Amid the largest bird flu outbreak in history, plant-based egg brand Yo Egg has launched an alternative in the Los Angeles area: plant-based poached eggs. It is worth noting that the yolk of this poached egg is liquid, commonly known as “poached egg”.

The Israeli brand, Yo Egg, has debuted at six restaurants in Los Angeles, including two Real Food Daily locations and its offshoot Junkyard Dog, as well as longstanding East Side favorites Flore, Swingers Diner and Coyote Grill, as well as Loma Linda’s Vegan District Asian Eatery.

“We thought that if we were going to conquer brunch and breakfast here and own this space, Los Angeles might be the best place to start,” Yo Egg co-founder and CEO Eran Groner told the outlet.

“Tastes just like eggs”

Unlike any other egg substitute on the market, Yo Egg says its eggs have runny yolks that taste just like eggs. This egg is made from chickpeas and soybeans.

Chef Yosefa Ben Cohen developed the egg to provide restaurants and home cooks with a flavor- and function-matched egg substitute.

Yo Egg says it has achieved price parity with premium eggs, saying it will match conventional egg prices in just a few years. But U.S. consumers are already paying a premium for conventional eggs, as the bird flu outbreak shows no signs of slowing down.

Groner told the media:

“It’s good for us to remove animals from the food system. Because then we won’t see price increases, we’ll use fewer natural resources, we’ll minimize the use of antibiotics and the danger of animal-borne disease .”

The new poached eggs are being tested in Los Angeles restaurants in recipes including ramen bowls and eggs Benedict, as well as poached eggs on toast, chilaquiles and fried rice.

“The product tastes like a real egg. It looks like an egg, its texture, its taste, its color, everything is like an egg,” Groner said.

More and more companies are innovating egg substitutes. Last month, another plant-based whole egg startup launched its poached egg alternative at Whole Foods markets across the US. Texas-based Crafty Counter makes its WunderEggs with natural ingredients like cashews, almonds and coconut.