Lunch in Hawaii (kinda)

Do you know what's remarkable?

Getting served by a server who knows what you want before you even want it.

It's a fairly incredible feat. To be so good at your job, so well trained, and so committed that you are 37 steps ahead of the guests you are waiting on.

In all honesty, this style of service has never happened to me before....until last week at Roy's.

Many of you may not be familiar with Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Roy's restaurant opened 20 years ago by Chef Roy Yamaguchi in Hawaii, Chef Roy was the innovator of "Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine. Since then it has expanded to several states with numerous locations in FL. You can find your local Roy's here.

The local Roy's in Tampa, FL opened for lunch on Monday (11/3). I was lucky enough to get invited in for lunch last week for a special sneak peak of the new menu.

As I walked up, the door was opened for me and I was greeted with, "Aloha" from a friendly host. I asked for a table and a sever took me to the far back corner. He set the silverware out in front of me, handed me my napkin and explained my server, Adam, would be right with me.

Already impressed, I browsed the menu.

This was my first time at Roy's and from everything I have ever heard - it's suppose to have amazing food (unfortunately, the price doesn't always allow you to visit on an everyday basis). With the new lunch menu that has all changed. The prices were no more than any other restaurant for lunch (in the $10 range).

Adam, my server greeted me and his amazing work began. Everything was flawless. My glass of tea was full and over flowing. He was educated, understood the cooking methods and could speak open and comfortably about the food on the menu.

With all of the amazing options I truly had a hard time deciding. As you can imagine....I'm not a huge fan of sushi (one of Roy's specialties). However, after Adam insisting that I needed to order some for my appetizer, I finally went with the Lakanilau Roll (seared Kobe beef wrapped around snow crab, tempura asparagus and avocado)

Before the appetizer came out I had to use the restroom so I set my napkin on my chair and got up. When I came back.....my napkin was on the table.

What? How did this happen? Are the servers that awesome that they picked up my napkin after me?

Shortly after the Lakanilau sushi came out and it was........unbelievable. It was the best sushi I ever had (please note this was only the second time I had ever tried it).

I ordered the Short Rib Cheese Steak (like a premium philly cheese) served with Sweet Potato Fries.

Let's talk plates for a brief moment. Plates are so often overlooked - not to mention the way the food is plated on the plate. These important details though add up for a memorable experience. The way food "looks" when it comes out of the kitchen is almost just as important as the food itself.

The food at Roy's looks luxurious on the plate.

Not to mention, the Short Rib Cheese Steak was fantastic and the Sweet Potato Fries were tasty, crispy and fresh. I gobbled it up pretty quickly and dessert was next......where do I begin? The Creme Brulee is phenomenal..

Let's keep this simple: Roy's servers are at least 2 steps ahead of you. The food is fresh, flavorful and ignites your taste buds. The atmosphere is clean and crisp.

AND they're open for lunch. Which means now for the first time ever you can walk out of there not spending more than $30 for a truly extraordinary experience.