It would come as no surprise if South Park’s hot little restaurant, Alchemy, is nicknamed “South of Vagabond.” Since late February, the kitchen has awakened this southernmost stretch of 30th Street, attracting devoted flocks much like Vagabond did when it first sprung onto the scene several blocks north.

But Alchemy is a very different animal, less concerned with international cuisine than it is with organic, unadulterated meals that align to our local culture. It is the first restaurant venture by business partners Matt Thomas and Ron Troyano, who completely rebuilt the corner-lot structure after it burned down a few years ago. The result is a clean and inviting space, filled with pillowed banquettes, recycled wood tables, relaxing earth tones, and currently, a series of provocative black-and-white stipple art from local artist Ted Washington. In the middle of the dining room is a striking metal tree fitting of an art gallery.

Chef Ricardo Heredia, formerly of The Prado, presents smartly conceived dishes sectioned into “snacks,” “smalls,” “seasonal” and “mains.” He also operates as pastry chef, revealing the culinary prowess that he first discovered “when I roasted a whole chicken at seven years old.”

Here, he achieves fabulously crispy skin on half Jidori chickens, turns sheet pasta into goat cheese ravioli and cranks out ultra fluffy Pacific halibut cooked sous vide, a French method that involves cooking food in vacuum-sealed bags in slow boiling water.

“I would never find this kind of food back home,” said my companion visiting from rural Missouri as we grazed on an impressive salad of bulgur wheat, quinoa and couscous. Nor would we find such a refreshing execution of plain grains in San Diego.

Heredia mixes the ingredients with parsley, mint and basil, and tosses them lightly in lemon vinaigrette. Molded into a round puck, it’s served with flatbread and creamy feta cheese.

Another recommended starter (from the “snacks” category) is Berkshire pork piquilla rellenos, which gives you a duo of mild, cherry-red peppers draped around sweet, shredded pork. The portion is dainty, but for only $4, it’s worth the five bites. For the same price, thin spears of grilled asparagus mingled well with a dab of romesco sauce sporting undertones of almonds, garlic and olive oil. The sauce was satisfying, though less intense compared to traditional Spanish versions.

Two seafood items we tried from the “smalls” list were mildly disappointing. Grilled yellow fin tuna nicoise was entirely plain. The fish slices were cooked scantily around the edges and kept ruby red in the middle, but cried for some type of sauce. Wasabi aioli or the aforementioned romesco would have been ideal. The salad also included decent baby fingerling potatoes, a rather dry hardboiled egg and fresh green beans that were borderline raw – an overall healthy appetizer tailored seemingly for purists. A few pleasing Kalamata olives on the plate provided the only flavor burst.

Cypress island salmon prepared two ways held our interest a tad longer. The dish featured pieces of house-cured loin and a timbale of belly tartare. The latter offered a deeper, fresher taste compared to the typical chilled filets.

Our entrées were of the kind that keep such neighborhood restaurants alive and kicking. The Pacific halibut was moist and pillowy and retained every bit of natural flavor because of its sous vide preparation. Its flavor, in fact, was sweet like crabmeat – not a quality I normally associate with halibut, which usually ends up tasting like white matter when cooked any other way. Beneath it was a bed of outstanding caramelized brussel sprouts and toasted walnuts. Kudos to the chef for conceiving this unique union of ingredients that I suspect others will eventually copy.

The crispy Jidori chicken with Szechuan “pepper dust” was also superb – juicy and fiercely homey in flavor. Its supporting accompaniments, however, were mediocre. If I never see bok choy on a plate again, I’ll live happily ever after. As usual, it was tough and stringy. As for the delicate shitake dumplings intended to compliment the chicken, a little less ginger in the filling would have allowed the mushrooms their song and dance.

My companion, a connoisseur of bread pudding, gave two thumbs up to the chef’s version spiked with cranberries and crowned with delicious buttermilk gelato. A second dessert, roasted pineapple brûlée, eliminates the cream and eggs in conventional brûlée and instead features a grilled pineapple ring sprinkled with unidentifiable spices and topped with mango sorbet. It’s a crafty invention that deserves accolades if only because it flies in the face of convention.

Alchemy’s wine list features labels from small producers, staying safely away from mass-marketed names. A rather formidable bottle collection is stored in a temperature-controlled wine room near the front entrance of the restaurant, where a hospitable seating area is provided for customers in wait. Judging from the lively patronage on our weeknight visit, the owners have done well in rolling out the welcome mat to tranquil South Park.