Interview with Chef Javier Plascencia of Misión 19 in Tijuana, Mexico
The charismatic personality of Chef Javier Plascencia, born in Tijuana Mexico, is reflected in his interpretation of the cuisine of Baja California,a state that he promotes with passion by using ingredients from the fields, farms and the sea of the region. He began his career in the kitchen of his family, where he learned and experimented with the “rules” of cooking. He later studied in culinary art schools in San Diego, California, and upon graduation he worked in hotels and restaurants of the area before traveling the world. He opened his first restaurant in Tijuana in 1989, Saverios Mediterráneo, which eventually became Casa Plascencia. But it was in 2011, with Mission 19, that Javier defined the creative essence of his cuisine by consolidating his own style based on his journeys, on his interpretation of the California gastronomy. El Erizo followed, a seafood restaurant that combines elements of street style food with traditional cuisine to come up with something unique, of his own, such as the Taco Tijuanero, a classic that combines shrimp, octopus, roasted beef jerky, cheese and slices of green chile. During the summer of 2012, Javier launched a new project in the Guadalupe Valley: Finca Altozano, a restaurant-vineyard within two hectares of land. In 2015 he inaugurated Bracero, Cocina de Raíz, at the heart of the dining district of San Diego, Little Italy. Here he pays tribute to the laborers who crossed into the US to work the field. Bracero has been nominated for the James Beard Award. His most recent project is Khao San, a culinary concept based on his journeys to Thailand, where he explores textures of the east, combined with Tijuanense urban gastronomy. As part of his passion for the benefits offered by the state, Javier created Finca La Divina, a bed and breakfast where the nature of Valle de Guadalupe can be enjoyed. Javier has received important awards from various organizations, one of the most representative is the Award for Diversification of the Tourism Mexican Product in the category for cuisine, through the BCF, granted in the city of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, in a ceremony headed by the president of Mexico. Zagat cited him as one of the six innovators of food and beverages in San Diego in 2013, and its restaurants were named among the top 100 of Latin America by The Daily Meal. He was named Eater’s Best Chef in San Diego in 2015.
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