Two years ago, I was visiting a friend in London. The first night there, she told me she knew the perfect restaurant to take her vegan friend (me) —Farmacy. I remember veggies galore matched with delicious cocktails, leaving full, and wishing it was closer to my home in NYC. So, you can imagine my joy when I was walking around New York’s Soho neighborhood and saw that Farmacy Kitchen was Chefs Club Counter’s current pop-up restaurant!
“I could have eaten the whole thing myself but decided to practice self-control.”
If you haven’t heard of Chefs Club, it’s a restaurant group that features chefs from all over the world. They have four worldwide restaurant locations, two of which are in New York (Chefs Club NY and Chef Club’s Counter). For 3-6 months, different chefs take residency and showcase their creations. Since September 2019, Farmacy Kitchen is Farmacy’s temporary satellite restaurant at Chef Club’s Counter in New York and you can still visit it until the end of this month (February 2020).
Farmacy Kitchen states it “grows, makes, and serves transformational food. Organically and biodynamically prepared, every dish is a celebration that is whole, healing and delicious.” I would have to second that statement. Though it is a health-focused restaurant, it is certainly not just salads. We started lunch with the Artichoke Pizzetta—one of my favorite dishes from the meal. It is served on homemade sourdough with a tomato & artichoke sauce, macadamia herb cheese (vegan of course), olives, capers, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. It was packed with flavor and texture. I could have eaten the whole thing myself but decided to practice self-control.
From the starters menu, we also had the seasonal Broccolini Soup and the Mac and Cheese. The soup was served with a piece of sourdough which makes it more hearty—perfect for a chilly day.
I love my mac and cheese and must say that I hold it to a very high standard. That said, I felt that the Farmacy Kitchen did a great job. It was sufficiently creamy and cheesy. The breadcrumbs on top, I must add, was a splendid touch, and since it was a rice pasta, it did not leave me feeling heavy after eating. I would definitely order it again.
Now onto the main meals. I had the Kimchi Bowl which consisted of soba noodles, spicy kimchi, sautéed chard stems, raw kohlrabi, raw brine carrots, marinated mushrooms, radish sprouts, and a tamarind vinaigrette. This dish was packed with flavor and I would highly recommend it. The mushrooms were next level and the spicy kimchi was so good I could eat it by the jar.
“…the spicy kimchi was so good I could eat it by the jar.”
My friend had the Mexican Bowl which had sprouted coriander rice, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, frijoles, chipotle ‘sour cream’, whipped squash, corn chips, and a jalapeño dressing. I, of course, had lots of my friend’s dish and can tell you it was delicious as well. I am a sucker for squash and sour cream, so I may be biased but my opinion still stands. I also like that they put the dressing on the side so if you are not a big fan of spice, you can control the level of heat on the dish.
From this feast, we were then far too full to sample the dessert, which almost never happens! We were forced to pay the ultimate price for not pacing ourselves. However, if you do happen to save room, they have a Brownie Sundae that sounds to die for, along with a few other desserts. To go with your dessert, or to end the meal, they also have a long menu of teas and specialty hot drinks that seem ideal for a chilly day in the city.
Farmacy Kitchen is a beautiful way to spend a brunch, lunch, or dinner with friends or a date. The restaurant is a calm oasis in the middle of a busy street. The menu has a little of everything and it is refreshing to have a spot to eat nourishing food that leaves you feeling full and happy.
Farmacy Kitchen will be at Chef Club’s Counter until February 29th, 2020, so hopefully, you guys have a chance to try it out while it is here in the US.
Text & Photography by Rachel Cohen
