Roy's adds an artful Hawaiian touch to surf and turf cuisine

"Chain" is such a harsh word. And when it comes to restaurants, it usually means a Red Lobster or Chi Chi's. Luckily, Baltimore is a place where many upscale chains have set up shop, and have defied the negative connotation of the "chain restaurant.' Legal Seafoods and Ruth's Chris Steak House and prime examples of such restaurants, and both are only a ten-minute drive away from Homewood.

If you tire of regular seafood fare and desire something a little more adventurous however, add Harbor East's Roy's to your list of excellent chains. You may even be glad there's more than one.

In 1988, chef Roy Yamaguchi opened the first restaurant in Honolulu. From there, Roy's has expanded to five more locations in Hawaii, 23 locations in the Continental U.S., and four international locations. The Baltimore location opened in August 2001. Since then, the area around the restaurant has quickly become one of the most upscale in Baltimore. Coupled with the famous Charleston restaurant only a block away, the adjacent Fleming's Steakhouse and the Whole Foods and Bin 606 wine store across the street, the locale is becoming quite the hotspot.

The menu at Roy's includes a variety of surf and turf plates accented with Asian spices and European-style sauces. Like many upscale restaurants, the menu changes every night. However, in order to stay true to the restaurant's original concept, there are several dishes, such as the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi, that can always be found on the menu, at any Roy's location. Regardless of what you order, it's sure to be artfully presented and of top quality.

For starters, the Hong Kong Wok-fired Calamari appetizer isn't your run-of-the-mill breaded squid. At Roy's, the bite-size pieces are drenched with a spicy sesame soy chili sauce. For some diners, the heat may be a little too much and at times takes away from the flavor of the squid. Fortunately however, the Maui Wowie salad, combining romaine and bib lettuce and large, tender shrimp with onions, capers, avocado, feta cheese and fresh lime juice, provides a refreshing palate cleanser.

Roy's also offers an impressive wine list and an even more impressive view of their selection of bottles. Many of their wines are bottled specifically for the restaurant. In addition to the extensive wine collection, Roy's also boasts a number of tropical cocktails.

For the main course, I chose the Shellfish Combo that included tender, saut??ed sea scallops and grilled tiger shrimp. Although Roy's is a little sparing as far as portion size, what's there is delicious. What makes the tender, fresh seafood even better are the sauces that are drizzled onto the plate for dipping.

Another smart option is to try the Prix Fixe menu. For a more economical $30, you can get an appetizer, entr??e, and dessert. The Hawaiian Fusion Sampler appetizer includes grilled shrimp on a stick with wasabi cocktail sauce and wood grilled Szechuan spiced baby back pork ribs, accompanied by a chef's special dish. Next, there is a choice among a number of fish and meat entr??es, including Misoyaki Pot Roast and Hibachi Style Grilled Salmon. Dessert is also included, but it's so good that it deserves its own paragraph.

Whether or not you choose to order from the Prix Fixe menu, dessert is an absolute must at Roy's. The restaurant has without a doubt been able to maintain its success partly because of its famous Melting Hot Chocolate Souffl??. It is suggested that you order this deliciously rich creation at least a half hour in advance, to allow adequate preparation time. It is a wonder how one is able to pack so much chocolate into such a small, circular, flourless puff. When you combine the smooth raspberry sauce that the souffl?? is placed on, and the scoop of vanilla ice cream, Roy's becomes a dessert destination.

While Baltimore has plenty of seafood restaurants, only a few stand out. The ones that do are able to put a unique spin on surf cuisine. The Charleston has done so with its southern flavor, Legal Seafoods adds a New England touch, and Roy's gives it a refreshing Hawaiian flair. So if fried shrimp and crab cakes are beginning to bore you, or if you're just looking for a dessert that's out of this world, Roy's will certainly give your palate a kick in the pants.