Artifact At Mingei

AMBIANCERefined indoor and courtyard dining, Artifact at Mingei is a full-service restaurant and bar craftily cooking food that is elevated with unique twists. This place is inside the beautiful Mingei Museum at Balboa Park. My only complaint is I wish there was more food. DRINKS4.5/5 iced tea mingei blend /lemon lychee (subtle and neatly used) black tea by paru that watered down too quickly on a warm day. FOOD5/5 PLATE Crispy Tofu (with a soft interior), King Oyster Mushroom (delicate slices), with gailan, green beans, soft eggplant tossed in a black bean sauce and garnished with fried garlic chips, fresh green onion, and sesame seeds. I had trouble identifying the chili crisp, but it didn't matter as the dish was already so flavorful. 4.5/5 DUMPLING Rock Shrimp Gyoza (steam-fried crisp exterior, delicate flavorful interior) topped with Bonita (dried fish flakes) on a savory pool of yuzu-flavored dashi (broth) and peppery shishitos that were imo too charred4/5 SNACK Vietnamese Meatball (crisp exterior with caramel chili glaze, wish it were bit more moist and plump for the interior) Lettuce Wraps that picks up a lot of fragrant notes from different herbs (mint, cilantro, lemongrass emulsion) and some tartness and crunch from pickled carrot and kohlrabi slices4/5 PLATE Short Rib (wish it was more tender) with egg noodles (perfectly Al dente), gailan, and too many sour pickled greens. To me this is a spin on Taiwanese beef noodle soup that I would have kept piping hot in a bowl with a soup spoon.SWEETS5/5 Coconut Tapioca (creamy, cold, sweet like a pudding) topped with fresh sliced strawberries, coarse mango granite and a red, smoky, sweet roasted pineapple chip. Each ingredient was a novelty and hit the spot!5/5 Basque Burnt Cheesecake (light and airy, I realize I like my cheesecake dense - just a matter of personal preference) + cognac poached prune (intoxicatingly dark and luscious combination - winning ingredient)I enjoyed my experience and will gladly return for those inventive desserts.

Artifact is a modern upscale restaurant located inside the Mingei International Museum. The decor is simple; there was a DJ playing artsy music for a few hours. It's a fusion restaurant and provides slot of options from around the world. Individuals were dress in a mix of date night attire to casual jeans and a shirt. Restaurant does have a patio which is nice especially during the summer nights. Service was good, server was attentive. Personally I cared far more for the small plates on the menu. We chose Vietnamese pork ball, shrimp gyoza, rye pierogi and the roasted beet/ pear salad. All the dishes were wonderful. For our mains we chose west African half chicken, short rib egg noodle and the swordfish. Everything came out a tad bit saltier than anticipated that could just be all the seasonings from the different styles of food that we are not used to.I'd come back for drinks and appetizers.

Love the atmosphere here. Relaxed, very friendly staff, super unique menu. The chocolate mousse dessert is DIVINE. Room for improvement: It can be a little loud at times because it's in a large open space. They won't refill iced tea which strikes me as odd. The museum/restaurant bathrooms aren't always very clean.

We eat our sandwich too quickly before I took a photo of our order. It was a Sunday afternoon and my husband and I had split a chicken salad sandwich on multigrain toast. We've been here two other times in the past and this was one where they were relatively quicker than in the past with our order. Normally it takes a long time. It is pricey for the $14.55 sandwich (which includes 3.95% surcharge") but you suck it up to it being a tourist location. The toast was overly toasted. It's tough to get a seat outside on a busy day too. Next time I'll plan ahead and bring my own sandwich.

We came here on a recommendation and it was definitely interesting, the dishes are all unique and tasty too! The cafe is located inside the museum which was interesting but just slightly.. cold somehow in terms of ambiance? But our waitress was so nice and friendly and really made the experience. We just got 3 appetizers to share and a drink, but it was all pretty good!

Love their regional dinners that happen once a month. Sardinia was my third experience. Although my first two experiences were amazing, this one was slightly disappointing. The first two courses were delicious and the last course was okay. I was excited for the third course of a suckling pig but it ended up being very dry. They did try to correct it by offering to redo the dish. Instead I requested more jus, which they happily provided and helped the dish. I would happily return and recommend it to others.

My friend and I found a reservation for Artifact soon after they got the Michelin mention. We were interested because their dishes are said to be "inspired by ancient methods and spices". It is a nice contemporary space within the Mingei museum. And service was pleasant. We ordered the potstickers and the short ribs. I like the ginger in the potstickers. The short ribs came with noodles and gai lan. Everything was flavorful, but not unique. I also had a Spiced Sangria. For dessert we had the delicious chai chocolate mousse topped with coconut whip cream and coconut cajeta. I now know that Artifact is part of the Urbana Kitchen restaurant group that include Cucina Urbana and Cucina Enoteca. They give back to the community, even more reason to give this place a try! By the way they also offer happy hour at the bar 3-5, Thurs-Saturday!

I had a lovely lunch here with girlfriends. The service was prompt and extremely friendly. Love the ambiance of the restaurant. We came during a week day and also later it wasn't too busy.We shared the duck taco, crispy tofu and braised beef with noodles. Everything was so good. The mole on the taco was just right, the short rib beef was moist and soft, and the crispy tofu was cooked to perfection especially with chili crisp at the bottom. We wished there were more noodles though.Highly recommend!

My friend and I have been wanting to check out this place for a while and now it has earned a place in the Michelin Guide! We visited back in July and were able to get reservations.It was pretty neat that it's located inside the Mingei Museum in Balboa Park. I got the hibiscus masala spritz and she got a pink sangria. The drinks were simply decorated and refreshing. Mine had a very herbal taste to it. We shared the large potstickers and short ribs. Both dishes were great, but not mind-blowing. The short ribs were tender and very flavorful. For dessert, we chose the chocolate mousse! It came in a mug and was light and not too sweet.

If you are looking for Flavorful and Culturally inspired dishes, Artifact is the place to go for great food!!! I can see why Michelin recommended this restaurant. Service at this place is impeccable and well-coordinated. Staff seems to enjoy working here and enjoy the food as they have great things to say about their favorites. They know their menu and what to recommend to suit their diner's palate. Thoughtful for asking any dietary restrictions. Antifact is at Mengie Museum Balboa Park and follows the museum's minimalist aesthetic, and is well suited for casual dining or celebrations.