When renovations to the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park were unveiled a few years ago, so was Artifact, the museum’s first sit-down restaurant that has since earned a listing in the California Michelin Guide.

Its ambitious menu, which trots the globe, seemed daring for a location that attracts loads of mainstream visitors year round. But restaurateur Tracy Borkum of the well-established Urban Kitchen Group and her dynamic executive chef, Tim Kolanko, took the gamble.

“We were nervous at first on how all these different, bold flavors would go over with the Balboa Park crowd,” said Kolanko, referring to unexpected finds such as a half chicken enhanced by West African suya spice and served in curried peanut broth, or caraway-kissed pierogi drawn from Kolanko’s Polish ancestry.

Based on the bustling midday patronage we witnessed, nobody is running away.

The pierogi were one of our starters, a foursome of scratch-made dumplings filled with mashed potato and tangy farmer’s cheese. Instead of the traditional draping of melted butter and wilted onions, Kolanko gives the pierogi a trance-like quality by bathing them in cream and cremini mushrooms. The Eastern European flair is upped further by dill, chive and caraway.

A starter of pakora green beans offering hints of garam masala sent us to India. We were particularly enamored over the bright tasting cilantro-mint chutney served alongside. Borkum should really consider selling it at her adjoining grab-and-go Craft Cafe.

From a choice of three salads: roasted beet complemented by whipped feta, pistachio and orange blossom; or buckwheat noodles with Asian mushrooms, collard greens and miso mayo—we instead chose the “little gem.” It incorporates tender lettuce, kosho cucumber, avocado, radishes and toasted sesame vinaigrette. The medley carried just the right amount of complexity that even Aunt Mabel from rural Oklahoma would embrace.

A chunk of tender short-rib meat served in a pond of appealing braising liquid was off to a ravishing start until biting into one of the pickled mustard greens surrounding it. The braise is flavored delightfully with lu liao bao, a Chinese spice blend comprising ginger, star anise, cardamom, orange peel and more. But the brine of the mustard greens was aggressive, thus interfering with the comforting essence of the beef and the soothing texture of the thin egg noodles served with it.

My companion’s lamb burger featured an array of ingredients that jived surprisingly well to the char-grilled patty. We’re talking chili-mango chutney, sumac red onions, tzatziki, tomato, cabbage and shredded lettuce—all adding heft to the sesame seed bun. The burger came with the same za’atar-seasoned french fries that I recently savored at Borkum’s other museum restaurant, which is The Kitchen at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla. The earthy spice further advances the meal’s Persian spin.

Artifact also shares with The Kitchen a focused wine list, local craft beers, inventive cocktails and several non-alcoholic concoctions. From the latter, the ultra-refreshing “ginger crisp” made with cider, ginger beer and lime is the perfect elixir if arriving hungover or sluggish for any reason. Or for something more subtle, the “Mingei blend” is an unsweetened combination of hibiscus tea and lemongrass.

The atmosphere at Artifact resembles a stylish cafeteria, even though it is a full-service restaurant flaunting an efficient wait staff. It occupies an open space with table seating placed between an inviting bar and the museum’s gift shop. A few exhibits are in eye shot, which serve as a prelude to the Mingei’s impressive collection of handmade crafts and objects hailing from different civilizations around the world.

And therein lies the gist and beauty of Kolanko’s multi-national menu—one that is generally adventurous and a little less expensive than what you might expect for a museum restaurant situated in the cultural nucleus of Balboa Park.

Artifact is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, and for dinner from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Fridays. In addition, the restaurant holds dinners specific to a different country or region of the world on the third Thursday of every month. Each features four to five courses for around $90 per person. Visit mingei.org/visit/artifact para más información.