Catholic icons, candles and crucifixes adorn the corners of Junkadelic, a new restaurant bringing Mexico to Naka-Meguro. In truth, the only religion in these parts is fashion, and the immaculate locals in their downtrodden chic attire look curiously at home in this postmodern hacienda, where the simple and wooden mix with the cool and retro.

Located a short walk along the north side of the Tokyu Toyoko line from Naka-Meguro station, Junkadelic is the baby of a Japanese traveler to Mexico who, on his return, missed the food so much he decided to open a restaurant of his own. The result is a blend of the two cultures that we found—if not strictly authentic—delightful. Apparently we weren’t the only ones: On a Tuesday night, the restaurant was full.

Chile relleno (¥700) was a delicious appetizer of crispy fried bell peppers stuffed with meat, smothered in Junkadelic’s “special sauce” and melted cheese, with guacamole and sour cream. The chicken taquitos (¥700) and pork chimichanga (¥1,250) passed our crispiness test—there is, after all, nothing worse than a soggy chimichanga. One unusual topping was cottage cheese, found on the chimichanga and the chicken enchiladas (¥1,300 for two), perhaps as a substitute for sour cream (which comes with some dishes but not others, and can be ordered separately for ¥300). Strange though it may seem, it was a surprisingly fine combination, and emboldened us to consider other original menu items (Mexican pizza, ¥1,200, etc.) for next time. 

Another key component of a modern Mexican meal is a margarita. Junkadelic offers several flavors, from strawberry to mango (¥900-¥1,000), as well as ten types of Mexican beer, and an impressive-looking lineup of tequila and cocktails (¥800-¥1,000).

The service was attentive, if a little nervous, and genuinely apologetic when the nachos (¥1,050) we had ordered without refried beans came with a layer of said beans lurking underneath. In fact, they gave us a whole new plate of nachos plus free drink tickets. (Tokyo restaurants are not always good at apologies. Once, we were offered nothing more than a free coffee as compensation for a used paper towel in our salad. Another time, when we sat on some shattered glass in a bar, all we got was a “Gomen ne.”)