real Korean kimchee, but still delicious.
Petite filet and lobster: hubby was a bit worried about his medium rare steak, it looked a bit dark outside, when he cut it, the inside was all red and tender, wow… I was a little surprised too, how did they do that… the outside looked burned to me?! The lobster was yummy with the house made sauce, the meat was fairly tender, I had to get the lobster meat out for hubby, since he doesn’t know how to eat anything with shells. He loved his steak, flavorful and tender.
Sushi sampler: assorted nigiri sushi and spicy tuna cut rolls, am I the only one who likes Americanized sushi? Seriously I just loved my sushi! The rice was very sticky and soft, the raw fish was so fresh and tender, the spicy tuna was so spicy with strong flavors, the sushi was as good as it gets to me! No kidding, I finished the entire plate!
Warm pineapple cake with coconut ice cream and pieces of fruits: the cake was warm and soft, the pineapple was a bit too sour, hubby liked the ice cream, overall the desert was good but not great. I had a glass of port to go with it, hubby had double shot espresso.
I really really loved the food, I have to go back to try more seafood dishes soon! The service was good, our waitress was attentive enough and very friendly, it just she didn’t pour wine for us throughout the dinner, don’t know why… But she was a very pretty girl, so she still deserved %20 tipping. The tab was $ 170.
I loved this casual asian fusion restaurant, great food, soooo delicious! The portions are not too big or too small, they are just right!
Ps. No valet, private parking structure next door, but still need to walk a bit to the restaurant, seriously they need valet services at a lot of restaurants in downtown LA!

Nice restaurant, pretty dead during lunch hour. We tried the following items:
Lobster Roll — Bun was perfectly toasted, the lobster filling itself tasted like the standard crab salad from any market. So sad the delicious lobster flavor was masked by all that dressing. Nothing extraordinary. Served with a side of what seemed to be house made chips.
Was looking forward to trying their Wagyu Beef Smoked Gouda Cheeseburger but of course it was no longer available. Their Unilocal menu apparently hasn’t been updated. They have replaced it with a Kimchi Burger using the same Wagyu beef. It was pretty tasty, nothing remotely close to kimchi, more like grilled flavorful veggies. Pretty tasty though. It was a nice juicy burger.
Overall, I wasn’t very impressed. If someone were to treat me here I wouldn’t necessarily be disappointed but with that said I wouldn’t go out of my way to dine here again. Perhaps their other seafood/​steak items are more impressive.

Went here for a group dinner and it was okay.
Sushi we started with was fine, but nothing mindblowing.
From the appetizer selection, I did like the shrimp and the pork ribs. Those ribs were great. The rest of the appetizers I took one bite and was done.
For an entrée I had the surf and turf. Ordered the filet medium rare and it came out well past medium. My dining friend just had the filet and ordered his medium and it was still mooing on the plate. The lobster was overdone… meat was very tough and stringy. Tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time. Sounded good on paper but not executed well.
Service was very friendly and the chef came out and said hello.
Desserts were awful across the board. Nobody liked them. The raspberry mousse thing… just, no.
Since I didn’t have to pay for it, I’m not going to bash it. But if I was spending my own dime, I’d probably choose some other place. This is just too inconsistent.

We kicked it off with a Mai-​Tai and that was the best way to start. They have some delicous speciliatly cocktails that are not to be missed. They also have a great wine list to peruse.
We started with the Pork Belly Satay with honey coriander glaze, spicy pickled vegetables, scallions. Really a unique way to serve pork belly and we loved it. We shared the Misoyaki Black Cod with jasmine rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds and bok choy and it is one of the best fish dishes I’ve had since my last visit to Roy’s on the Big Island. We also shared the Seared Sea Scallops with a sunchoke purée, crispy pork belly, fennel, honey coriander glaze, which was also quite excellent. In my opinion the scallops could have had more of a crust on them. we wrapped with a hot chocolate soufflé with belgian chocolate, raspberry coulis, vanilla bean ice cream — worthy of scraping the plate.
The flavors of everything came together perfectly on everything. I think one of the best parts was when I made the resi on open table, I asked for a special table as I usually do to avoid being seated near the kitchen. Roy’s took this to me we were celebrating something special, so the table was decorated with plumeria, orchids and rose petals on a little plate. Such a sweet and lovely touch.
Service was excellent and parking right across the street for $ 8 is super convenient.

Wonderful last night in LA. Celebrated a birthday and they were very sweet about wishing a happy birthday upon our arrival (I mentioned it when making the reservation). Wonderful food and plenty of it. We got the Prix Fix which was a great deal.
I ordered butterfish… never had it before… it was really rich. Sorta like butter fish. That was on me though.
Waiter was very nice and courteous. Just happened to stumble upon this place, but glad we did.

Private dinner party planner pulled out all the bells and whistles for our dinner. Gracious hosts but the food was forgettable. Mediocre results:
Pork ribs: you call these things ribs? They were tough.
Shrimp cocktail-​type things aka shrimp whatchamacallits. Average.
Lobster potstickers: these are good.
Salad: very sour (pickled onions that were too strong).
Mahi Mahi: so dry. Sides were very bland. Thank goodness for sodium chloride.
Dessert trio: no idea what these things were; looked like some half-​assed attempt at copying Providence desserts.
Coffee with Kahlua and Bombay tonics: surprisingly, they did not mess these up.

The Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Butterfish is the absolute best. I’m not sure if it’s always on the menu and in season.
An alternative to try would be the Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Black Cod, which I think might be the same fish, just a different name at certain locations.
The MUST HAVE you need to order in advance and save room for, unless you have diabetes is… Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé which has Belgian Chocolate, Raspberry Coulis, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Ask for the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream on the side, as you may not want the hot cake to cause your ice cream to melt and get all milky and soggy, taking away the crispness of the cake as well as the cold frozen delight of the ice cream

chocolate soufflé, get in mah BELLY!