Fodor's Expert Review Sands Restaurant and Bar

New Zealand–born celebrity chef Tony Bullivant, who has created meals for the likes of Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and opera star Kiri Te Kanawa, delights patrons at the Moana Sands Beachfront Hotel & Villas. The newly named Sands Restaurant and Bar serves a "Pacific fusion" menu, where classic international dishes get a new twist, and the island's freshest seafood is prepared to perfection. Start with the blue cheese, apple, and vegetable spring rolls, or the seafood Caesar Salad with smoked marlin and prawn tails. Mains include parmesan-crumbled parrot fish served with maniota fries (made from the root vegetable cassava), and baked pork loin rubbed with garlic and wrapped in bacon. If there's room, finish off with coconut cashew pie with vanilla ice cream and berry sauce. There's a good wine list featuring mostly Australian and New Zealand bottles, and a live band plays several nights a week.