Source: Pharm Table
Pharm Table, San Antonio’s signature plant-forward restaurant, is opened its new location in Southtown at 611 South Presa Street, Suite 106, on Tuesday, March 23.
Dinner, lunch and brunch services with a new bar program are being offered during a soft opening period with abbreviated hours for the weeks of March 22 and 29 (Tuesday – Friday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. for lunch, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. for dinner; Saturday – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. for brunch and lunch; 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. for dinner; Sunday – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. brunch and regular menu). Reservations are recommended. Expanded permanent hours will be announced soon.
“Our incredible new menu offers the opportunity for guests to savor global flavors through an Ayurvedic lens,” said Johnson. “My hope is not only to encourage healing through food, but to offer creative, healthful preparations in a way that brings guests a sense of joy and discovery. As a party favor, they are going to feel great when they leave.”
The new expanded menu features starters, mezzes, soups and broths, small plates, salads, desserts, as well as a selection of house cocktails, brunch cocktails and zero-proof drinks. The restaurant is built on an expanded apothecary kitchen approach. While being plant-forward, Pharm Table serves a wonderful selection of sustainably raised meats and fish that can be added to dishes.
Some highlights of new menu items include Israeli Style Hummus & Roasted Roots, a robust hummus with cauliflower shawarma, beets, pepita muhamara; Cilantro Coconut Guacamole, an “Ayurveda meets Mexico” style with ginger, coconut, lime and collard leaf tortillas; Smoked Mole Verde Enchiladas, creatively utilizing vegetable greens and smoked tomatillo and hoja santa mole verde; and the Tamarind Amchur Curry Bowl with seasonal brassicas (cruciferous vegetables), well complimented by an add-on of parsley-cilantro marinated chicken. Some former Pharm Table favorites such as tacos and brunch items will carry over from the menu at the former location. Nikita Villastrigo, a five-year Pharm Table team member, will continue as executive sous chef leading the kitchen.
A rotating variety of special off-menu selections will also be offered during dinner service. These offerings will feature ingredients from an evolving global spice library. Pharm Table’s menu will change every four to five weeks based on the seasonal produce schedule and restaurant vendor availability. The expanded fish menu features a daily Nikkei Tiradito, a Japanese style ceviche from Peru with in-house leche de tigre, sweet potato causa puree and toasted sesame oil, a Gravlox Board featuring beet-stained salmon gravlox, almond nut cheese, and house-smoked vegetables and ferments, and a seared Fish of the Day, served with a cucumber herb salad.
The new bar program, curated in partnership with local consultant Houston Eaves, features an array of cocktails inspired by an apothecary kitchen, with both with artisanal spirits and zero-proof beverages. It focuses on artisanal, botanical, anti-inflammatory spirits, natural wines and beers, both locally and globally sourced. Liberal use of herbs and botanicals, as well as low sugar content, are signatures of the beverage program. The highest quality ingredients are used across the board, from ice to freshly juiced products to spirits. The difference is in taste and preservation of nutrition and vitamins in juices used. Highlights include the Sumac Sour using aquafaba from garbanzo beans and the Pharmer’s Cup with house turmeric ginger beer (made from fresh turmeric and ginger juice) on tap and the option of gin or vodka. The bar program, managed by Ricardo Ruiz, also highlights a curated selection of agave distillates from master producers around the world.
Curbside and delivery continue to be available during the soft opening period and thereafter. Designated spaces for curbside pickup ensure guests have a convenient option when picking up online orders. The previous Pharm Table Meal Plan format has transformed from a set weekly menu to a la carte ordering and will relaunch the week of March 29. Customers now have the flexibility to build out their own meal plan menu by making selections from the current restaurant menu, with optional sustainable animal proteins. Ordering 24 hours in advance is required for pickup or delivery, six days a week.
This evolution of Pharm Table is grounded in concepts of mindfulness, ancestral knowledge, Ayurveda, artisanal cuisine, organic farming, physical health and harmony, vital energy (healing imbalances in the body), and current and post-COVID-19 health and safety measures. It honors ancestral knowledge through a fusion of the East, West and Mesoamerican diets, along with pride of San Antonio heritage foods. The kitchen’s global spice library is inspired in part by San Antonio’s sister cities and the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy network, and other areas of interest for Johnson.
While it draws on the past, the new space is configured for modern life as a place of joy and social gathering. The patio will continue to be open and offer free wellness community classes such as yoga and meditation every Sunday morning. Inside, an artistic display wall features an evolving global spice library, with more than 100 jars of spices on display, that are the driving force behind Pharm Table’s kitchen.
San Antonio-based artist Rikkianne Van Kirk’s botanical illustrations adorn the walls of the restaurant. Van Kirk’s drawings are inspired by the rich past of found materials and the simplicity and imperfection of the hand drawn line. Illustrations reflect key ingredients used in Pharm Table’s dishes such as maguey, loquats, mesquite beans and agarita.
The space’s architecture and design honors safety, sustainability and the local landscape. Emphasis is placed on how the interior and exterior spaces communicate to provide a guest experience that is safe and comfortable for staff and customers. A well-constructed ventilation system ensures certified indoor air quality, and lush use of plants create a safe environment for diners as well as a beautiful dining room. The beautiful new interior bar will be functional, but not yet launch seating at this time due to COVID-19 precautions. An abundance of exterior seating offers plenty of space to safely dine as well. All of these elements are meant to ensure an elevated level of customer service.
Sustainability continues to be a key feature of Pharm Table, driving its food program, and now informing its bar program. There is a zero-waste policy for to-go packaging and consideration of utilizing ingredients to reduce as much food waste as possible.
The concept of Pharm Table lies at the axis of commitment to a healthful diet and the pleasure of flavor.
Pharm Table’s philosophy is to help heal the body through food by blending an Ayurvedic lens with naturally healthful global cuisines. Founded in 2015 by acclaimed chef Elizabeth Johnson, the team is dedicated to promoting balanced health and vitality by emphasizing anti-inflammatory food and beverages. The evolving menu is shaped by locally sourced produce and a global spice library. Following research from Harvard School of Public Health, National Geographic Blue Zones, Ayurveda, and other anti-inflammatory diets, Pharm Table promotes a primarily plant-based diet with smaller portions of clean animal proteins and an emphasis on nutrient-dense plant-based proteins. The team strives to be a sustainable restaurant leader in its menu and business practices, help people understand how food affects their bodies and their environment, make healthy food fun, and surprise and delight customers every time. More info at pharmtable.com.
