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What: The Yucatán’s entry into the delicious category of breakfast known as Mexican eggs, huevos motuleños consists of two sunny-side-up fried eggs layered atop two crispy-fried tortillas (or tostadas) smeared with frijoles and topped with chopped ham, peas, crumbly white cheese, and red salsa (often chiltomate salsa, made with tomatoes and habanero chiles); fried plantains are traditionally served on the side, a nice hit of sweetness. It’s an odd combination of ingredients—the inclusion of peas reflects a possible English influence, as this part of Mexico saw a lot of European traders over the years (and former British colony Belize isn’t too far away)—but it somehow works, the ham adding additional savoriness to the usual eggs-beans-cheese trio. The name comes from the dish’s city of origin, Motul, located outside Mérida in the peninsula’s northwest, but this dish is pretty widespread across this region.
Where: On Isla Mujeres, Loncheria Tacos Tumbras (Local No. 4, outside Mercado Municipal Javier Rojo Gómez Centro on Vicente Guerrero, map) is one of four loncherias, or luncheonettes, outside the daily market that offers this dish for breakfast.
When: Daily, 7am-5pm
Order: The huevos motuleños (50p) were topped with sliced raw onions and served with white rice, sweet fried plantain, and small salad of cabbage, tomato, and lime. It was tasty, with a perfectly cooked, runny-yolk egg, but if you like a kick to your breakfast, hot sauce is helpful—the thin tomato-based sauce is mild here. Also on the menu are your typical huevos rancheros, divorciados, a la Mexicana, and mucho más.
Alternatively: This isn’t a hard one to find. Isla’s other loncherias have it, like Alexia y Geovanny in the same area (map) and La Negronita (Calle Allende betw. Rueda Medina & Juarez, map) farther south, as do many of the breakfast-serving joints on pedestrian-only Av. Hidalgo, like Amigo’s (998-877–1338; Av. Hidalgo 19, betw. Matamoros & Abasolo, map). In Tulum, try the huevos Tuluneños, with turkey ham, at A-Huevo (Andromeda Oriente betw. Satelite Sur & Centauro Sur, approx. map) downtown, or hit up a good beach club like Ziggy’s (Road Tulum-Boca Paila Km 7, Zona Hotelera, map) for some huevos motuleños in an idyllic beach setting.
