Eleven globally-inspired takes on the incredible, edible egg to up your brunch (or dinner!) game.

The Perfect Egg at Café Azur

Given the name, it’s understandable to fear this dish won’t live up to expectations. Yet it does. An egg poached at the low temperature of 65 degrees for 45 long minutes crowns a bowl of truffled potato “foam” (more like ethereal mashed potatoes), surrounded by chanterelle mushrooms and shavings of Parmesan cheese. Just perfect.

Egg Bonda at Hyderabad House

The staple Indian tea-time snack, egg bonda, is now available, upon request, near the Galleria, in Katy and in The Woodlands thanks to this local chain, which counts 19 locations across the U.S. Hard-boiled eggs are coated in chickpea flour that’s been beefed up with chiles, then deep-fried until the batter is golden and fluffy. Enjoy with a masala chai for full effect.

Chawan Mushi at Kaneyama

There may be a small wait to get a cup of this delicate egg custard, a savory Japanese classic best enjoyed at another Japanese classic: this restaurant, which has been serving the dish for over two decades, in a version filled with bites of shrimp, chicken and spinach. The minimum order is two, perfect for sharing (although you may not want to).

Texas Deviled Eggs at Beaver’s 

How do you make your mark on deviled eggs, a dish that’s suddenly on every restaurant menu? If you’re chef Arash Kharat at the big new Beaver’s location just west of the Galleria, you bread the boiled whites in panko, deep-fry them, and then top the crunchy orbs with mustardy, spicy, creamy yolks.

Bacon Eggs & Rice at Kitchen 713

A move to a new, larger location (with a liquor license!) means James Haywood and Ross Coleman are now able to serve brunch. And thank goodness—otherwise we may have never gotten their Texan twist on tamago gohan: Japanese rice and eggs. Here, the kitchen tops koshihikari rice with smoked pork belly, pickled asparagus and a single soft egg, lending decadence to a typically modest breakfast meal.

Migas at La Guadalupana

Everyone has their favorite plate of migas in Houston; chef Trancito Diaz’s version at his Montrose mainstay is ours. The eggs are scrambled together with pleasantly plump chunks of jalapeño peppers and crisp tortilla strips, giving each bite a bang. A pool of salty, creamy refried beans on the side completes this breakfast classic.

Menemen at Nazif’s Turkish Grill

You’ll want to arrive right at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday—both to get a table for the famous brunch buffet and to get the freshest, fluffiest scoops of menemen, the Turkish breakfast staple. Akin to migas, these scrambled eggs are full of tomatoes, onions, chile peppers and paprika, and best enjoyed with tulip-shaped glasses of hot chai, the Turkish tea that’s free with every meal.

Shakshuka at Oporto Fooding House & Wine

The argument over who first made shakshuka—the Mediterranean dish claimed by everyone from Egyptians to Israelis—is rendered moot when you find a truly outstanding version of the egg-and-tomato stew, as is served here. At brunch, Moroccan-spiced tomatoes with plenty of punchy harissa surround two sous vide eggs, with hunks of crusty garlic bread served on the side to sop it all up.

Masala Eggs at Pondicheri

This popular plate at chef Anita Jaisinghani’s fast-casual West Ave spot is a feast: eggs scrambled with roasted corn, red bell peppers, spinach and masala spices top a thick, chewy carrot paratha (a whole wheat flatbread) alongside a bowl of curried potatoes. It’s guaranteed to wake you right up sans sugar rush.

Baked Eggs at Provisions

Round up a group for your next Saturday brunch here, because you’ll want to try the menu’s every iteration of baked eggs: the one with meatballs, tomatoes and pickled peppers that mimics its popular lunchtime sub; the vegetarian version with spinach, mushrooms and Parmesan; the roasted chicken and squash spin that shouldn’t work but does; and the elegant springtime twist with green garden peas, thin slices of pancetta and crème fraiche.

Odin’s Eye at Ship & Shield

The British may have invented the Scotch egg, but the Vikings have perfected it. This fun pub wraps a hardboiled egg in smoked salmon before breading and deep-frying the whole concoction. If you’re still hungry, there’s a whole rack of reindeer waiting on the other side of the menu.