Newly opened Second Street Comfort Food & Bar in Sai Ying Pun – big portions, little problems
The staff were eager to please and dishes were generally good but a few niggles, such as sand in the clams and unevenly cooked lamb took some of the shine off
In Hong Kong, a restaurant’s success is often down to location, location, location. Second Street Comfort Food & Bar in the Island Crest apartment complex in Sai Ying Pun should be successful – there are so many residents there – but when we visited for dinner, only a few tables were occupied.
The interior looks very similar to that of its predecessor, La Viola. As its new name suggests, they serve comfort food and lots of it:portions are large, making this place relatively good value for money. The air conditioning was set to freezing (or so it seemed) but the staff were warm and eager to please.
Why Sai Ying Pun after dark is the new hotbed of urban cool
The Spanish-style garlic prawns (HK$98) were a delicious start to the meal. Flavoured with chorizo, chilli and home-made spicy bravas sauce, the prawns were cooked nicely and we soaked up the delicious sauce with toasted bread.
Linguine with clams, garlic and parsley (HK$138) wasn’t served with linguine; instead, they used spaghetti that was almost as thin as angel hair pasta. It had a delicate taste and the clams were plump and juicy, but many had sand in them.
