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By: Laura HansenÂ
“She was so wild that when she made French toast she got her tongue caught in the toaster.” Rodney Dangerfield
It was one of those Sunday’s that could not be more perfect – sun and the softest of breezes keeping the sun’s warmth from being oppressing. I arrived at Roy’s and promptly spotted one empty table outside, ordered a spicy Virgin Mary and awaited Allan’s arrival. He showed up right away and so did my Mary. WOW – there was some serious horseradish action in that drink. Too much for me, even though I enjoy a kick.
June was the official launch of brunch for this highly acclaimed restaurant. And, due to their location, right across from Holy Name Cathedral – why wouldn’t Roy’s open for bunch? Roy’s is known for Hawaiian fusion cuisine – explained as incorporating bold Asian spices, a focus on seafood and embracing local ingredients. Honestly, I feared that pineapple would be on every dish…and it’s not my favorite. Something happened as a child where my mother served some chicken with pineapple and that was the end of it for me. I’m happy to say that fruit served during Roy’s brunch is exactly where it is supposed to be.Â
Michael, our server – was really enjoyable. He’d worked in New York for Mario Batali and a few other well known chefs AND he is a cook in his own right – so our conversation regarding food could go anywhere.
Roy’s Chef Kevin Dusinski (an Illinois native) has five star credibility; he honed his skills at the Peninsula in the highly lauded restaurant Avenues. Kevin has been leading the culinary creations at Roy’s since 2004 – and has earned high praise. Chef Dusinski’s challenge – how to create a brunch menu that weaves the Hawaiian fusion cuisine into the equation. Well, it has been created…quite successfully.
In addition to a la carte choices, Roy’s has a fixed menu that includes a choice from the appetizer, entrée and dessert offerings for a fixed price of $26.95. If you’re looking for a nice buzz while brunching, you can choose the unlimited mimosas option for $38.95.
Let’s get eating. Allan orders the highly recommended house cured salmon – served with cucumber ribbons, granny smith apples, watercress and a caraway lemon dressing. The salmon was excellent – everything else on the dish was a mild accoutrement.  Â
 Wild Mushroom Ravioli
I tasted the wild mushroom, brie and ricotta ravioli served with crispy leeks, asiago and a  tomato cream sauce. The raviolis were very subtle and earthy at the same time. The ricotta was mild, I detected no brie, and the cream tomato sauce was also on a light note. No one flavor stood up, but all was pleasant (and not incredibly filling as you might think.)
For the entrée, Allan ordered the Hawaiian sweet bread French toast, served with a blackberry compote, and Chambord Chantilly cream. Okay – does everyone remember being at a party in the 80’s where they served those rounds of Hawaiian “sweet” bread with a vat of spinach dip in the middle? Of course you have! Well, this is the same type of bread used for the French toast – wow! What a terrific idea. I will try this at home. The bread is thick, sweet and a perfect partner for melting whipped butter and warm syrup. They served a nice selection of fruit on the side with that lovely and light cream sauce on top.
I ordered the Loco Moco – a grilled sirloin patty, garlic fried rice, and two fried eggs on top. Here’s what made this a winning dish – the chef “seasoned” the ground sirloin patty. He did not just season the patty on the outside, but through the meat….just like I do at home! As many times as I’ve eaten hamburgers at all types of places, perhaps 1 in 150 actually dig into the meat with seasoning. And the seasoning was spectacular. That burger was sitting atop the fried rice – which was not as much about the garlic, but had a certain semi sweetness to it that was welcomed against the savory burger seasoning. Placing two perfectly cooked fried eggs on top just added comfort. I am certain that this would be a great dish to have while sporting a hangover. This was not my situation, but now that I’ve thought of it – well, I’ll just keep it in mind.
 Creme Brulee
We were able to sample all three desserts. The cream brulee was nice – there was a hint of lemon (I believe) incorporated into the custard which made me so inquisitive I kept eating more. (Note: these are the kinds of stories I tell myself when I eat all the dessert). The Melting hot chocolate soufflé with little splashes of raspberry sauce on the plate was simply wonderful. It was made to perfection. So, I felt guilty eating it. The Carmel apple cheesecake was my least favorite – but that is a personal bias … I am not a fan of cheesecake.
Go to Roy’s, bring your hula skirt and feel the wave of Hawaiian inspired cuisine.
Roy’s – Chicago
(312) 787-7599
720 N. State Street, Chicago IL 60610
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/
BAKED APPLE CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST
Courtesy of:: http://www.kingshawaiian.com/recipes/breakfast/
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 loaf (16 oz. pkg.) King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place bread cubes in greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Combine eggs, milk, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1-1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon in medium bowl; mix well.
- Pour half the egg mixture evenly over bread cubes. Cover top with apple slices.
- Pour remaining egg mixture over apple slices.
- Mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in small bowl; sprinkle evenly over apples. Dot with butter.
- Bake 40-45 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
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