Roy's, Honolulu

Not worth the money

The first time I went to Roy's was in Honolulu, December 2005, after the Honolulu Marathon. I had a great time. The place is very nice. The food is great and your in Hawaii what else can I say...

A perfect restaurant for anything such as, a special dinner with your wife, a business dinner with a potential client, Christmas Party for your company, or dinner with friends and family. I highly recommend Roy's, it's an excellent choice for whatever occassion you may have.

Best meal of entire Vacation. Service was incredible, food was fresh and prepared perfectly. We had the Canoe for 2 as an appetizer which was a great sampling of some different tastes, and finished with the surf and turf which was perfect, I would recommend this place to anyone. The views were also spectactular.

This is one of the better restaurants on Oahu. The food and service is very good. Only downside is the volume from all the patrons. These guys really hooked my wife and I on our anniversary with a nice cake. The choc. souffle is excellent.

I heard about Roy's from many people since I grew up being surounded by chefs. First of all, my dining experience at Roy's was a disapointment. I don't even remember what I ate or about any dishes...(meaning the food wasn't captivating). Second, The deserts was already decorated on the plate and was brought out straight from the fridge since all the decorations on the plate was extremly cold and I couldn't even use the chocolate sause that was spread out on the plate because the sause was stuck on it (since it was in fridge for awhile). The ambiance is not very impressive. The tables are too close together so you would have to talk loud with your guest(s) and the waiter made a mistake with wine that we ordered and didn't even apologize. They should first learn the etiquette of service. I'm guessing that the waiter treated us in that manner because we were a very young couple BUT it shouldn't be that way. Their job is to treat everyone equaly and not buy our age. Since then I bought the cooking book of Roy Yamaguchi because I respect him a chef but never returned to the restaurant. I think it's sad that the quality goes down after opening few more restaurants and not have the time keep close look himself to his employees.

Food: A+ Waiter: B+ Ambiance: C The food was incredible. The appetizer was precious - a little bite of heaven. We tried seafood and meat dishes, and both were the kind where after the first bite, you just look at each other and smile. That good. They really try to push the chocolate desert, but I found it too rich. Eat a warm brownie a la mode when you get home, same effect. The waiter was a little too friendly (Hey, we don't know you, don't try to act like our best friend!) and had me waiting at least 10 minutes for a refill. The dining room was crowded and loud. If you are looking for a romantic dinner, or just a dinner where you and a friend can talk, eat downstairs, or even outside. Upstairs it's too hectic. But then there's the food, and it makes it all worth it. I highly recommend Roy's.

I just din't get it. Even went back three times to prove it wasn't a fluke but when everybody rates how good this place is and I feel it's overpriced, average food, then.... OK - ambiance, having a conversation here is near impossible without straining as the accoustics are terrible. The servers are good but busy and not always available. The worst part is the food. Many of Roy's sauces flavours are excellent but overall the plate leaves a lot to be desired (5 decent tasting shrimp and some furikake rice (yawn) for nearly $30?), everything has the feeling of it should be better. Is it a case of the Emperors new clothes? I think so.

The desert was exceptional and the food was wonderful.