Shanghai bagel death match

Breakfast in Shanghai may equal jianbing, but I’m not the only one craving that round New York staple, the breakfast bagel. Our city is often compared to the Big Apple, so that had me wondering: How do bagels here stack up? For eight years, Haya’s Mediterranean Bakery has satisfied bagel cravings in Shanghai. But new kid on the block, Egghead Bagels, is stepping up to challenge the establishment.

Most experts agree bagels should have a tough crust and a chewy, dense interior. How to achieve this unique texture? Bagels are first dropped into boiling water then baked. Missing that crucial step? It's just bread with a hole. Egghead and Haya’s get points for going the distance, both say that kettle boiling is an important part of their process.

Which bagels will win the hearts and tummies of our tasters? Bring on the lox and cream cheese!

Shanghai bagel round 1: The plain bagel

Haya's
Diameter: 12 cm (hole: 2.5 cm)
Appearance: It looks the part, with a golden crust and an asymmetric hole that was just the right size.
First blow: Rolling out a few thousand bagels daily in their Hongqiao factory for delivery all over town, the Israeli Ronin family is proud of their product. “Some say it’s not a New York bagel, but you don’t get a NY bagel outside of New York. That said, we only get compliments,” says Tzachi Ronin. But turn this bagel over and the bottom is squishy.
Knockout punch: This bagel is a softie, but it has a good taste, at least as much as a plain bagel can have.
Price: RMB 5

 

 

Egghead
Diameter: 10.5 (hole: 3cm)
Appearance: A bit darker than your classic plain bagel, but the crust’s glossy finish hints at a tough exterior. There are even some cracks in the crust, even more tempting. Turn it over though and the bottom is clearly a different matter, squishy.
First blow: One taste and you can tell Egghead’s bagel is trying to get the denseness of a New York bagel. It doesn’t get there but it is chewy. Just newly opened, Egghead is still making bagels small scale, baking just 150 to 200 fresh daily. “Obviously there will be some things lost in translation, but we try to keep it as authentic as possible,” says Henry Chan. His dream bagel is what he remembers from daily noshes from the local bagel shop on his way to school everyday in New Jersey: “Chewy inside and a little crunchy outside.”
Knockout punch: A step up from a freezer bagel. It’s denser, but the well-doneness makes for a not so tasty bite.
Price: RMB 10

Shanghai bagel round 2: Traditional sesame bagel

Haya’s
Diameter: 12 cm (hole: 3cm)
Appearance: A nice looking bagel, coated with sesame seeds, although some of our tasters wanted more. The crust looks solid and glossy, like a bagel should.
First blow: After slicing one open, the interior was bready with spongy texture rather than the dense look I was hoping for. Still the solid crust helped it feel chewy.
Knockout punch: Even with your eyes closed you can tell this is a sesame bagel, not just a plain that rolled into some stray seeds. It has a really nice sesame flavor. Since the bagel is pretty much the vehicle for the cream cheese, let’s talk about schmear. Haya’s homemade cream cheese is very rich and their hummus is a “creamy” non-dairy option. Add lox and I’m in heaven.
Price: RMB 5

Egghead
Diameter: 11 cm (hole: 3.5 cm)
Appearance: Sesame seeds encrusted on a golden glossy crust. Looks like my dream sesame bagel.
First blow: A lighter bagel is the verdict. It’s just not dense enough. It wasn’t as crusty on the outside as the plain.
Knockout punch: There’s not much to distinguish this bagel from the plain bagel other than the sesame seeds, which don’t have much flavor. Bagels are all about what you put on them, and Egghead’s classic Philly brand cream cheese whipped up with either roasted garlic or bacon bits sure are tasty. But really, smear enough on, and any bagel will taste good.
Price: RMB 10

Round 3: Cinnamon raisin bagel

Hayas’
Diameter: 12.5 cm (hole: 4cm)
Appearance: Oy. The raisins sticking out of the crust don’t make for a very pretty bagel. Four raisins are seen on the crust and when I slice it open, I see another three.
First blow: Since his favorite bagel, poppy seed, is not allowed to be manufactured in China, Tzachi Ronin picks this bagel as a close second. “For a bagel as a bagel, not as a sandwich, I’d go with the cinnamon raisin,” he says, citing the sweetness of the raisins. But sadly, the crust collapses underneath my thumb when I press into it. It just doesn’t hold up. This is definitely more bread then bagel.
Knockout punch: Haya’s cinnamon raisin earns big points for being really, well, cinnamony. The flavor infused throughout the whole bagel, not just the crust. But a few more raisins would have been appreciated. Still this was the best of the bunch.
Price: RMB 5

Egghead
Diameter: 13 cm (hole: 5 cm)
Appearance: This is the biggest of the bagels. It has a glossy and tough crust and resists when I squeeze it. Two raisins pop out of the crust, with four raisins total on the crust; I see another raisins when I cut it open.
First blow: Traditionalist Henry Chan says cinnamon raisin is about wild as he wants to go, although an everything bagel is in the works as well. Chan's cinnamon raisin bagel is speckled with cinnamon and the flavor seeps into the bagel’s every crevice.
Knockout punch: It’s not only the biggest, it’s also the breadiest of the bunch, but at least it’s the tastiest as well.
Price: RMB 10

 

 

The verdict: Were they bagels? Yes, but not the ones you may have grown up with.

Both bakeries' bagels suffered from soft bottoms and were lighter and softer than a traditional style NY bagel. Adding up the positive and negative points for taste, appearance, texture, density and crust, Egghead Bagels wins in a photo finish thanks to its slightly denser crust. But at half the price and mostly winning on taste, Haya’s could end up being your dependable everyday bagel. Just make sure you toast it.

getting there

Egghead Bagels
455 Shanxi Bei Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu
陕西北路455号, 近北京西路
tel +86 21 5213 5601
www.eggheadbagels.com

Haya’s Bagel's
415 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu 大沽路415号, 近石门一路
2/F, 3219 Hongmei Lu, near Wuzhong Lu 虹梅路3219号2楼, 近吴中路
tel +86 21 6295 9511
ww.meidifood.com