Roy can cook

Lolita Harper

The invitations ask guests to arrive promptly at 7 p.m. for a dinner

party.

Seven hours before, the table has yet to be set, the host is in

jeans, the oven is cold, but the event has already begun.

Preparing a feast is an event in itself, acclaimed chef Roy

Yamaguchi said, and his new cookbook and TV series will outline the

steps to participate in such an occasion.

“Going to all the specialty shops to find the ingredients and

preparing the food is an event,” Yamaguchi said. “If it’s not fun,

you shouldn’t do it.”

Pearls of wisdom such as this, and many other tips, abound in his

new book, “Hawaii Cooks,” and the TV show of the same name.

In his eclectic cooking style, Yamaguchi, the accomplished chef

behind the successful chain of Roy’s restaurants, said he tries to

incorporate the three essential elements of flavor, texture and

appearance.

Born in Japan, Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian connection goes back to his

grandfather, who owned a tavern in the ‘40s in Wailuku, Maui. While

growing up in Japan and absorbing the Eastern culture, Yamaguchi was

largely influenced by frequent trips to the Pacific Islands.

The cooking in his family was done by the men, and Yamaguchi was

eager to follow in their footsteps.

He completed extensive culinary training and was offered premiere

positions at acclaimed restaurants. In 1988, he opened the first

Roy’s in Hawaii. The chain took off, and the restaurants are now all

over the country.

The crowd at the entrance of the Roy’s in Fashion Island is a

testament to its popularity here in Newport-Mesa. Yamaguchi hopes to

appeal to the Southern California culture with his comprehensive new

cookbook.

“For me, eating and cooking are essentially the same: I like to

cook what I eat and I like to eat what I cook,” Yamaguchi writes in

the introduction to the book.

The pages that follow highlight the refreshingly bold and

flavorful dishes that lavishly mix Western and Eastern influences and

fresh ingredients with French cooking techniques. Yamaguchi not only

lists the components, he explains the fundamentals of his cooking

style, for a more complete knowledge of the recipe.

He explains the need for sweet, salty, sour and bitter tastes and

the proper balance between them. Spice, texture and visual appeal are

also discussed at length in the colorful cookbook.

Because Yamaguchi cooks with items that may not be familiar to

most, he explains the items and their importance to the dish.

Yamaguchi also gives readers a hint of where the exotic foods can be

found, if one ventures outside the shelves of ordinary super markets.

The TV series, “Hawaii Cooks,” highlights the same expertise,

while vividly showing the international chef’s entertaining

personality. For the sixth season, Yamaguchi will share his culinary

expertise with viewers at home and help hobby chefs create their own

“events.”