Roy’s Anaheim recently hosted a dinner to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)’s Healthy Eating Program. A five-course dinner featuring five chefs at $85 was the draw for the fully-packed house that evening.
In addition to Chef Founder Roy and Chef Partner Ron Plata of Roy’s Anaheim, two guest chefs also contributed to the evening’s menu – Chef Jacquelyn Nabong of Tommy Bahama Island Grille and Chef Michael Rossi of The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon. Each chef contributed a course complete with wine pairings with wines from Kaena Wine Company.
The first course was Smoked Bay Scallop Ceviche with compressed watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple. Umeboshi, the beloved Japanese pickled plum was used in a sauce giving it a lovely tartness I wish I had more of. The Okinawan purple potato chips added a nice contrast.
Hiramasa Tataki & Strawberry Salad was the second course prepared by Chef Ron Plata. This plate reminded me of something I’ve tried at Susan Feniger’s Street because of the coarsely crushed red peppercorns which dotted the plate. Aged black garlic was stuffed in the center of strawberry slices for a pretty finish.
The third course by Chef Michael Rossi of The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon was a rich dish of Fega Barramundi served with oxtail ragout and Taggiasca olive gnocchi. The barramundi was beautiful on its own and the ragout just added a complexity which was not required of the dish.
Our host Chef Yamaguchi’s fourth course was an Olive Oil Poached Small Eye Shutome, a Hawaiian swordfish. I’m not particularly fond of swordfish because of its low oil content and hence, drier texture. Here, the fish is served in a light broth with little shellfish-stuffed agnolotti, guanciale and bottarga for extra flavor. The citrus crumblings on top of the fish was my favorite.
The dessert of the evening was prepared by Roy’s Anaheim’s Sous Chef, Andy Tanaka. The Peach Chamomile Mousse was light and airy with definite peachy aromas, but chamomile, being so subtle on its own did not shine through. Still, the dessert was an appropriate finish to a very filling meal.
The event raised $3,300 for CHOC with the raffle bringing in $1,300 and Chef Roy making a monetary donation of $2,000.
However, you can stop by Roy’s for dinner any night of the week. I’ve visited before and the staff is quite accommodating although I do recommend making a reservation before going. They are a bit of a stickler about that even if the restaurant isn’t completely full.
Roy’s Anaheim Garden Walk
321 West Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92802
Tel: 714-776-7697
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