FOOD . Top 5

Eggsistential Experiences

Heroes in the Whole Shell


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Published: Jul 2, 2008

1 Baked Duck Eggs

Ansill Food & Wine, 627 S. Third St., 215-627-2485

Served in a shallow ramekin, Ansill's truffled baked duck eggs is the closest you're going to get to a perfect egg dish. Breaking the yolks with buttered crostini reveals a liquid golden heaven accented wonderfully by copious amounts of truffles and cream. Adding porcini mushrooms seals the deal.

2 Thousand-Year-Old Egg Turnover

New Harmony Bakery, 901 Race St., 215-923-7400

There are a lot of words that come to mind when describing thousand-year-old eggs — most of them bad (delightfully ... ammoniated?). New Harmony Bakery, however, has outdone itself with the thousand-year-old egg turnover. Cured, pungent duck eggs are buried in light pastry, creating a welcome taste sensation that's far from what you might expect.

3 Shakshuka

Zahav, 247 St. James Place, 215-625-8800

Chef Michael Solomonov's lunchtime version of the traditional tomato and egg stew, one of the most popular and traditional dishes in Israel, is made spicy with the addition of harissa chili paste. It tastes best traveling to your mouth atop fresh laffa flatbread, the perfect vehicle for this potent snack.

4 Vietnamese Quiche

Pho Hoa, 1111 S. 11th St., 215-755-4000

The name "quiche" is but a point of reference when it comes to this dish. It's closer to a steamed frittata, but even that's pretty misleading. Eggs suspend mysterious meats, Mung bean noodles and scallions in a thick, dense cake that's a perfect accompaniment to grilled pork or a steaming bowl of pho.

5 Doro Wat

Abyssinia, 229 S. 45th St., 215-387-2424

Doro wat is a great example for why Ethiopian food is so damn enjoyable. Hard-boiled eggs and chicken are simmered in sweet and spicy sauce and served on top of injera. The yolks are delicious, especially when mashed and mixed up with the sauce and eaten with that spongy, slightly sour flatbread, creating rich and complex mouthfuls.