BAGEL STANDARD — Restaurant in Tokyo

Bagel Standard is good. I’ll go back to try some of their other sandwiches. The bagels taste fresh baked. They’re not the oversized Instagram influencer-style that’s become trendy at bakeries in the United States: fat and puffy with a too-thick crispy crust. But there’s a clear distinction between the chewy outside and the doughy inside. In texture, these come very close to approximating the comforting bite of the bagels I ate as a young Jewish kid growing up in Philadelphia.

The sandwiches come in halves. That will make my wife very happy when she arrives in a few weeks. She never eats more than half a bagel. Some half-sandwiches mirror what you’d typically find in the US—peanut butter and jelly, mixed berry cream cheese—but most of the options feel unexpected and creative, often combining Japanese flavors with Western ingredients. I want to try one of each, East and West, so I order “Smoked Salmon (LOX)” and “Green Soybean Paste.” Both are very good sandwiches, but I enjoy the “Green Soybean Paste” more.

I’m looking for nostalgia from the “Smoked Salmon (LOX).” I’ve been in Tokyo for two and a half weeks and while this city is stimulating enough to keep me from feeling homesick, I still hope a bagel can transport me back. It doesn't work. This is not the flavor combination of suburban Philadelphia, but that’s not criticism. Like most foreign foods that become a Japanese specialty, it’s an elevated experience.

Everything is astonishingly fresh and flavorful. The salmon is only lightly smoked and therefore, without that heavy-handed salt-cure that I'm used to, I can really taste the fish. I’m expecting it to have a little more buoyancy in the bite, like the incredible salmon sashimi I ate for dinner last night, but it’s softer, tender enough to meld with the layer of ripe tomato above and the precisely-proportioned slather of cream cheese below. It’s a rich mouthfeel that’s reminiscent of a French vegetable terrine. The menu says there are capers, but I don’t see them or taste them; there’s no pop. The thin-sliced red onions provide a crunch, and they’re in small enough pieces that you can bite right through—you never get a long strand threading out of the sandwich and flopping onto your chin. Plus, there’s no allium astringency. There's also a smattering of lemon juice and some forest-green dill sprigs, which adds some Scandinavian gravlax-glimmer: a fresh, light, healthy flavor that’s welcomed, but bold and robust. Likewise, the Everything Seasoning is jarring because it’s so crisp. If you’re looking for the flavor of chewy dehydrated onion flakes and granulated garlic, this is something entirely different. Overall, it’s a great sandwich, an experience even, but it’s not nostalgic.

The “Green Soybean Paste” and cream cheese on a salt bagel is what makes me want to return and try some of the other unfamiliar choices like “Mackerel Rillettes” and “Gorgonzola & Fig Cream Cheese.” On the written menu (as opposed to the label in the display case), they call it “Sweet Bean Smooth Paste and Cream Cheese.” That description would’ve better prepared me for the burst of deliciousness that I was about to experience. The Green Soybean Paste looks like chopped edamame, not pureed—I can see small chunks—but in my mouth, it has the smooth texture of creamy mashed potatoes. It’s very sweet, almost like candy, but it’s not saccharine and heavy. Maybe there’s a placebo effect from the bright green color that makes me feel like I’m eating healthy vegetables. I like it. The richness on this sandwich comes from the cream cheese. Again, perfect proportions. Just enough to give you that smooth milk and velvet texture, without feeling like your entire mouth is burdened by it. Combined, the Soy Bean Paste and the Cream Cheese meet a jolt of salt from the bagel-surface. The salt cuts right through and balances everything out; this is bagel harmony. Holy Moly! Who knew? This is a bagel that out does all my East Coast Jewish...

I have walked past this place many times but this was my first time ordering. The staff were friendly and there were plenty of options. It does not take long to wait for a custom order, but there are also pre-made options as well.

As a New Yorker, I have to say that my experience did not meet that of "authentic New York bagels" The bagels themselves are not fluffy/doughy like you would find in New York, and the size is a bit smaller as well (but portions are smaller in Japan so that makes sense I suppose). The price was fair.

If you're really craving a bagel, this might suffice. But if you're looking for true NY-style bagels then I suggest you...

Tokyo is a pretty bagel-barren landscape; that being said, this is a stand that seems to produce freshly made product with a selection of artisan/craft-like cream cheeses.. savory options are available as well, and wrapped half-bagels are prepped for quick in and out orders. There isn't much for a formal seating arrangement, but a bagel store next to Meguro River like this really doesn't need that. For the quality of a limited specialty food at a very fair price (with the accompanying service and smile) I'd say this place absolutely deserves better...