This day-night contrast extends into the food and service. Casual, golf-shirted servers by day wear white Oxford shirts and neckties at night. Clever, uncomplicated takes on local favorites such as different varieties of bento ($15.50) give way at dinner to elaborate constructions such as mustard and potato-crusted red snapper, garlic potato pancake, and Kalamata olive boursin cream ($28.50).

On an afternoon visit, smoky aromas outside suggested that my lunch partner and I order wood-grilled, Szechuan-spiced baby back pork ribs ($10.50) as an appetizer. These were meaty with little fat and slathered with a sweet sauce boosted by star anise and a minor buildup of heat. Although tasty, they lacked the depth of flavor I associate with slow-barbecued ribs.

Our sizable entrées were more enjoyable. Roy's meatloaf loco moco ($14.50) in all ways bested the typical dish. Meatloaf, finely ground and not the kind moms make, sat on mashed potatoes with Hamakua mushroom pan gravy. A traditional sunny-side-up egg over sautéed onions and mushrooms topped off the stack. A colorful assortment of perfectly cooked, fresh vegetables accompanied the dish. Two giant panko-crusted onion rings on the side emphasized that this was comfort food. The meatloaf could have used a touch of salt, but there were no shakers on the tables.

In the daytime, the restaurant offers a relaxed and informal resort lunch experience at moderate prices. Photos by Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Chris Areola, a cook at Roy's, sautes spinach for the luncheon crowd.

Liliko'i cheesecake intensified by a berry-colored port wine reduction sauce ($6.50) was an almost-too-pretty-to-eat dessert. A macadamia nut and graham cracker crust added texture to the smooth creaminess; liliko'i flavor shone through.

Big, robust flavors carried over into the dinner menu, but in some dishes, flavors got lost in competition with each another. Our dinner party agreed, for example, that hibachi-grilled wild salmon ($11.50 appetizer, $24.50 entrée) was drowned out by its overly sweet ponzu sauce. A surf-and-turf maki roll ($13.50) with filet mignon and slipper lobster tasted predominantly of the white pepper in the Singapore peppercorn beurre blanc.

In macadamia nut-crusted monchong and roasted red pepper-spread mahi-mahi ($28.50), the fish was overpowered by the red pepper spread and a pungent bacon uni (sea urchin) mustard sauce. Cajun-seared U-10 sea scallops ($28.50) were meant to showcase their jumbo size, U-10 meaning 10 scallops to the pound. Instead, the delicate seafood could not stand up to the heavy Southwestern-influenced accompaniments.

When the fusion worked, it produced an explosion of satisfyingly rich flavors, each component harmonizing to create a symphony of tastes. Syrupy Tazo tea-blueberry reduction nicely counterbalanced the mild gaminess of wood-grilled Australian rack of lamb ($30.50). Hamakua mushroom cassoulet ($9.50) — not the traditional bean stew but a sauteed blend of mushrooms with onions and garlic butter — caused a mushroom-hater in our group to rethink his stance. A simple but decadent blue cheese polenta underneath was a brilliant change from mashed potatoes.

Dessert was Roy's famous melting-hot chocolate soufflé ($6.50, $2 extra à la mode) and a fresh "tropical" fruit cobbler ($7.50) of peaches, blueberry and mango. We were disappointed by the cobbler, which was more of a crisp with an oatmeal streusel topping and with more summer fruits than tropical. But even deflated (because of oven problems that night), the soufflé had chocolate lovers at our table wanting to lick the plate.

Lunch service was prompt and reasonable for $13 plates. But our expectations rose with the price of dinner: Entrees averaging $29 demand more than regularly refilled water glasses, and we did notice shortcomings. Servers were sweating noticeably, probably from going up and down the dining room's three tiers. And although the staff was friendly, they did not notice an absence of flatware when entrées were served and did not clear the table thoroughly. I also found the dull steak knives disheartening.

In spite of these flaws, Roy's Ko Olina manages to hit holes in one with some menu items and a genial staff. The restaurant shows a lot of promise considering its newness — promise that is realized when the kitchen, under executive chef Michael Leslie, produces dishes with clear flavors that work together.