Chinese Egg 'n Bacon Muffins: Shongweni Market

Egg McMuffins from McDonald's are pretty good - in fact they're about the only thing on the menu that I can bring myself to eat. The soft muffin, salty sausage patty, the melting cheese... I always throw a hashbrown into mine, which makes them even better.

The McMuffin, however, is no match for the Chinese egg 'n bacon muffins which I have taken to eating regularly at the Shongweni Market on a Saturday morning. These muffins alone are basically worth the trip to the market (the dog watching is a plus).

Head up to the food stalls near the top of the market and you'll see the family of three working hard at their stall. Dad covers muffin duties, Mom deep fries spring rolls (also very tasty) and their son takes orders and handles change, slowly summing totals in his head in a not at all stereotypically Asian fashion.

Watching the muffins being made is instructive, and helps enhance the appetite. First, the muffin batter is poured into a cooker with a series of  circular, muffin-sized holes. Next, bacon and a freshly cracked egg are added and partially cooked. Finally, a second layer of muffin batter is poured in, the whole delicious mix is flipped and cooked on both sides before being served hot with a drizzle of soy sauce, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a little peppadew salsa on the side.

Biting in, the bacon and egg are revealed, safely tucked inside the muffin. No egg falling out, each mouthful perfectly composed, and it all goes down really well with a fresh cafe latte.