Join the Bagel Frenzy in Beijing!

Ana Padilla Fornieles | Oct 3, 2024 2:30 pm | Add a comment | 216 reads

Dear reader, today I’m bringing you a closed circle story – in more than one sense of the idiom. Firstly, this blog post shall end exactly where it started. Secondly, this blog post is all about…bagels.

I know, right? Groundbreaking stuff here. But you have to admit that bagels seem to be having their moment of glory in Beijing. A simple Dianping search with the word 贝果 (bèiguǒ) will come up with plenty of local bakeries and eateries dishing these holey, doughy discs of delight at you. Yes, now you see it: The bagel trend is sweeping Beijing. But should it also sweep your purse? Well … it depends.

Let’s look at the newest joint in town: by New York Bagelous Museum. It’s … not from New York; nor is it a museum. But this Shanghai chain still managed to beckon the crowds for its grand inauguration on Sun, Sep 15, at the exclusive China World Mall. Was it the funny, slightly scandalous promotional video? Or is it simply that we love ourselves a brand new opening? Whatever it was, I headed there with my partner, and horror – if only somewhat predictable – ensued. A sea of people waited patiently in a separate section near the store, trying to keep themselves entertained. Which was wise, because once they were fished out of there by staff, they’d join a second stream of humans in a queue longer than a make-up work day. I looked at my partner, hesitant. He raised his eyebrows, looked me in the eyes and said lovingly but firmly: “Aw hell no.”

Wise words, but by now my mind was all set on bagels. And I mean, I’m not a stranger to the joys of a round sandwich for breakfast. One cold winter morning last year, a colleague of mine introduced me to The Daily Bagel by letting me take a bite of their tantalizing Cheese & Egg Bagel (RMB 40), and I’ve been hooked ever since. At that price, I’m not sure that they can indeed be a daily occurrence, but I do know that every time I order one I am in heaven. I haven’t been to the US, so you’ll have to trust me on this bagelicious journey. But TDB’s vessels (ahem) are chewy and delectable, and if you follow their instructions to chomp into your Cheese & Egg bagel within 30 minutes upon delivery, you’ll find that this is a magic, jammy combo. Early on my quest, and always in my humble opinion, I’m telling you already that The Daily Bagel is one of the best bagel shops in town. Find it at either Maizidian or SKP-S.

Daily Bagel Maizidian branch
39 Maizidian Xijie (1/F of FX Hotel), Chaoyang District
朝阳区麦子店西街39号富驿时尚酒店一层
Hours: 8am-7pm
Phone: 135 2093 6328

Tha Daily Bagel SKP branch
B1041, GF, SKP-S, Building 186 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国路86号院1号楼SKP-S地下一层B1041
Hours: 10am-9pm
Phone: 185 1924 9808

As it turns out, though, TDB's bagels aren’t even necessarily the most expensive. In terms of damage to my wallet, Catch Bagel won by far. They’ve got four shops that I could find: one close to Parkview Green, another one at the CBD, a third one nearby Line 19 Taipingqiao St in Xicheng and their Haidian digs right next to Dazhongsi. Whichever one you visit or order from, if you want one of those thick Lox Bagels it’s gonna set you back a staggering RMB 75. I had some coupon that brought it down to RMB 65, but let’s not fool ourselves: This is quite a bit of money for what is essentially a sandwich.

But if the bagel gods smiled upon this poor mortal and bestowed me with a lifetime check that I could only spend on bagels? Then sure, I’d be getting myself Catch Bagel on a darn frequent basis. The Lox Bagel was a symphony of mashed avocado, juicy tomato, thick, good-quality salmon (none of the thin sliced stuff) and – of course – cream cheese. There were capers somewhere in that Jenga tower of deliciousness. It was messy – good thing my office was quiet that morning. I enjoyed every bite. If you’re not a salmon kinda person? Stay fishy with their Captain Tuna (RMB 59) or get yourself their Bullfight (RMB 75) – pastrami and cheese. Or you could even get a California Pink (RMB 56), though I’m a bit skeptical of sweet, dessert-like bagels. Bagels are a savory deal for this here writer.

Catch Bagel Caofangdi Branch (search Dianping for other location details)
1 Fangcaodi Beixiang, Chaoyang District
朝阳区芳草地北巷甲一号
Hours: 8am-6pm
Phone: 150 1019 2649

Shall we continue? Bagel Bügel was next on my list as a recent addition to the Dongzhimen area. And if you are curious about it, do be warned: It's kind of nestled in what looks like the property of some compound. I doubt this is actually the case, though I could sure spot neighbors going about their stuff all around this cute venue. A little too cute, maybe, if only because it was full of girls getting a full photoshoot in there. But I was not there to rain on anyone’s parade; I was there to eat a bagel. And that’s exactly what I did – more precisely, I ate their Bügel Life (RMB 58). Smoked salmon again, because I’m predictable like that. But when it comes to the price, to be honest, I'm half disappointed there.

Listen, in what world is it appropriate to serve me just half a bagel? Astonishing. What do they do with the other half? Do they throw it away? Do they balance it on top of a stick and then do acrobatics on the tippy top of their nose? Do they play Frisbee with it in the kitchen? Yes, I am being precious; yes, I know they simply plated it for the table next to mine. Outrageous, if you ask me. Was it good? Eh. Yeah, sure. But at RMB 58, don’t you forget. If I’m gonna do it, as we say in Spain, I’m gonna do it alright, which means I should have saved the money for another bagel at the previous contenders. Or maybe I should have just gotten one of Bagel Bügel’s totes. They were also expensive, but they were cute. Generally speaking, this place was more for the sake of aesthetics.

Bagel Bügel
66 meters northeast of Xizhong Jie Primary School, Dongzhimen Jiedao, Dongcheng District
东城区东直门街道西中街小学东北66米
Hours: 10.30am-7pm
Phone: 185 1116 5148

Bagel Crush only has one store that I could locate, and that store is in the Grand Summit complex in Liangmaqiao. If Bagel Bügel was all decked in navy blue and custardy yellow, Bagel Crush has opted for a more classic but cutesy café look. When you walk through the entrance, with its cute burgundy canopy and the low window wide open as if inviting you, you’ll find yourself surrounded by warm, woody palettes. And by bagels, of course. Something cool about this shop is that they offer brunch deals, including a RMB 68 one that will have you feasting on an Avocado, Egg and Chicken Bagel, a bowl of Creamy Mushroom Soup and a drink of your choice. Not bad, considering what you’ve seen with me throughout this blog post. Go for their RMB 71 set menu and you can even choose between three different bagels, two of which are intriguing: Banana and Bacon (RMB 45), and a more local Cabbage and Streaky Pork (RMB 48). Like the other shops, Bagel Crush also sells plain bagels to go, and you can pair them with any of their spreads.

Bagel Crush
GF, Grand Summit, 22 Dongfang Donglu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东方东路22号院官舍北区一层
Hours: 8am-7.30pm
Phone: 186 1032 3577

Remember how I promised you that this blog post would finish right where it started? Like any Beijinger worth their salt, I knew that if only I let a few days pass I would be able to get into the New York Bagelous Museum. And that’s exactly what I did last weekend. Was it queue-for-two hours good? Not at all. In fact, Dianping reviews are somewhat discouraging, though it’s fair to note that most of them still come from the masochists that had to have a bagel on the opening. But hey, I would pay them a visit now. They’ve come from Shanghai with some darling, if only slightly gimmicky, vintage furniture and artwork that allegedly originates from the US between 1900 and 1970. More importantly, they still have some kind of discount that brought my Cream Cheese and Chives Bagel to only RMB 24. Staff was dutifully blowing little torches over the cheese slice that covered the Smoked Salmon Bagels (RMB 49), and though I don’t care much for their Red Bean and Butter Bagel (RMB 28), I left thinking about the things I could do at home to one of their Mexican Pepper Bagels (RMB 26). Their merch was lacking a bit, but if you like their enamel cups and tote bags, I found them to be reasonably priced, all things considered.