Where my food lovers at? I’ve got just the place to add to your radar if you’re looking for good food and service while in Antigua. In 2021, Rock’s Group opened a new restaurant located at Nonsuch Bay with an Asian-inspired menu. Over the years they’ve hosted various events such as Music on the Rocks and others around specific calendar days. Most notably, this past summer, they introduced two day pass specials. I got to enjoy this special in the month of August which was discounted even further just before they went on a summer break. The question everybody asked and even I was skeptical about prior to going, is it worth it? Let’s see!
LOCATION & VIBES
Rokuni is located on the eastern coast of Antigua within the Nonsuch Bay property. It’s a pretty long drive depending on where you’re coming from, but I would say the scenery is worth it. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with an open feel. There’s a standalone bar with a lounge and outdoor seating, followed by a dining area then daybeds and sun lounges around a cliff-facing pool. If you love aesthetics, you’d love it here.
DAY PASS SPECIALS
Two day pass specials were advertised for the summer, a food only package and a food and drink package. I decided to go with the food and drinks package, as it made more sense economically, but it would also depend on how much you’ll be drinking. The difference in prices between the food only and food and drink options would more or less be a cocktail. As mentioned earlier, the advertised prices for these specials were further discounted in August.
THE MENU
The day pass menu is slightly different to their regular menu. It does include some options that I was accustomed to, as well as new selections I was eager to try. The drink menu featured special Rokuni cocktails, mocktails (option to add alcohol), wine by the glass, house spirits, soft drinks and beers. The food menu included small dishes (appetizers), large dishes (main), sides, and desserts.
MY EXPERIENCE
This particular outing was in celebration of a birthday, so they handled the reservations. Based on how many persons it was for, a deposit of $50 XCD pp had to be made. Given I had a prior engagement I didn’t make it to the restaurant until 2 p.m. so of course I had some making up to do with the orders. After getting settled and receiving my friends’ feedback on various food/drink options I ordered two starters. The waitress also alerted us that it was better to order multiple options at once so that we receive our food in good time. When I first got there it wasn’t a large amount of people so the food and drinks were flowing. As the day went by there was a bit of a delay but nothing much to warrant us being displeased. Let’s get into the foodie reviews!
Crispy Sushi Rice
I had this before and wasn’t 100% for it, but given it’s an all you can eat experience and something quick/small I went for it again. I had the same feeling whereby it wasn’t anything special. It included spicy tuna, avocado and wasabi. The rice was very crispy and I didn’t feel like I was tasting much of the toppings.
Dim Sum Selections
Honestly, this was what I was looking forward to the most. I’ve tried some of these from their main menu and they are a hit! Me and Asian food? *chefs kiss* From here, I ordered the shrimp and chicken & mushroom steamed dumplings, my favourite was the chicken and mushroom which had charcoal soy. My friend also had the Bao Buns and after tasting theirs I had to order one as well. Unfortunately, it wasn’t bussin’ as the first one and I felt the pork was more fatty than meaty. Also, the filling wasn’t proportional to the size of the bun.
Maki Rolls
I really wanted to get sushi but none of the options interested me, so that was a fail. However, my sister who wasn’t doing the day pass menu got their Fried Tuna Roll from their regular menu and babyyyy. That was probably the best sushi I ever tasted. I’m also a Tuna lover now. It included avocado, teriyaki and a spicy mango salsa which went perfect with it!
Rokuni Burger
I was influenced into this selection but I feel like it could have been skipped. Not sure if I was feeling full or turned off from something in the burger but it wasn’t doing it for me. On the flip side, everyone else was really enjoying and this burger also comes highly recommend by staff. Sometimes, I am the problem 😅. The burger included aged beef, miso onion jam, pickles, asian slaw, sriracha aioli.
Thai Style Local Clams
Finally we got into the large dishes. Someone else ordered this first then we all tested it, loved it and ordered more to the point where it ran out (or at least that’s what they said). This was another wow factor which caught me by surprise. Usually, clams would taste like they came straight out of the sea, but the sauce these were cooked in had us wanting bread to soak up the remains. The dish had in lemongrass, coconut, Nam Pla, coriander and lime.
Nasi Goreng
We definitely ordered this without knowing exactly what it was. Tell me why we were expecting “nancy glory” #IYKYK. It’s more or less a fried rice dish with the option of adding chicken or seafood. I got it with seafood but didn’t enjoy it; the spices and the large clumps of egg turned me off.
Pink Gin
My cocktail of choice for the day was their Pink Gin. Ever since I tried this earlier in the summer I’ve been on the lookout for it; specifically Beefeater Pink Strawberry. This particular cocktail also included elderflower, lemon and tonic water. It had me saying “another one, thank you” the entire day! It was the perfect blend of sweet and fizzy; didn’t even feel like I was drinking alcohol.
The day was filled with food, drinks and laughter. This day pass experience was much better than my first visit and I’m definitely interested in going again. My biggest regret was not trying more of the large dishes. I also wished they had other dessert options, because as a person with a sweet tooth, none of those on the menu appealed to me.
So was it really worth it? YES, YES, YES! It’s definitely an opportunity to try new things and much more items from their menu at a reasonable cost. Their regular menu is also available for you to order from in case the menu options don’t entice you.
FYI Rokuni reopens on Friday 20th October 2023 with their day pass menus available at the August rates! However, for this new season they will be closed on Wednesdays and open for lunch and dinner, Thursday to Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and for lunch only Sunday to Tuesday 11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Rokuni Website, Instagram
Contact: +1 268 713 6161
Share your reviews with me if you’ve you’ve experienced their day pass package before or if you have any questions, let me know.
Until our next foodie encounter,
As Told by Ali 
Leave a reply to Chantel Keona Cancel reply