Tijuana Picnic stretches the boundaries of South of the Border

To breach the borders of Mexican cuisine, Acme vets Jon Neidich and Jean-Marc Houmard have joined forces with chef Alex Lopez (Kittichai), who twists flavors from his Mexico City childhood with 12 years of training in Asian kitchens. “For us, there is something inherently fun and social about Mexican cuisine,” says Houmard. “We’re upping the quality, but there’s no formality involved—everything is casual but meticulously executed.” The result, a revision of Latin dishes fused with Indian, Creole and Vietnamese ingredients, is evident in the large-format pork neck with Thai-spiced chimichurri sauce and a tortilla soup bobbing with mini Chinese pork dumplings. The laid-back, bi-level lounge, brimming with hand-painted wooden tables and tequila-bottle lamps, boasts an expanded bar, where NoMad drink slinger Jim Kearns shakes margaritas with avocado and tomatillo. 151 Essex St between 
Rivington and Stanton Sts (212-219-2000, tijuana-picnic.com)

MENU

Antoguitos (small plates)

Sopa de tortilla: Chinese mini pork dumplings, pasilla, tomatoes, onions sofrito, queso asadero, fried tortilla, $8
Elote asado: Corn on the cob with cricket aioli, coffee-­chipotle powder, cotiga cheese and cilantro, $5
Duck Wings with Asian spices, fresh herbs and dipping sauce, $12
Golpe de suerte ceviche: Fluke, passion fruit, heart of palms, jalapeño, cilantro and Thai chili, $15
Vegetable ceviche: Mixed beans, avocado, serrano chili, cilantro and chips, $11
Beef tartare with peppercorn smoke chili dressing Tostadas, $14
Empanada de pato with shredded duck, five spices, scallions, foie gras and cognac, $5
Empanada de moronga with blood sausage, serrano chili, mint and Thai basil, $4

Salads
Avocado, radish and orange salad, $9
Apple, celery and walnut vinaigrette, $10
Shaved fennel and sardines, $11

Skewers (3 per order)
Pollo: Chicken thighs, Tobjan, mustard aioli, $10
Cordero: Spiced lamb, cumin, thai chili powder, $12
Costilla de Res: Short ribs, bulgogi sauce kimchi, $14
Tiburon: Mako shark, green yuzu kosho, $14

Soft Tacos ($12 for 2)
Vegetariano: Poblano chili, shitake mushrooms, goat cheese, candied nuts
Camaron: Shrimp tempura, ginger, red spicy sauce, fermented black beans
Llampoga: Turmeric Marinated, Mahi Mahi spicy aioli, onion jam, dill
Atun: Tuna Belly, papolo salad, bean paste, avocado sauce
Muslos de pollo: Galangal-­‐marinated, madras curry, avacoda, chicharones
Falda: Skirt steak, juki sauce, spicy aioli, pickled vegetable, shiso leave
Carnitas: Grill pork, cebollas desflemadas, griiiled pineapple and culantro

Large Plates (­served family style)

Coconut-milk–marinated pork neck with Thai-spiced chimichurri sauce,  $26
Whole fried catfish with spicy fish sauce and pickled ginger, $28
Arrachera: Negra-Modelo–marinated skirt steak with sautéed corn and radish-cilantro salad, $32
Pollo Entero Adovado: Pineapple-marinated whole chicken with guajillo chili, $24

Desserts, $8

Thai basil ice cream
Spicy cactus fruit sorbet
Five-spice churros with yuzu and dulce de leche
Black cardamom lava cake
Passion fruit and strawberries in a jar