Gypsy Jan
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Mision 19 in Tijuana Reviewed by Dining Diva
(Crossposted from Chowhound by Gypsy Jan, all else is from Dining Diva)
"(This is a long - very, very long - post)
I had dinner last night at Mision 19. It was delightful, not to mention delicious. We were a party of 8 there to check out the Baja/Med farm-to-table
menu. Mision 19 sources their ingredients in a 120 mile radius, which also makes them the only restaurant in the greater San Diego/Tijuana area
sourcing and using products from both sides of the border, an interesting if not unique concept.
Located on the 2nd floor of the VIA CORPORATIVA building ( the first and only green, LEED gold building in Tijuana) Mision 19 is reached by taking
high tech elevators. Last night there were elevator operators programming them to ensure people were getting to the right location up or down. The
building itself is an impressive construction of glass and concrete with a very modern and contemporary feel to it. Spaces within the building are
wide open and designed to bring in light. Next to Mision 19 is a small, mixed media gallery space displaying the artwork of contemporary local
artists. That feel is carried over into the restaurant with a very contemporary decor, floor to ceiling glass walls and both rustic and rich woods to
soften the concrete; it worked very effectively to create a space that was inviting, relaxing and not stuffy in the least. It's a dining room well
designed for sharing a meal with friends.
While waiting for some of our party to arrive we started off with c-cktails...lovely and creative c-cktails from a short and sweet list. Quite
literally sweet as all the c-cktails rely heavily on the local produce, including the always ripe and intensely flavored Mexican fruit. By the time we
were done, our table had ordered 5 of the 6 drinks on the menu, which were:
* Martini Tamarindo, a very elegant and somewhat understated vodka martini, but there was nothing understated about the flavor. The salty/sour
tamarind was nicely set off by the sweetness of the coco y piña espuma (coconut & pineapple foam). A drink that goes down way too easily and way
too quickly.
* La Fresa took fresh strawberries and blackberries and muddled them along with some basil and Cuban rum. While this c-cktail was a bit to sweet for
my tastes, the flavor of the strawberries was intense and the combination with basil a good one. And I should say that the person who ordered the
c-cktail was very pleased with it and did not have a problem with the level of sweetness, which was a result of the fruit not added sweetner.
* La Pera de Loteria was a light and very refreshing blend of pear puree, ginger and vodka with a thin slice of pear floating on top. It was also a
surprisingly delicate drink and turned out to be the table favorite
* El Mescalero used a puree of kiwi, mango and banana as it's base, was blended with some mescal and served up in a martini glass rimmed with sal de
chapulines (salt with ground grasshoppers). The El Mescalero was the most complex c-cktail flavorwise and a real winner for us.
* Horchata-Guayaba relied on a stellar housemade horchata, fresh guava juice and vodka for the kick. Like the La Fresa this drink was a little on the
sweet side but it didn't stop any of us from enyoing this c-cktail and it was probably the second favorite at the table.
* The one drink we didn't try was a martini variation using cucumber.
All the purees used in the drinks were done in-house and not from concentrate, box, bottle or can and it was clear to us the extra time and care used
in crafting the components for the c-cktails was a key to their success. All 8 of us liked every single drink we ordered and would have no difficulty
ordering any of them again, nor, based on how successful the ones we ordered were, would we hesitate to order the cucmber drink. Since this is a
farm-to-table restaurant and the availability of produce will change throughout the year, I would expect the c-cktail menu to change along with the
seasons and availability of fresh produce.
A tasting menu of 4, 6 or 8 courses is available. However, since they'd made the mistake of giving us the menus before telling us about the tasting
menu, and since we'd already had a chance to look the menu over, we all opted to order off of it. As a result we ended up getting to try a healthy
cross-section of what is offered. And I'll state right up front, there were no clunkers in anything we ordered. There were, of course, so items we
preferred over others, but every single dish we tried was well thought out, well composed and executed quite well.
So, on to the appetizers. The options are both interesting and extensive. The chef's signature app are the pinchos, generous pieces of octopus and
calamari presented on skewers anchored into blocks and served with 3 side sauces. It's a dramatic and whimiscal presentation. And while several people
at the table talked about ordering it, ultimately no one did. The other 2 interesting options we talked about ordering, but did not, were the oysters
and the pork belly with masa crepes. Here is what we did end up ordering:
* Tuna Parfait, presented in a tall, narrow glass the parfait was a layered affair beginning with a soft avocado meringue and ending with pulverized
chicharron. In between were minced cubes of briny yellowtail tuna, minced serrano chile, some Asian seasoning, and probably a couple of other things
I'm forgetting. When it was delivered to the table the server instructed me to stir it to combine so that I could get all the flavors in 1 bite. I did
and it was good. It's a slightly rich dish due to the avocado and chicharron but really a very enjoyable tuna app.
* Tostaditos de Tiraditos de Lengua arrived at the table on an oblong plate. The tiny masa tostadito shells were overlapped on the bottom and then
topped with thinly sliced tongue, and(among everything I can remember) arugula, radishes and very cute little beech mushroom and then dressed in a
light vinaigrette. Even though I was really happy with my Tuna Parfait, I thought this was the best app we ordered.
* I didn't to taste the Enselada de Betabel Dorado y Alcachofa,tho' my friend that ordered it liked it. Betabel Dorado are golden beets and alcachofa
artichoke. It's not a large salad but from what my friend said, it was a good one.
* The other app I didn't have the opportunity to taste was a soup of miso and edemame. Like my parfait this also arrived in a tall, narrow glass. The
woman who ordered it was very happy with her choice. And, no, I don't remember what else accompanied the soup.
* Enselada de Nopales provided us with one of the more interesting ingredients of the evening. The nopales were perfectly cooked. They retained some
crunch and had a soft and rather gentle flavor, until you hit the bite of chiles lurking inside. The salad was accompanied by some shrimp as well as a
chunk of cheese, and it was the cheese we all found so interesting. Encased in a thin rind, the cheese was soft with small curds. It tasted remarkably
like really fresh and creamy cottage cheese with a rind. The name (or orgin) of the cheese had been on the menu and none of us could recall what it
was. Ni modo, it was a great pairing and contrast with the nopales.
* The final appetizer was a delectable dish of foie gras. Unfortunately, in spite of 2 people ordering it and my tasting it, I can't tell you what was
in the dish. Partly because I can't remember, but mostly because all the ingredients in it actually worked pretty well with each other so that only
the foie gras stood out. There was a slight sweetness to the dish which actually worked nicely against the soft creaminess of the foie.
Thankfully, the entree menu was shorter than the appetizer menu, but certainly no less interesting. We did not order:
* Pork loin & Glazed Rib combo
* Duck Breast w/Kumquat Reduction (tho' 2 of us were close on this one)
* Lamb
* Steaks, of which there are a large variety including, Arrachera, Rib-Eye in various sizes, Filet in 2 sizes and a Cowboy steak for 2. The steaks
also included a laundry list of sides and sauces.
We ended up ordering:
* Milk-fed Baby Chicken roasted and served with truffle, thyme and fingerling potatoes. The chicken was tender and very juicy and the both the truffle
and thyme flavors were distinct but not overpowering.
* The fish of the day turned out to be a moist white fish of which none of us were familiar. It might be a case of not recognizing the name in
Spanish, but even the native Spanish speakers in the group hadn't heard of it. In the end, it didn't really matter what it was, it was just plain
delicious. Sometimes you just need to make a leap of faith when ordering something unfamiliar. This was a terrific leap of faith that worked out well.
* Four of us ended up ordering the chef's signature entree, which is shortribs wrapped in fig leaves and served with mole negrao, cracked cacao beans
and kabocha squash puree. After eating it I think all 4 of us could see what the fuss is about this dish. The beef was fall-apart tender and the
flavors all very well balanced. The shortribs come perched on a bed of crisped up swiss chard which kind of melts into the beef. For the most part the
fig leaves melt into the meat as well amping up the flavor, though among the 4 plates there were a few tough leaf ends that hadn't softened up enough.
But those were easily removed and it certainly did not detract from the dish. At least 2 of us order the dish because by the time we'd reached the
entrees, we had already decided we need to return. Ordering the chef's signature entree would free us up to explore the rest of the menu on return
trips ;-)
One of the things all of us really liked about Mision 19 was that the portion sizes were sane and manageable. Neither the apps nor the entrees were
overwhelmingly big or oversized. This, of course, left room for dessert! And like the earlier menus, the dessert and coffee menu was short and
interesting. We passed on most of the coffee drinks, save one. 2 people could not resist trying the house-made chocolate ice cream over which a shot
of espresso was pressed out. This was good, really good and if you're eating late at night and a hit of caffeine won't distrub your sleep patterns, go
for it; it's excellent.
I think we made a pretty good dent in the dessert list by ordering:
* The 4 housemade ice creams, which came in small cones. A little messy to eat but creamy and fun. The flavors we had last night were pistachio topped
with cherries and ginger, nata (cream) with meyer lemon, chocolate with caramel bacon, and a 4th which is escaping me now.
* Chocolate Textures turned out to be a tour de force of all the things you can do with chocolate. I didn't manage to snag a taste, even though I was
sitting next to the person that ordered it!
* And finally, Creme Brulee with Coyotas de Piloncillo. The Coyotas were small cookies a little bigger than a quarter and filled with a puree of
piloncillo (dark brown sugar with a molasses-like flavor). The creme brulee was an itty bitty serving but since it was so rich (and very creamy too)
that was a good thing. I thought the cookies would be similar to gingersnaps but I was not even close. They were flakey, rather like a flakey empanada
dough. Each cookie was served with a mermalada (marmelade) that had been made in-house; orange, apricot and piloncillo. All 3 were outstanding but I
really enjoyed the piloncillo the most because it was different.
A cheese course is also available if a sweet ending to the meal is not one's preference. Last night there were 8 selections; most of them (5 IIRC)
were local to the northern Baja region. The cheese course can be ordered as a selection of 2 or a selection of 4 and will come accompanied by 3
mermeladas made in house. I was tempted but wanted something sweet.
I think what we all liked about Mision 19 was the flavors in all the dishes we tried were clear, distinct and original. Chef Plascencia's style and
food sense is evident and it's definitely clear this chef is in control of his kitchen and his ingredients. None of the flavors were fighting with
each other for dominance, nor did any one or two flavor predominate over the others. Everything worked so well together. Personal preferences will
certainly dictate what the individual diner likes best but, I'm pretty sure there is something to make almost everyone happy.
Service was very good. There was sufficient waitstaff to handle the busy dining room and it was very apparent time had been spent training them. The
young woman that handled our table was well versed with each menu item and could explain exactly what it was, where it came from and how the dish
would be prepared. She was pleasant and engaging without wanting to become our next best friend. Supporting waitstaff was quiety and unobtrusive. And
there was no rush to end our meal in order to turn the table. Our check did not arrive until we asked for it (which is very typical in Mexico).
There is a perception that Tijuana is unsafe territory. Several years ago at the height of it's narco wars this might have been true, but it is
definitely not true now. Those wild and crazy days seem to have subsided. I want to stress that at no time, from the time we cross into Mexico to the
time we crossed back into the U.S., did we ever feel at risk or unsafe. I would have absolutely no hesitation to cross and go back, nor would anyone I
dined with last night. Obviously, each person has to determine their own level of comfort with personal safety. The chefs and owners of all the new
restaurants that are springing up are doing all they can to ensure the safety of their diners.
We parked at San Ysidro, walked across and got a cab to Mision 19. Because it's in a new building it is helpful to have the address and phone number
with you as not all cab drivers - or their dispatchers - know exactly where it's located. The restaurant called cabs for us for our return to the
border and we were dropped off at the end of the pedestrian line for U.S. immigration. Luckily for us, at 10:45 pm on a Friday night there was no line
and we breezed right through. You will need a passport or Sentri pass for re-entry into the U.S.
The final tab for our party of 8, including tax, was $397. It included - 8 c-cktails, 5 glasses of wine, 9 appetizers, 7 entrees and 6 desserts. By
the time we added our gratuity it worked out to $60USD per person. That is a tremendous value for the quality of the meal we had. I also know that I
would be very hard pressed to find a dining experience in San Diego at the same price point. Mision 19 is one of the best deals in the region. Our
cabs were $8 each way, figure $20 including tip for the taxis.
Chef Plascenica describes his food as being artesanal Mexican from Tijuana and his heart and I think that's a pretty good way to sum up our experience
at Mision 19."
Mision 19
Mision San Javier 10643
Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana
VIA CORPORATIVO building
+52 (664) 634-2493
reservaciones@mision19.com
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Milk-fed baby chicken?
Really?
Wait till PETA hears about this. 
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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What is Enselada?
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Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Hi Dave and Dennis
I can't answer your questions; I just crossposted Dining Diva's post from Chowhound.
Now, if you would like to take me out to dinner at Mision 19, maybe we can discover some answers. 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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R2LUJAN
Junior Nomad
Posts: 87
Registered: 3-3-2011
Location: Punta Chivato B.C.S.
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Great Review,
You are making me hungry...
Keep up the good work Gypsy.
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