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For dinner, my fiance made reservations at Roy's, one of our favorites. We actually planned to have our Valentine's Day dinner at Abacus the following weekend to skip the crowds and prix fixe menus. But he still wanted to go somewhere nice on the actual Valentine's Day. I pretty much let him plan everything. :)
However, we weren't aware that Roy's was ONLY doing a V-Day Prix Fixe menu as well. We thought we were just gonna go for a normal dinner (but on Valentine's Day. haha) Are you still with me? :P
The place was packed but we were seated immediately. We opened the menu and realized we could only order from the special menu. Eeeeeks. That puts an extra dent on his wallet! The place was full from the time we got there to the time we left. It was a quite loud.. And there were actually quite a few families with little kids there. Not the most romantic setting, but oh well. We made the most of it.
He got the Signature Cocktail: Cucumber Ginger Mule Martini $10~ First time I'm going to say this about a drink...it wasn't strong enough. In the booze or the ginger aspect. He makes a much better one at home.
The special menu consists of a 4 course meal. You pick your choice of appetizer, a soup or salad, entree, and dessert. The price of the meal was indicated by the entree you select.
Appetizer:
He got the Chicken Fried Maine Lobster (truffled lobster gravy). Pretty small plate but yummy! The lobster pieces were big and cooked well. I liked the batter and the sauce was delicious.
Kim Chee Brussels Sprouts (house made pork belly). Brussels Sprouts...if I see them, I gotta get them. Also a pretty small plate, but it's part of a 4 course meal so that makes sense. It was quite heavy on the sauce, even though I liked the sauce. Therefore, a tad on the saltier side. I liked the crispy pork belly with it. I kept half of it to eat with my entree which turned out to be a great pairing!
Soup/Salad:
We both got the Chanterelle Mushroom Bisque (creme fraiche, toast point, truffle oil). It just sounded amazing. And it was pretty freaking delicious. It wasn't strained so you got all the pureed bits of mushroom thoughout the rich creamy bisque. I really liked the toast point on top. I wanted a few more. hehe. We both cleaned our bowls.
Entrees:
I got the Kalbi Grilled Bone-in Ribeye (wasabi mashed potatoes, green beans, Korean BBQ sauce) $78~
It was impressive when they put it in front of me. They thought it was his at first because his dish was so much smaller in comparison. I loved the Korean BBQ sauce. Slightly sweet and full of flavor. The wasabi mashed potatoes paired really well with the steak and sauce. And the ribeye was cooked a good med-rare. My only complaint is that my piece had a lot of gristle. It was hard to cut it with the steak knife and I felt like a lot of it went to waste because I couldn't cut it or chew it. :(
He got the Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast (fried cauliflower, pomegranate, kabocha squash puree) $70~
Such teeny little pieces of duck...and even smaller when put next to my steak. haha. But cooked really well. It was very moist and tender. I liked the cauliflower with the kabocha puree the best, lots of different textures. And the pomegranates added a nice colorful touch and some sweetness.
Dessert:
I chose the Belgian Chocolate Torte (raspberry sauce, seasonal berries, red velvet whipped cream).
It wasn't so much a "torte" to me...it seemed more like a really rich brownie. It was a pretty big piece too. The chocolate was dark and rich. The red velvet whipped cream was interesting! I've never had that before. It was a pretty bright red and actually tasted like red velvet. I took most of this dessert to go cuz I had to help him eat his. :P It was still good a few days in the fridge.
He really wanted Roy's Signature Molten Chocolate Souffle Cake +$5~
The waiter said that wasn't a problem. He would just subtract the value of the other dessert from our check and add in the cost of the souffle...which ended up being about $5 additional. Still one of my favorite cakes of all time. The inside was filled with molten, rich ganache. The outside was just lightly crispy but the cake is still super moist. And always need to pair it with the ice cream. Sometimes I want to ask them for more ice cream. haha. Since we couldn't take any of this to go, we finished it together.
It was a great meal (as always). More expensive that we expected... by double! O.O but oh well. You live and learn right? Next time we'll just stay in on actual V-Day. haha. We still had a good time though. The manager actually came to each table and gave us a $20 giftcard for dining with them on this special day. They just keep giving us reasons to go back!! haha.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I kinda wrote this out of order... but oh wellz.
For NYE Eve, my fiance and I went to Roy's... our favorite place for special occasions. :) Also because they recently put out a new prix fixe menu which sounded awesome! We already had plans for NYE to eat dinner with my parents, so this was our fancy night out.
Roy's - Plano
2840 Dallas Parkway
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano
Price: $$$$+
We arrived early for our 6PM reservation... we're old farts.. I know. :P I prefer to eat dinner pretty early. The place was pretty packed when we got there. So he went to the bar and hit up the happy hour while we waited for our table. Their hh goes until 6:30 or 7PM everyday. :)
Soon we got seated. Our waitress was super nice, as usual. We rarely have bad service here. And we already knew what we wanted to order.
We got the normal edamame with shichimi for the table. But they also brought out some compliments from the kitchen: Fried Duck Dumplings.
Oooooo! Amuse-bouches are not standard here... although I've had a few since I've been there so much. The plate was so cute! The outside was fried nicely and the inside was creamy and rich. It was a good little bite. :)
We came here to try the new Creative Northeast Asia Prix Fixe menu. The 3 course meal is $36.95~ (not including tax or tip).
We started with the Grilled Filet Mignon Yakitori (shoyu, cucumber, yuzu kosho).
It was a pretty big appetizer I thought. And although I found the meat to be a little underseasoned, it was sooooo tender. I was about to cut it with a knife, but it was completely unnecessary. Super super tender!!
Pumpkin Seed Crusted Ahi (kabocha squash dumplings, bok choy, citrus emulsion).
The plating was very pretty and colorful...but not a big portion. The tuna was fresh and I liked the pumpkin seed crust. The kabocha dumplings were pretty good, similar to gnocchi in texture I'd say. But the plate lacked seasoning overall. It was very light in taste. I wish there was more sauce than that little smear in the middle of the plate. However, my fiance had a genius plan. He asked for extra wasabi cream sauce that they use in the Misoyaki Butterfish (which I ordered for myself) and it was awesome. That sauce can go on anything! The manager came over at one point and we got to chatting and he actually said he's put that sauce on mashed potatoes before! Sounds divine!
Apple Tasting (five spice cake, bruleed apples, apple gelee, caramel sauce).
Since we got a dessert with the prix fixe, we didn't order another one. When the waitress brought it, I was like "whoa!" It's a pretty big cake! And it was very pretty, I loved the different types of apple chips, bruleed apples, and apple skin? on top. She did say the skin was more for decoration... may not be good to eat. We both really liked the bruleed apples with the crunchy layer of burnt sugar on top. I also really liked the gelee and sauce, gave the cake the moisture it desperately needed. I can totally taste the five spice and I liked the flavors overall, but the cake itself was too dry. And there wasn't enough sauce to make it better. I think a bit more caramel sauce, maybe a few dollops of whipped cream would work wonders. Or even better... a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mmmm. Just a thought. :P
Of course I got the Misoyaki "Butterfish" (Alaskan Black Cod, baby bok choy, furikake rice) $34.60~ It's my absolute favorite, can never go wrong. The fish was melt in your mouth tender. And the sauce is always amaze-balls and the green is gorgeous on the plate. Thumbs wayyy up!
Ohh.. and the cherry on top... the couple in the table next to ours gave us a $25 off coupon as they were leaving. They got 2 in the mail and said one was to give to a "friend". Thanks friends!! It definitely made our night even better. :)
Another great meal. Everyone was so friendly, the food was good.... my butterfish still trumps all! Can't wait to go back again. Maybe I'll try something new next time... haha.
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Surprise! We went to Roy's again. haha. Definitely one of our favorite places in Dallas. My bf told me he had made a reservation there for dinner on the 4th because he had a project that's ending and he wanted to celebrate. Naturally I said yea sure! And I was glad that his project was gonna be done... he had been so stressed lately. :( We always go to Roy's for special occasions. They always make us feel special and of course the food is fantastic. But little did I know.. his project wasn't a work thing like I assumed. After dinner we went home and watched July 4th fireworks on his roof where he proceeded to propose! What what?? The "project" wasn't work related at all, it was his months of planning the surprise proposal and getting the ring! Awww. So... SURPRISE to me! haha. What a sneaky guy. :P And of course I said "yes!" :D He's such a sweetie. hehe.
He said the plan had to include good food and Roy's holds sentimental value in both of us so it was perfect.
Roy's Hawaiian Fusion
2840 Dallas Parkway
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano
Price: $$$$
We had an earlier reservation since we wanted to get back in time for the fireworks. And I saw that they had extended their happy hour (Aloha Hour) times as well as the menu. I suggested going a little earlier and trying some of the appetizers at the bar.
It's been awhile since I've been to happy hour at Roy's but from what I remember, their wagyu sliders are pretty awesome.
I chose the Crispy Pork & Steamed Buns (green apple slaw, red dragon sauce) $6~
Very good. The buns were steamed nicely and so fluffy. The pork was crispy and had a ton of flavor with the sauce. I loved the addition of the apple in the slaw. Never had that in a steamed bun before. It added sweetness and a freshness and a crunch. I would totally get these again.
He picked the Tempura-Crusted Ahi Roll (spicy togarashi miso butter sauce) $6~
There was too much rice to other stuff ratio. We wondered if it's because it's a happy hour item. But I liked the way they did the tempura. It seemed more liked breadcrumbs instead of an actual tempura batter. But it was nice and crunchy. And the miso butter sauce was good. Just needed more tuna!
They also have a list of cocktails on special for $6. He ordered a Mai Tai.
We finished right in time for our reservation. We were seated immediately. As we were sitting down, we told the hostess that we were so happy to hear that they put the classic version of the Misoyaki Butterfish back on the menu. She agreed that it should've never been off the menu! It was definitely a highlight to our week when we found out. :) Our waiter was super friendly and quickly greeted us, and he was fantastic throughout the night.
We pretty much knew what we wanted going in. And since we had some food at the bar already we didn't order too much.
Lakanilau Roll (Wagyu beef, snow crab, tempura asparagus, avocado sesame miso, truffled greens) $16.90~
We tried this for the first time last visit to Roy's. Love it! I love the flavor of the beef with the truffle. Sure beats the tuna roll during hh! haha. It doesn't even need any additional soy sauce, it already has so much flavor.
Misoyaki Butterfish (Alaskan black cod, baby bok choy, Furikake rice) $34.60~
They brought back the Classic preparation of the butterfish!! About time! The Classic is the one with the bright green wasabi cream sauce. One of my favorite dishes of all time. He called ahead to pre-order it when he made the reservation. But then we found out they brought it back! Apparently enough people have complained/requested it that corporate knew they made a mistake. And according to our waiter, Plano is special cuz we got it back on the menu first! :D We asked them if they could split it since we were sharing. They have a $5.99 split plate charge, but we went ahead and did it since basically each person gets their own rice, bok choy, and most importantly... the wasabi cream sauce! The half portion was actually perfect. I mean, I can totally stuff more in my face, but my stomach might not be able to hold it all. haha. The fish was cooked to perfection. Melts in your mouth! Hence the name. The sauce is divine. I can just bathe in it. :P
Baby Greens Salad (shaved carrot, grape tomato, Japanese Yuzu honey emulsion) $9.90~
I wanted some veggies to supplement the dinner. In hindsight, we could've done without it. But it was good. Very light, fresh, wasn't overly dressed or filling.
Needless to say, it was a fantastic dinner. He did good by choosing the perfect restaurant. AND surprising me later on the rooftop. haha. And I guess in the future posts I have to refer to him as my "fiancée"! And thanks to Roy's for another great meal. :)
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We went to Roy's again last Friday. Love that place! The main purpose was because my bf wanted to try their limited time Winter Trio. (And luck would have it, I happen to get a $20 off coupon in email! It was meant to be. haha) I had emailed the restaurant a couple weeks ago to see how long it's around for and they told me April 6th, so I made a reservation for 3/28. However, the day before our reservation, I came across an article saying that the dish is only through 3/23. Wait, what? So I called the restaurant to check. Apparently the lady I had first communicated with from corporate had sent the restaurant a message saying to have this for us when we went. How awesome is that? We definitely felt super special! :) Roy's has always had amazing service and I was completely impressed with this.
Roy's Hawaiian Fusion
2840 Dallas Pkwy.
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano.asp
Price: $$$-$$$$
We arrived for our 7:30PM reservation and was immediately seated. I immediately noticed that they had changed the entire look of their menu. It's thinner and more sleek looking now. And they've just updated to their spring prix fixe last week.
We got some waters and their spiced edamame and ordered a couple of cocktails. We really like their low calorie Coconut Frappe and Mai Tai Ultra.
We started with the Lakanilau Roll (Wagyu beef, snow crab, asparagus, avocado, sesame miso, truffled greens) $16.95~?
I recently saw this posted on their facebook page and it just sounded amazing. A tad pricey for a roll but it was sooo worth it. The quality of ingredients were great. I could definitely get the hint of truffle which paired really well with the wagyu beef. Wagyu literally means "Japanese cow", they are well fed and have a high amount of marbling. In Japan, wagyu can be synonymous with Kobe. The beef was sliced thin on top, really tender, and the asparagus had a nice crunch to add texture. I normally like to dip sushi in a thick wasabi paste (meaning I put a bit of soy sauce with my mound of wasabi, haha) but the sesame miso was yummy on its own and I only used minimal wasabi. We both loved it.
My bf obviously got his Winter Trio (Hoisin-Glazed Duck, grilled Kalbi Beef Short Rib, Singapore-Style Crab Cake; served with Asian vegetables and noodles) $26.95~
I'd say the duck was my favorite. The beef short rib was his. He really enjoyed the dish, I thought it was just ok. I've had much better other stuff at Roy's. It was just a bit sweet overall. Everything was cooked well and tender. But the crab cake was too salty. It did taste better when we ate it together with the duck. The noodles were a tad overcooked, and I'm a stickler for soft noodles.
I came in with the mindset to try new things this time, since I normally get the butterfish. I decided on the Dynamite Baked Hawaiian Swordfish (bok choy tempura, oshizushi rice, dragon sauce) $26.95~
I think I've only had swordfish one other time in my life so I wanted to try it again. I know that swordfish is a denser fish and it was... it was more like a steak. haha. I loved this dish. It was on the heavy side with the dynamite sauce on the fish, the cream sauce, and the tempura but oh sooooo good. If you've ever had a volcano roll, it was like they took that sauce, covered the fish, and baked it. Deeeeelicious. The rice was seasoned and had a slight tang to it like sushi rice. It paired sooo well with the sauce. The dragon sauce is basically a Korean chili sauce, not really spicy and had some sweetness to it. And I've never had tempura bok choy before. It was nicely fried and added another texture to the dish. I liked my dish way better than my bf's. :P I scraped my plate clean! Had to get all that yummy sauce.
For dessert, my bf assumed we were getting the chocolate souffle cake, but guess again! Trying new things, remember? The waitress mentioned the Lemon & Ginger Creme Brulee (topped with berries), and it sounded really good.
I don't normally prefer creme brulee but the lemon and ginger combo sounded refreshing. And it was! The flavors made it seem lighter than normal creme brulees and it was a great finish to our meal since we were both pretty full.
Once again, we had a great time at Roy's. I got to try a bunch of new things. :) Our waitress was all smiles and did a great job. I'm sure we'll be back again in no time.
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We had our 1 year anniversary at the beginning of February!:) He took me to Roy's where we've done several special occasions... so it's definitely got sentimental value.
Roy's Hawaiian Fusion
2840 Dallas Pkwy.
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 473-6263
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/tx/plano.asp
Price: $$$-$$$$
We had to wait a little for our table which made him a little antsy but once we were seated, they've decorated it with confetti and a personalized sign with our names on it. Roy's always does a good job for special occasions. From the hostess to the waiters/waitresses all know it's a special occasion and congratulate you.
He had gotten a Mai Tai at the bar which was yummy. I decided to wait until we're seated to get a drink. I decided to try the Coconut Frappe (Don Q Coco Rum with coconut milk and coconut water)
Sounded good and it's under 150 calories! It was pretty. I liked the sprinkle of spice on the top of the white foam. It was delicious. Just sweet enough, kind of pina colada-ish but better! He liked it too so he got one later.
Our waiter was super awesome. Very knowledgeable and friendly. We actually had several conversations about their menu and other food related topics.
We started with some Sugar Snap Peas (togarashi, miso, bonito) $6.95~ Love sugar snap peas. These were cooked well. Still had the bright crisp crunch and the bonito on top added the umami factor to the dish.
My bf had called ahead for this. Misoyaki Butterfish (with wasabi ginger cream sauce) $33.95~
Since they changed the recipe over 6 months ago, you have to order at least 24 hours in advance for this version so they can acquire the proper ingredients. Why they changed it? We still don't understand. Our waiter didn't either since it was their top selling dish. But my bf called numerous times during the week to make sure we were going to get it since it's one of my favorite dishes of all time. How sweet! :) And it was perfect. The fish was melt in your mouth buttery. The miso glaze with the wasabi ginger cream sauce was sublime. I can just drink that sauce or eat it with a tub of rice and be happy. Haha. The butterfish is always good. But that sauce is what makes it a magical dish. Anyone who's had it will tell you that I'm not exaggerating!
My bf ordered the Winter Prix Fixe Menu $36.95~ Everything on it sounded delicious.
We started with the Spicy Lobster Bisque (Thai aromatics, coconut milk and Maine lobster; poured tableside).
I always like it when they pour the soup at the table. Makes it more special! :P It had a ton of flavor with a kick of spice. There was also a plump lobster claw at the bottom of the bowl. A good start to the prix fixe!
Pork Osso Bucco (crispy kimchee brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes, orange macadamia nuts). Braised pork? Sounds awesome! It was fork tender and moist. And surprisingly wasn't too heavy of a dish. I wished there was more Brussels sprouts since I love them!
Butterscotch and Miso Budino (black sesame cake, macadamia nuts, sweet and sour pineapple).
Such an interesting dessert! I'd say it is one of the best "non-chocolate souffle" desserts at Roy's that I've liked. I liked the presentation in the jar. It has so many flavors. You get the saltiness from the caramel and you can definitely taste the miso. But then the caramel is also sweet along with the budino, which is basically like a thick pudding. The consistency was luscious and creamy. It had every possible flavor. The pineapple on top added the tartness. The black sesame cake was my favorite part. I love black sesame but I rarely find black sesame desserts here that reminds me of what I've had in Asia. This was full of black sesame flavor! Well done!
Of course I got the Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle (with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce).
Awww.. they wrote Happy Anniversary on the plate. :) They've changed it up a little. They now serve it in a little ramekin instead of taking it out of the mold. I asked the waiter why and he said that they come out more consistently this way and it's also bigger! Sold! Bigger, for the same price? Hells yea! It was hot and molten-y (yes, that's a word), and a perfect ending to a spectacular evening.
My bf double checked and triple checked to make sure everything at the restaurant would be good. The waiter was super nice and helpful. We had a great anniversary thanks to the people at Roy's. Be sure to consider them for your next special occasion. And don't forget to order the butterfish ahead of time!!!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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