Inside Mision 19 in Tijuana

Despite spending our entire lives in San Diego County, it’s inevitable that we would run out of things to do and places to see around the neighborhood. Don’t get us wrong, we haven’t hiked every mountain trail nor have we dined at every renowned restaurant around town, but sometimes a short drive south of the border into Mexico is just what we need to appreciate the space around us just a bit more.

We had an unbelievable dining experience recently when we traveled into Tijuana for a dinner at Misión 19. With Javier Plascencia at the helm, Misión 19 is perched on the second floor of a sleek and modern office building, which is the only LEED gold-certified building in TJ. Located in the city’s business district, we walked up a few stairs and through a perfectly designed lobby. The sexy and inviting restaurant offers views of the city below and resembled an upscale dining environment similar to what you would find in downtown LA, San Francisco, or New York.

Let’s keep in mind that the restaurant is only about a five-minute drive from the border. But, you definitely feel like you’re in a different country.

The menu can be a bit overwhelming, especially since everything is in Spanish,  but with enough explanation from our server and some research ahead of time, we opted to go for the eight-course chef’s tasting menu. (If you aren’t in for a wild adventure of a meal, you can also opt for a steak, seafood, or pasta dish.)

Yes, I know an eight-course meal sounds like overkill. Some “tasting menus” at fancy foodie joints around town literally send out a single bite or two for each course. But don’t be fooled, the chef’s tasting menu at Misión 19 will leave you full to the brim and ready to schedule your next visit.

The first course of our eight-course chef’s tasting

After a round of unique and native cocktails including lots of tropical fruits, tequila, and chili peppers, we started our first course, which was definitely one of my favorites. Served in a metal and glass glass, diced Baja scallops were layered with avocado, crema, onion, cucumber, and macerated tortilla chips. Seriously, I would drive back into TJ just for another bite of this course.

Grilled octopus from Mision 19

The second course was grilled octopus on top of a crunchy crouton in two delicious sauces. It’s hard to find a restaurant that doesn’t cook the hell out of this creature, but our piece was savory, tender, and perfectly cooked.

Cochinillo and crepes

Our third course was cochinillo, or suckling pig, over a house-made crêpe and a variety of salsas. Even though the crêpe was delicious, I might have by-passed the course, had I know what we were eating. (This is another reason why you may want invite a native Spanish speaker to dinner.) Next up was a mushroom risotto with frijoles and a shaving of Mexican truffle, which was extremely earthy and filling. The portion was huge so if you’re trying to save room for the following courses, you may want to take it easy.

Mushroom risotto

Seared tuna with a cauliflower mash

For the fifth course, we had seared tuna steak with a cauliflower mash and a crunchy chicharron on top. The sixth course was beef tongue with bone marrow purée in a tomatillo and cilantro sauce. By this time during the meal, our entire group was getting extremely full so remember to pace yourself if you’re going for Chef Javier’s full tasting menu.

Beef tongue and bone marrow at Mision 19

The meal ended with a plate of local, aged cheeses paired with native honey, hibiscus and passion fruit. Dessert was a dollop of coffee ice cream, brownie, brûléed banana and yogurt served in a stone bowl.

The perfect way to end a meal at Mision 19: housemade chocolate ice cream and a brownie

These photos and short descriptions don’t do this meal any justice. (And you better believe we’re saving up to invest in a professional camera to properly notate our culinary adventures.) But if you find yourself in the area or even in San Diego looking for an exciting dining experience, Mision 19 should be on the top of your list.

The eight courses and a couple of rounds of cocktails came out to about $100 USD and was worth every penny. Had you experienced the same meal progression in San Diego, LA, or any other metropolitan area for that matter, you would have probably spent double or triple the amount. The tasting menu is constantly changing by season, so make sure you visit often throughout the year.

You definitely wouldn’t expect this kind of meal in TJ, but dining at Misión 19 shows us that this controversial town can mold into a spectacular culinary destination with the likes of Chef Javier. For more information, visit http://mision19.com/.