Huevos Brunch at Maya

Most brunches in Shanghai run closer to the range of 100RMB per person. Maya advertises a "Huevos Brunch" with everything listed on the brunch menu under 50RMB. The deal sounds really good, especially if you are not in the mood for a pricey brunch buffet.

The free-range egg dish selected for this brunch was the Pan de Maiz Huevos Benedictos (50RMB) or poached runny eggs over chorizo with a corn muffin and red pepper hollandaise. The eggs had perfectly cooked egg whites and yolks that slowly oozed out. The corn muffin was an excellent vehicle to soak up the red pepper hollandaise sauce and egg yolks. The hollandaise sauce had a bit of a smoked tinge of flavor from the red pepper making it a good match for the chorizo and the heavy, filling texture of the corn muffin. The roasted potatoes were also a great match for the dish as its cut edges were caramelized, soft on the inside, and nicely seasoned overall. The dish looked small, but was incredibly filling.

The best looking dish - at least for value - on the brunch menu was the Huevos Divorciados, a vegetarian dish, with green and red chili sauce, refried beans, cheese quesadilla, sour cream and salsa (45RMB). The Maya Mary (50RMB) was served in a low ball glass with plenty of rice and little kick. The brunch also includes bottomless sangria and margaritas for 125RMB and 150RMB, respectively (to be sampled). Advertising menu items as 50RMB or lower is the hook, but with all the other brunch items such as drinks and perhaps even an appetizer of guacamole and chips (50 RMB) while you wait, the bill adds up fast.

Maya. 2/F, Grand Plaza Club House, 568 Julu Lu (near Shaanxi Nan Lu), Shanghai, People's Republic of China. 巨鹿路568弄 四方新城俱乐部2楼，近陕西南路. www.casanova.com.cn/maya.