The Spice Table Ditches Lunch, Relocation Plans Afoot

Ng at the Grill/L.Balla

By Lesley Balla

We're not sure which bums us out more - that The Spice Table has to stop serving lunch due to flooding damage or that it will, indeed, move to a new location within a year. A few months ago chef and owner Bryant Ng found out there are plans to put a Metro station exactly where the Little Tokyo restaurant currently resides. While the timeline isn't firm yet, it looks it's really happening, and Ng and company have to relocate. He once told us that it was the hardest news to take because the space, which has beautiful brick walls, high ceilings and just an all-around cool vibe, was as much a part of the soul of the restaurant as his spicy Singaporean and Vietnamese cuisine.

The "forced displacement" will take place in six to 12 months, he says. But he also announces that plans for an entirely second concept, which were underway before this hubbub, are also taking root. So look for something new from Ng soon.

About having to stop lunch service: the recent flooding damaged some of the kitchen equipment, which means they can't make those awesome Vietnamese baguettes any more. And that bread, like any great sandwich, is integral to the banh mi, which were the core of the lunch menu. No more catfish banh mi for us. Sigh. Ng adds via the announcement: "We remain committed to our dinner service, while we search for new spaces to relocate The Spice Table and for our new restaurant. Lunch will resume at the relocated The Spice Table, wherever that may be."