Locals and regular readers will have followed Hong Kong kitchen Aquila’s transformation into the Vietnamese restaurant Vela.
On a quiet midweek lunchtime I popped by to take a seat in the window: first thoughts are the interior has barely changed, although the space feels airier and less cluttered now, with the kitchen open to the dining room, separated by a counter.
Although the site is still owned by Aquila, it’s run by a new team, the female server told me. The laminate menu is comprehensive, requiring diners to flick through several pages: starters include sesame prawn toast, spring and summer rolls, deep-fried cuttlefish cakes, clams in white wine and garlicky mussels.
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Evening mains comprise winter warmers like crispy-skinned roast pork belly, Vietnamese baked poussin, lemongrass grilled pork chop and stir-fried morning glory with shrimp paste. A separate sheet of paper allows you to order tick-the-box dim sum.
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But it was a dull Wednesday and I was feeling pho-ish. Sadly, from the five options, the server explained that there was no chicken, pork or Vietnamese sausage, just the raw beef (£12.80)- so I ordered that. After all, beef is the classic protein in pho.
It’s perfectly presented, as you can see: a steaming bowl of stock (simmered for 48 hours, said the server) adorned with generous slithers of lightly fatty rump tail (an underrated cut, sometimes known as picanha), daikon, thick noodles, and all the optional toppings you need: bean sprouts, carrot, mint, lime, thinly sliced onion, peanuts, chilli sauce.
I’ll definitely be back to try the mains and the rice dishes. But a note of caution: they don’t take cards, unless you’re willing to make a bank transfer: this they blamed on the owners. But overall this feels like a reinvention that will reward repeat visits.
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