I tried the Yellow Bee bagel banh mi

What am I supposed to do, NOT try the bagel banh mi?

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As a white Jewish guy from the New Jersey suburbs, I feel confident in saying that I am not a banh mi expert.

I have yet to start my Vietnamese food-focused newsletter (“Thật là xấu hổ,” perhaps?) so I’m just gonna be as upfront as possible in saying that my banh mi bona fides are fairly lacking.

That said, as soon as I read in the Seattle Times that Yellow Bee Market & Cafe (922 E Yesler) was promoting a “bagel banh mi,” I knew what I had to do.

For a little background, Yellow Bee is an offshoot of Hong Kong Market, a chain of international supermarkets with locations in Burien, Kent, and Federal Way. This market and cafe opened in Yesler Terrace a few months back and combines a supermarket, neighborhood cafe, and full-service deli.

getfatwith.eat

A post shared by @getfatwith.eat

While their menu includes a wide variety of items, including milk tea, smoothies, and pastries, the centerpiece is the banh mi sandwich.

Though they have several traditional versions served on a baguette, their showstopper at the moment is the bagel banh mi. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Everything you’d expect to find in a banh mi…but on a bagel. Truth in advertising.

As a vegetarian, I ordered the fried tofu banh mi (jalapeno, pickled daikon & radish, cilantro, egg cream, cucumber, fried tofu, and Hoisin). I got it on an everything bagel because if we’re gonna do this, let’s do this.

The first thing I noticed was how my wrapper was already messy before I even opened it up. I took this as a very good sign. I didn’t go into this expecting a “very demure, very mindful” eating experience.

Unwrapping the sandwich, I have to admit the bagel didn’t wow me. The coloring was fairly beige. There was a strong seed hand at work but I wasn’t sure if I was seeing any salt. And when I flipped it over there was a distinct Cornmeal Ring of Doom (CRoD).

Now, I went into this assuming it wasn’t going to be the greatest bagel in the world. As soon as I saw the ads, I figured it was probably a wholesale version from Seattle Bagel Bakery or Blazing Bagels or something like that. But I actually wasn’t that bothered by it. We’ll come back to why in a bit.

Let us not tarry any longer, how was the banh mi part of the banh mi? It was really good! Again, I am not the person you should be turning to for banh mi expertise but using my limited knowledge and my taste buds, I very much enjoyed eating this.

One thing I have become a fussy eater about is tofu. This version was lightly fried and fluffy without being dry. The firmness was on point to make sure I got the right amount of pushback on the bite.

There was a nice kick from the jalapeno and sauce while the vegetables added some much-needed crunch. The whole experience was messy in a good way, with juices dripping onto the wrapper below and sauces sticking to my fingers. However many napkins I had, I needed ten more.

My biggest takeaway was that I want to come back and get a banh mi on the traditional bread. The bagel usage is a little gimmicky and I don’t think serving a sauce-laden sandwich on a bread item with a giant hole in it is the best way forward. But again, I enjoyed eating it. As far as gimmicks go, it did the job.

As for that bagel, I started positing a theory while eating. As expected, the bagel lacked texture and crispness and clearly wasn’t freshly made. However, my new theory is that when it comes to eating a bagel sandwich, the last thing you want is a “good” bagel.

This bagel’s softness and lack of texture were actually perfect for the sandwich experience. It made sure the bagel stayed out of the way and let the inner ingredients sing. It ensured the sandwich was easy to bite into and chew. It was simply a banh mi delivery system and nothing more.

I imagined trying to eat all of this on a Hey Bagel or Old Salt bagel. It would be a disaster. The firm integrity of the bagels would make the chew incredibly difficult. The heft and crispy exteriors would distract from the texture inside. The strong seasonings would muddy up the flavors.

You need a mediocre bagel to make a good bagel sandwich. Or at the very least, I think that’s a big part of what made this sandwich so enjoyable. I can think of a few local bagel places that might push back on my theory, but I feel like I’m right.

As a side note, I really dug Yellow Bee’s market shelves, which were a mixture of neighborhood essentials and Asian food items. I made a few impulse purchases while waiting for my sandwich and intend to head back soon and stock up.

shopyellowbee

A post shared by @shopyellowbee

This newsletter has accentuated a real push-pull dynamic within me. On one hand, my appreciation for the authentic and traditional bagel experience has grown tenfold. On the other hand, I’ve come to appreciate modern and creative ideas of what someone can do with a bagel. This is the kind of thing I’m always going to be intrigued by.

As with Toasted, this uses the bagel as a way to bridge the gap between cultures. I would much rather see adaptations like this than another round of rainbow bagels or whatever is happening at The Bagel Nook.

There’s a joy and vibrancy in an experiment like this. Even if you end up not liking it, it’s a great excuse to try something new.

Thanks for actually reading this far. If you enjoyed my bagel review and want to read more of them, make sure you’re subscribed to It’s A Shanda. Know someone in the Greater Seattle Area (or beyond) who would appreciate way-too-detailed reviews of local bagels? Please forward the link their way.