And The Winner of a $50 Gift Certificate to Roy's Hawaiian Restaurant Is...

Today I picked the winner of the Roy's $50 gift certificate contest. Well, technically I didn't pick the winner, but I did write everyone's name on small pieces of paper, folded them up and had my husband pick one. It was only fair, as I had read all the comments – some of which tugged at my heart strings, so thank you for that – and needed an impartial decision maker.

And the winner is... Andrea Torng of LA Easy Meals! Congratulations and thank you all for entering! Hopefully this can be the beginning of some really fun giveaways in the future!

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion: Win a $50 Gift Certificate for Roy's Summer L.A. Ohana Tour!

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a tasting for Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant's summer "L.A. Ohana Tour" promotion. Normally I'm not a big fan of writing about promotions but a) I love Roy's; b) I thought the scavenger-hunt-meets-dinner aspect is fun, and; c) you could win a trip to Hawaii. And if you do, you better take me with you!

In the meantime, here's your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to any Roy's location. Just comment at the end of the post and leave your email address. I'll randomly selection a winner this Friday, July 2! Good luck!

So here's the deal: From June 9 until August 31, 2010, if you visit three Southern California Roy’s restaurants – participating locations include Anaheim, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Pasadena, and Woodland Hills – you'll get an Ohana Tour Card to present at the next Roy's location (visit #1), a complimentary Chocolate Soufflé with purchase of an entrée (visit #2) and finally, a $20 gift card with purchase of an entrée and entry into the Hawaii sweepstakes (visit #3). If you win, you're awarded an all-inclusive trip to Hawaii where you'll enjoy a personal dinner with founding chef Roy Yamaguchi. And you get a free chocolate soufflé, a $20 gift card and fabulous meals in the meantime. Sound good?

It's time for Roy's Hawaiian Fusion L.A. Ohana Tour!

If you're still not convinced, check out the photos from the mouth-watering Roy's L.A. Ohana Tour tasting. Chef Garrett from the downtown L.A. Roy's made individual Pupu (Hawaiian for appetizer) portions for each of the food bloggers attending the event, including Grilled Albacore Flatbread, Yellow Fin Ahi Poke, Spiced Duck Confit Tarts, Short Ribs of Beef Au Poivre and Strawberry Basil Panna Cotta. While each dish was delicious, my two favorites were the Grilled Albacore Flatbread – light, bright flavors from the herb paste, a refreshing tang from the tzatziki with great smokiness from the grilled albacore and the smoked feta – and the Short Ribs of Beef au Poivre. You can't go wrong with fork-tender braised short ribs, especially when they come with a piping hot, crispy truffled tator tot. It's a win-win, all around!

The Tasting Menu

Basil Cucumber Collins | Original Hawaiian Martini

The Basil Cucumber Collins was a wonderfully refreshing cocktail, and while some cucumber martinis can be too sweet, this was light and crisp. It was made with certified organic cucumber vodka muddled with fresh basil, fresh limes and topped with club soda. The Original Hawaiian Martini was made from Maui pineapples infused with SKYY Vodka, Stoli Vanil Vodka and Malibu Coconut Rum. It's shaken and served with fresh pineapple. Definitely a cocktail for the tropical drink lover.

Yellow Fin Ahi Poke | Wasabi aioli, avocado & Tobiko caviar

Spiced Duck Confit Tarts | Sage Chevre cream

Grilled Albacore Flatbread | Pickled red onions, smoked Feta, herb paste & tzatziki

Short Ribs of Beef au Poivre | Truffled tater tot & tomato jam

Strawberry Basil Panna Cotta

Thanks to Liz from Formula PR for coordinating all the details; I had a great time exploring Roy's latest pupus and spending time with @foodfashionista and @uncouthgourmands. Thanks for the fun conversation!