Vela has been sitting up there in West Village for a while now, perched above one of the best restaurant precincts in West End, and I kept walking past it. Something about the place didn't pull me in. I had quietly decided that any venue with an interior that colourful and considered was probably compensating for the food. I was wrong, and happily so.
The room is a stunner. Bold and vibrant yet casual. It's comfortable.
We started with the lobster betel leaf, a proper flavour hit in one bite with a sneaky chilli kick right at the end. The tuna rice cracker was exactly as you would expect, no complaints. Then the chilli butter scallop arrived and things got interesting. Chilli and butter, simple on paper, but together it ate like a curry in all the good ways.
The satay beef skewer was tender, and the sauce was the real standout, chunky peanuts giving it a welcome crunch. The crispy prawn dumpling delivered on its name, beautiful prawn inside, dipped delicately in sweet and sour sauce.
The squid mango salad was not for me. A little sour, with the lime and mango combining aggressively. Someone else at the table might have loved it, but I moved on.
The panang curry with chicken was solid, nothing more, nothing less. The steamed ginger fish was the best executed dish of the night. Soft, cooked beautifully, mushrooms rounding it out and the ginger providing a sharp contrast that just works. The crab fried rice closed things out and it was excellent.
Service was friendly and attentive, and the food came out impressively quick. No awkward gaps, no rushing, just good pacing.
My takeaway is this. Vela has all the staple dishes you know, but they're innovative in how they use the ingredients, and that's what makes the familiar feel new. I'd go back for the ginger fish alone.