This popular New York City cocktail bar recently opened in Honolulu.
ROKC — which stands for ramen, oyster, kitchen, cocktail — opened recently on Waikīkī Beach Walk (in the former space of Westman Cafe + Lounge). The restaurant had two locations in New York, according to ROKC Hawaiʻi owner Joji Watanabe.
“The first one was in West Harlem; the second one is in the Upper East Side,” he says. “The first location — West Harlem — closed, so now there’s just one other location (besides the Hawaiʻi one).”
The Hawaiʻi restaurant’s interior features moody lighting and trendy décor.
“Here, there’s lots of Japanese restaurants, so we wanted to bring more of a New York theme (to the interior),” Watanabe says.
The restaurant is cash-only during its soft opening, and the eatery accepts walk-ins only (no reservations). Credit cards should be accepted in January, once the restaurant’s system is ready, according to Watanabe.
“For now, there’s no reservations,” he confirms. “It’s the same as the one (our location) in NYC. That’s kind of like our style; first-come, first-served.”
As the restaurant’s name implies, it’s especially known for its cocktails and ramen. The cocktail selection is extensive, and includes a variety of clarified cocktails.
“We concentrate on Japanese-style cocktails,” says Watanabe, who explains that the restaurant’s cocktails are photogenic and include unique elements. “The lychee martini comes in a light bulb. The truffle (cocktail) comes with cheese, like a pairing cocktail. The pineapple passion fruit (cocktail) is on fire; cucumber comes in a frozen bell pepper cup.”
Right now, the eatery’s menu is similar to that of the New York City location.
“There are no exclusive dishes yet; we will try this menu for now and figure out how people like it,” Watanabe says.
So far, cocktails like the smoky pina colada ($18), pineapple and passion fruit ($18) and Japanese Old Fashioned ($19) have been popular. We were intrigued — and pleasantly surprised — by the truffle cocktail ($19), which includes vodka, Muscat grapes, grapefruits and truffle, and is served with petite slices of Parmesan cheese.
Though we smelled the truffle, we couldn’t taste it in the cocktail — it’s subtle — and the slightly sweet aftertaste is offset nicely with bites of nutty Parmesan cheese between sips.
Start with shareable dishes like fresh oysters ($3.50 each, minimum six pieces), scallop ceviche ($15), deviled egg + egg + egg ($18) and chicken karaage ($12).
During our visit, Ichiban oysters from Washington were featured and came with cocktail sauce, lemon and vinaigrette.
The scallop ceviche ($15) is refreshing with a slight spice, as it features thinly sliced scallops topped with dashi, lemon, red onions, cilantro, pink peppercorns and truffle oil.
Deviled egg + egg + egg ($18) includes three pieces per order, and features a unique presentation. This upscale twist on deviled eggs includes sea urchin and salmon caviar, making every bite more luxe and full of umami flavor.
If you only have to pick one appetizer, go for the chicken karaage ($12). The Japanese-style fried chicken is served piping hot, temperature wise, with a side of matcha salt for dipping.
The chicken itself is delicately crispy on the outside, ultra juicy inside, and boasts enough flavor that no salt is really needed (though it’s fun to dip, anyway).
The ramen bowls feature both, traditional and soup-less options; bowls feature noodles from Sun Noodle. Options with broth include Tokyo ($18) — made with fish and chicken broth, pork belly, seasoned egg, scallions and spicy bamboo shoots — and Sapporo ($18). The latter comprises miso chicken broth, chicken, a seasoned egg, corn, scallions, bean sprouts and butter.
“The Tokyo (ramen) has fish broth,” Watanabe says. “Not many ramen places have fish broth; it’s usually pork or chicken.”
He recommends the sea urchin salmon caviar ($36) or wagyu bone marrow ramen ($36) for those looking for something unique. Both are broth-less ramen creations.
Wagyu and bone marrow ($36) features a soupless noodle bowl with umami dashi sauce, wagyu, bone marrow, chives and wasabi. Meanwhile, the sea urchin and salmon roe ($36) — also soupless — comprises premium dashi sauce, sea urchin, salmon caviar, shiso and seaweed.
While we enjoyed both bowls’ savory flavors, the sea urchin and salmon roe was our favorite.
“We make a thick sauce with dashi and blend in bonito, uni paste and some soy mirin,” Watanabe says.
Note: ROKC currently doesn’t validate customer parking, but the restaurant is located nearby other parking structures like Royal Hawaiian Center.
CONTACT
ROKC Hawaiʻi
280 Beach Walk Ste. 106, Honolulu
Instagram: @rokchawaii
Open from 5 to 11 p.m. (closed Sundays)
Cash only; no reservations (first come, first served)
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
