Mitouan

For a sweet option, the brown rice and walnut bagel with bitter chocolate sounds tempting. One customer enjoyed how the walnuts’ earthy flavour and the chocolate’s bittersweet notes were balanced by a tangy sweetness reminiscent of figs. Miso bagels and varieties featuring Japanese ingredients such as sake lees and miso, or snow salt, white sesame and peanut, have also been mentioned—options for those who prefer something less sweet.

Opinions differ on the texture: some describe a crisp exterior and chewy centre, while others find the bagels satisfyingly firm to bite into. Some customers reheat theirs to bring back the crispness outside, so warming one up at home could be worth trying.

Mitouan is a bagel specialist in Nishi-Shinjuku and offers takeaway. Its listed regular hours are Thursday and Sunday from 11:00 to 14:00.