It used to be that Au Bon Pain was the place in Bangkok to catch a bite of the curious round bread with a hole in the middle. But with the arrival of Dean and Deluca, and its typically New York-style salmon and cream cheese version of the hearty bagel, we can’t help wonder what else is out there for wheat dough enthusiasts.

Au Bon Pain

For a full list of branches, visit www.aubonpainthailand.com
A New Yorker won’t fall to the floor in nostalgic tears upon spying these, but Au Bon Pain does get credit for their daily offering of plain, wholewheat, poppy seed, sesame and onion bagels. And the option to have it with cream cheese or as a breakfast sandwich (egg, cheese and bacon/ham) reminds us of Brooklyn bodegas.
The bagel: Not the six slices of bread they say a bagel is worth, but we like the thickness, the dark color, the shine and the chewiness of the crust, even if the bread inside feels like it’s storebought.
The prep: Hard to go wrong with herbalicious cream cheese, but the industrial quality of the bacon and the factory-cooked eggs in the breakfast sandwich are scary.
How much: B55 with cream cheese and B80 with egg and bacon. Or B40 for a plain bagel, if you want to make your own sandwich at home.

Dean and Deluca

Mahanakhon Project, 92 Narathiwas-Rajanakarin Rd. BTS Chong Nonsi
With its New York City cred, Dean and Deluca has a lot to live up to, which is why we’re surprised they only do one, pre-prepared bagel sandwich. Still, we give them props for making it a salmon and cream cheese one.
The bagel: Covered with sesame seeds, the flavor is quite nice, but the taste of the actual bread is a bit insipid. The crust is suitably bagel-esque, though the body of the bagel is not substantial.
The prep: This would make a great platter, the bagel toasted and sliced and the salmon, cream cheese and onions (some capers would be nice) on the side. But they have them in a display case, ready to be stuck in the panini press. The cream cheese is a bit too much, but the salmon is nice and the crunchy onions do cut the creaminess nicely.
How much: B200—ouch!

Oriental Coffee Shop

5/F, The Emporium, Sukhumvit Road, 02-664-8000. BTS Phrom Phong
It’s a shame you can’t just take home an unprepped, plain bagel, because their baked goods are so mouth-watering. The onion bagel with turkey breast is one of their many sandwich options, one they’ve had for years and which delivers consistent quality.
The bagel: Hands-down the best bagel: dark, shiny, chewy crust and an inside beautifully pocked with different-sized holes (a sign of less industrial baking).
The prep: Lovely to behold, with generous amounts of turkey and greens. Also a nice, herby butter that is inconspicuous but imparts good flavor without making the whole thing soggy.
How much: B110

Terrace

The Landmark, 138 Sukhumvit Rd., 02-254-0404. BTS Nana
You can get any of their sandwiches with fries for B250, but we say it’s way cheaper to get it to go at their cafe, where their sesame salmon bagel is made fresh everyday.
The bagel: On par with Dean and Deluca: nice crust, lots of sesame seeds, enormous size but uninspiring bread flavor.
The prep: The salmon is generous, and we like the textural contrast of the thinly-sliced cucumbers and onions. What is baffling, though, and a real deal-breaker is that instead of cream cheese, they do mayonnaise. And lots of it too, oozing out of the bagel hole. Gross! And with all the girth of a bagel and all that mayo, the fries are beyond overkill.
How much: B130 from the bakery

The Art of the Bagel

A staple in places with large Jewish populations, the bagel has many variations around the world. But it’s much more than just a roll with a hole. Not for low-carb diets, a good bagel should be thick with a dense interior and a chewy, slightly crisp crust—two qualities often achieved by boiling the rolled dough briefly before sticking it in the oven. The traditional New York bagel uses a salted dough, making it less sweet than its Montreal counterpart, and is boiled in water and malt, giving it a shiny crust.