Since adopting a diet regimen involving tacos and “intermittent fasting” a year ago, breakfast has been a rarity. El Huevo Estrellado (“The Starred Egg” in English) is the kind of place that makes me re-evaluate the health vs. happiness dichotomy.
A small South Bay restaurant featuring warm, professional service and excellent home-style cooking, El Huevo Estrellado serves what may be San Diego’s loveliest “Chorizo Scramble” ($10.95). Every meaty strand of ground sausage was seemingly separately coated with a thin layer of egg clinging to it like a batter. This helped dull the harsh salinity and greasiness that one typically associates with Mexican chorizo. The result is a much cleaner-tasting amalgamation of egg and sausage than you’d expect. The rice and refried beans served with the scramble were also unique, with the rice infused with a touch more of tomato flavor than the familiar “combo plate” rice you get from other restaurants in and around San Diego; I enjoyed it.
Chorizo Scramble, with rice and refried beans. Photo by Jay Keyes.
Meals begin here with complimentary tortilla chips served with a piquant salsa roja that delivers a fresh burst of cold while incongruously punishing the inside of your mouth with its chili-induced heat.
El Huevo Estrellado’s tacos regrettably do not use hand-made tortillas made on-premises, but they are not using the usual horrible pre-packaged tortillas. The owner told me they get freshly-made tortillas from a nearby tortilleria each day. Their “Carnitas Taco” ($3.75) is a non-traditional carnitas taco, featuring chunks of juicy pork in a marinade with shredded yellow and white cheese, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and a little bit of lettuce.
Inside El Huevo Estrellado. Photo by Jay Keyes.
A photo on the wall shows that President Bill Clinton once visited this archetype of a family-run Chula Vista Mexican restaurant, which made me wonder how he even found it. Regardless, I have no doubt his day was better for it.
Food/Décor/Service: 4.0/3.2/4.1
Jay Recommends: Chorizo Scramble; Chips & Salsa
Taco Scores: Taco de Carnitas (85)
El Huevo Estrellado; 1096 Broadway, Ste 105, Chula Vista, CA 91911; Monday-Sunday from 7:30am-9pm; http://el-huevo-estrellado.cafe-inspector.com/
El Huevo Estrellado in Chula Vista. Photo by Jay Keyes.