May 23, 2025

Exploring New American Cuisine at The Royal Hawaiian

The vibrant culinary landscape of New American food has found a unique home at The Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach. Since 1947, our historic tiki establishment has evolved while honoring tradition, much like New American cuisine itself. Let's explore what makes New American food special and how we incorporate these innovative culinary principles into our tropical paradise.

What is New American Food?

New American food, therefore, is an avant-garde approach to American food traditions that eddies in and out within the idioms of old-world technique, worldly influences, and new-age creativity. This collection of food trends prides itself on local produce along with the seasons and artistic expression, all while recognizing a highly diversified American cultural heritage.

The Royal Hawaiian applies New American food theories when taking tiki bar classics and contemporary techniques to create dishes that, as much as possible, would be made with fresh California ingredients. Our chefs have come to blend the now-familiar flavors of Hawaii or Polynesia with contemporary techniques in ways never imagined before. 

Our own take on New American food originated in the 1980s with the chefs accepting the departure from distinctly European food influences. Presently it is characterized by the following:

Combination of international cooking techniques using local American ingredients

• A ground-up focus on sustainability and farm-to-table techniques

• New ideas regarding presentation and flavor combinations

• Cherishing culinary traditions while welcoming innovation

• Incorporating nostalgic tiki classics with present-day culinary styles, our menu embodies the New American food philosophy that gives surprise and delight.

New American Food at The Royal Hawaiian

At The Royal Hawaiian, experience New American food with a tropical twist. Using the freshest California produce and best seafood ingredients, our chefs create dishes that pay homage to more than 75 years of history while modernizing the sensibility. 

New American food marks creativity and craftsmanship—attributes we uphold in our food and our famed cocktails. The bar celebrates the classics of tiki drinks but puts a twist of New American food into the current age. 

What's So Special About New American Food

The array of possibilities which New American food encourages, or food that allows for invention, does make it stand out. When conversely, traditional food would only permit deviation from its culinary foundations in counterweight, anything goes. 

New American food at The Royal Hawaiian helps us keep our past honors alive while becoming pertinent today. Ingredients from local sources are considered in modern techniques making the past just as refreshing as today. 

The New American Food Experience in Historic Surroundings

There is a magical touch to having innovative New American food within one of the oldest tiki bars in California. The Royal Hawaiian has that setting that sets the foundation for this magical journey—where the past and the new live harmoniously. 

Come join us in Laguna Beach and savor our version of New American food in an environment that has charmed guests since 1947. The Royal Hawaiian is a testament to the progress of New American food while honoring its roots-from innovative cocktails to a well-thought-out menu. 

Come taste the exciting flavors of New American food in our tropical paradise, where tradition and innovation come together to create an unforgettable dining experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What exactly defines New American food?

New American food is characterized by contemporary approaches to traditional American cuisine, incorporating global influences, locally-sourced ingredients, and innovative cooking techniques. It respects culinary traditions while embracing creativity and often features fusion elements that reflect America's diverse cultural landscape.

2. How does New American food relate to The Royal Hawaiian? 

The Royal Hawaiian updates the classics of the tiki bar with modern culinary techniques and fresh ingredients from California. New American influences have led our chefs to reinterpret Polynesian-inspired treaties, maintaining the integrity of their historical roots, as garments that are contemporaneous in presentation and unorthodox in flavor combinations.

3. Is New American food equal to fusion food? 

While New American cuisine often carries fusion characteristics, it specifies a modern adaptation of traditional American cooking into an artfulness of modern cooking and global influences. New American cuisine often discusses local and seasonal ingredients and builds a closer tie to regional American culinary traditions than to larger fusion cuisines.

4. Are there vegetarian and vegan alternatives offered by The Royal Hawaiian for New American cuisine?

Absolutely! Living up to the current New American food trend, our menu features imaginative dishes for vegetarians and vegans that celebrate fresh California produce. The same innovations applied to our seafood and meat dishes are applied to our plant-based offerings so that all guests can experience our perspective on New American cuisine.