Tasty Chomps' Orlando

• TR Fire Grill is hosting a Wine Dinner on May 15 with Hope Family Wines!
• Meet Major: A Q&A With Our Newest Food Writer
• Chef Roy Yamaguchi Hosts an Evening of Inspired Cuisine

TR Fire Grill is hosting a Wine Dinner on May 15 with Hope Family Wines!

For foodies that love a good glass of wine, TR Fire Grill is hosting a Wine Dinner that includes a chef crafted four course meal expertly paired with Hope Family Wines.

Created by TR Fire Grill’s Head Chef Bob Gallagher and Sommelier Andrew Bateman, each course will highlight elements in the wines and showcase certain flavors.

When:   May 15, 2016, 5:30 p.m.

Where: TR Fire Grill, 1035 North Orlando Avenue

What:    Four courses chef-inspired courses

1. Charcuterie & Cheese with grilled wine infused onions, Treana Chardonay
2. Market Salad with white wine vinaigrette, Treana White Blend
3. Surf & Turf with red blend demi-glace and Chardonnay butter, Treana Red Blend
4. Double Trouble Chocolate Waffle with wine infused blueberries, Troublemaker Red Blend

Price:     $60 per person, tickets can be purchased here.

Charcuterie & Cheese

Grilled bread, grainy mustard, cornichon pickles,

and grilled wine infused onions

Treana Chardonnay

Second Course

Watermelon, cucumber, mango, kiwi, blueberries,

pickled red onion, Feta cheese, sunflower seeds,

Treana white wine vinaigrette

Market Salad

Treana White Blend

Third Course

Smoked flank with Treana Red Blend demi-glacé,

potato hash, cedar wood shrimp, Treana

Chardonnay butter, smoked asparagus

Surf & Turf

Treana Red Blend

Fourth Course

Double Trouble Chocolate Waffle

Chocolate waffle, tempura strawberry bananas,

wine infused blueberries, mango sauce, ice cream

Troublemaker Red Blend

Meet Major: A Q&A With Our Newest Food Writer

Chef Roy Yamaguchi Hosts an Evening of Inspired Cuisine

Roy’s Restaurant hosted an evening of inspired cuisine, curated by Roy Yamaguchi himself. Chef Roy prepared an exclusive four-course dinner awakened by the abundant flavors of the Pacific Rim. The specialty menu was beautifully paired with wines curated by Roy’s Wine Manager. Guests experienced a night of culinary craftsmanship, featuring Kombu Cured Hokkaldo Scallops, and Crispy Skin Striped Bass, accompanied by a Medjoll Date Cake for dessert.

Kombu Cured Hokkaido Scallop – Grapefruit Ponzu, Pomegranate, Crispy Kombu, Sea Grass
Paired with Chandon, Blanc De Noir

This was my favorite dish of the night.  The grapefruit ponzu and pomegranate provided the citrus freshness that paired well with the scallop for a distinctly island flavor.  The scallop was well seasoned and the sauces were a great accompaniment.  However, if there had been a little bit of crispiness from a good sear on the scallop, this would have been a fantastic dish.  It had all the right components and I was optimistic for the next dish.

Lemongrass Poached Pear Salad - Rocket Arugula, Fennel, Fried Brie
Paired with Duckhorn, Sauvignon Blanc

This salad tasted very Vietnamese.  The pear and lemongrass complemented each other, and any addition of arugula is a great idea in my opinion. The fried brie was great, a ball of melty goodness surrounded by a crispy exterior. While it felt a bit out of place with the flavors of the rest of the salad, overall, I enjoyed this course.

Crispy Skin Striped Bass - Braised Oxtail Ragout,  House Made Pasta, Kale
Paired with Au Bon Climat, La Bauge Pinot Noir

The striped bass was cooked well but under seasoned.  This may have been because the oxtail ragout was overly heavy and an effort to balance between the two.  However I feel like a fresh component would have been a better way to liven up the dish.  This dish felt bold but not in a satisfying way.  The pasta was great and al dente, but heavily salted.  The kale was once crispy but became soggy by the time it arrived, having a limp, wet texture.  Personally, the fish would have paired well with the salad from the second course.  Adding the fish with the pasta made this dish lack texture throughout.  It felt very mushy and extreme in taste, either extremely bland, or extremely salty.  This dish reached far, but fell short of it’s creative goals.

Medjool Date Cake - Pistachio, Rose Water Sabayon, Miso Caramel

I’m not sure how to describe this, but it was definitely not what I had in mind for a cake.  Resembling a meatloaf, the cake succeeded in having one singular texture associated to the dish: dry.  My favorite part of this plating was the orchid because it reminded me of my mother.  But the dessert as a whole fell apart.  Maybe it was because the entire table lost its enthusiasm after the entree, but there was really nothing memorable about this dish.  One of the guest’s kindergarten daughter refused to take more than one bite, which I found fascinating.

I’m not sure what happened here.  Perhaps I had such high expectations for a James Beard award winner and Top Chef, but I was very disappointed with the last two dishes. While every dish had it’s highlights, each dish felt incomplete.  This was my first experience at Roy’s, and I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that it was a large event where execution and timing was likely to be disrupted.  The success of the night was the wine pairings and the service.  Outside of the food, I had a great time and felt welcomed and comfortable. Perhaps the original menu is better practiced and executed, but with the abundance of restaurants Orlando has to offer, it will be a long time removed before I return.

Roy’s Orlando is located at 7760 W. Sand Lake Rd.
Please call (407) 352-4844 to book your reservation.

Thank you FleishmanHillard for the invitation!

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