Fall Prix Fixe at Roy's: San Diego, Ca

A girls' night out with the JLC was long overdue since I've been locked up at home since the end of June. BT was really wanting the Misoyaki Butterfish at Roy's and neither EHo or I had preferences so Roy's it was. Roy's in UTC-La Jolla has certainly gotten super busy since the last time I had dinner in the dinning room. I think the $5 happy hour has really made the joint a popular option for affordable yet classy fare after work. I've been to the happy hour before. I'm never really impressed with happy hour but it really is a nice step up from the standard happy hour.

{Wagyu "Meat Loaf Shumai" with Smoked Shitake Pan Sauce and a Vegetable Melange}

BT went with her original inclination of butterfish and in retrospect I should have went with her choice as well. I've ordered that dish so many times and its always a never fail to delight my palate. However, I was feeling a little adventurous and decided to go with the short ribs on the prix fixe. The prix fixe at Roy's is a 3 course meal that comes with a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert (I choose the Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé which isn't pictured) from a limited menu. Usually I'm pretty happy with my decision whenever I go with their prix fixe meal but looking back I've only ever eaten their spring or summer time meals which offered a totally different selection than fall choices that night.

For appetizer, I ordered the Wagyu "Meat Loaf Shumai" which wasn't impressive at all. I probably shouldn't have ordered this appetizer but honestly I wanted the other two items even less. I'm never really impressed when a nice piece of meat is all chopped or ground up. How can you tell how great this meat is when its been pulverized? This was definitely the case with this "Meat Loaf Shumai". It could have used a little more seasoning and maybe another pass through the grinder if it was going to be ground at all since it was a little chewy. The vegetables weren't impressive either. I think it could have used a little dressing up... maybe a light pickling? It was just a very forgetful plate in general.

{Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs over Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Fall Vegetables and a Natural Braising Sauce}

I'm usually such a big fan of braised short ribs and order it most of the time when I see it on a menu. Who can resist fork-tender, flavorful beef? I can't! This was however another disappointment. I found the meat lacking in a real punch in flavor and a little on the stringy and chewy side. The only star of this dish was the mashed potatoes... smooth and creamy and aromatic with garlic. But I didn't come here for mashed potatoes so this dish was overall underwhelming as well. The one saving grace of the dinner was their signature chocolate soufflé which I forgot to snap a photo of. A chocolate craving can be cured many times over with this flour-less cake containing an oozing velvety center, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to cut the rich chocolate.

This is one of the few times I've left Roy's overall disappointed. I'll likely not be visiting till the spring or summer again to enjoy the prix fixe. Judging by BT leaving with a spotless plate, the butterfish is still a go so I'll definitely have that again if I'm back before the prix fixe changes.

-

8670 Genesee Ave.
San Diego, CA
(858) 455-1616
M: 5pm–9pm
Tu - Th: 5pm–9:30pm
F & Sat: 5pm–10pm
Su: 5pm–9pm
Aloha Hour: Su-F 4:30pm-6:30pm
www.roysrestaurant.com (other locations on website)