A balut egg (fertilized duck egg) from the pop-up restaurant, Maharlika, inside Resto Leon in the East Village. A fertilized duck egg with a nearly developed embryo inside, they are ideally consumed in the Philippines at the age of 17 days old, when the young chick is not yet fully developed. Prepared similar to a hard-boiled egg, the piping hot balut is first cracked to remove a small circle at one end. After a pinch of salt and sweet and spicy vinegar are added, the broth surrounding the embryo is sipped. Surprisingly delicious, it tasted almost like a smoky chicken stock. Check out the full review of Maharlika at: http://www.bradleyhawks.com/2011/02/maharlika-more-than-just-duck-embryo.html
