It's hardly a secret that Spread the Bagel is home to some of Shanghai's best sandwiches, and these new ones are top notch. The team is on its seasonal game: summertime means lighter, brighter ingredients, so they're switching out hot pizza bagels and gooey grilled cheese for bagelwiches piled high with crisp veggies, tangy slaws, fresh herbs and cold cuts; the latter courtesy of chef Austin Hu (of sandwich joint Madison Kitchen and more).
Whether you're just looking for a new lunch option or want some picnic-perfect eats to fill up your basket before heading to one of Shanghai's parks, STB's three new cold bagelwiches are what you need.
1. Bangin' Banh Mi (58RMB)
There's nothing like munching on a fiery, herbalicious Southeast Asian salad while sitting with your toes in the sand at an oceanside eatery, and STB's take on Vietnamese banh mi gets you to that happy place. Each bite packs a punch of chopped fresh chillis, coriander and mint; crunchy daikon slaw, savoury mouthfuls of Hu's cola-cured ham and rare roast beef, and an extra spicy kick from lashings of sriracha aioli.
2. SOHO Roast Beef (68RMB)
Our hearts skip beats when in the presence of such thinly sliced, beautifully rare roast beef. Stack it up in a bagel with cheddar and cream cheeses and nasal passage-slamming horseradish, and you've pretty much got us under a spell. Plus, that fabulous magenta layer of sour pickled red onion makes the SOHO a very Insta-worthy sammie.
3. Tribeca Tuna (50RMB)
The tuna salad bagel is a favourite New York-style sandwich, and this one doesn't disappoint. It's the house-made tuna itself that really delivers: there's generous sprinkle of fresh herbs mixed right into the salad, and most importantly, it's not overly heavy on the mayo. Plus, the bright pink tangy pickled red onion makes a welcome appearance here as well, adding an awesome extra crunch to the mix that's usually fulfilled by boring old celery.
Spread the Bagel hasn't forgotten about those of you who still like it hot – there's also a luscious new Philly Cheesesteak bagelwich, as well a collaboration called the Hot Sichuano: an everything bagel with spicy pulled pork shoulder, runny fried egg, pickles, Emmental and FlybyJing's chilli mayo.
Spread the Bagel 611 Nanchang Lu, near Xiangyang Bei Lu, Xuhui district.
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