About 15 minutes on foot from Kamiyashiro Subway Station, this "coharu*bagel" is located in a corner of a quiet residential area. As a bagel and English muffin shop, it is a popular bakery where people line up every day before opening. The cute blue window frame, wooden door, and iron signboard are the landmarks.
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The store is so popular that there is a long line of customers even before it opens. The store is filled with bagels and English muffin sandwiches made with a variety of seasonal ingredients.
The bagels proposed by "coharu*bagel" are made with domestic wheat and natural yeast, and are characterized by a crispy skin and a chewy interior. The most appealing feature of the bagels is that they are filled with a plenty of ingredients! By incorporating a variety of seasonal ingredients, the deliciousness of the ingredients and the umami of the dough spreads in your mouth the moment you put it in your mouth. Another key point is that it is very hearty!
Birth history of coharu*bagel
Before coharu*bagel opened its physical store in 2014, it sold bagels and other items online. The owner, Ms. Sakakibara, has always had a hobby of making bread. "I want to convey this deliciousness to everyone" and started online store.
Owner Sakakibara
-Baking bread was originally your hobby.
Ms. Sakakibara: "I got married and stayed at home most of the time, so I decided to bake bread, which was the first thing I did. I had been baking bread with homemade natural yeast since then, but I happened to bake bagels by chance and tasted them and they were delicious. I thought, "This is it!" I ordered a lot of bagels and ate them, but I was so impressed that I thought mine were the best! I was so impressed.
-So you started selling bagels online?
Ms. Sakakibara: "I immediately thought, 'I want to bring this deliciousness to the world!', and three months later, I started selling bagels online (laughs). It opened at such a speed that even I was surprised. ”
- Why did you decide to sell online instead of in-store?
Sakakibara: "It is very difficult for a housewife to set up a physical store, and I was worried, so I decided to start with the Internet. As soon as I opened the online store, orders started coming in, and from there it gradually spread by word of mouth."
−I heard that you opened a physical store in 2014.
Ms. Sakakibara: “I had been selling bagels online for about six years, but gradually I began to think that I wanted to open my own store as a physical store. Around that time, an acquaintance told me that there was a vacant store in Meito Ward. I thought "I set up a shop here!" and I made a quick decision without looking for other properties at all. I immediately got going and opened the store in the spring of 2014. I believed that when I opened a store, I would definitely get an offer from somewhere, so I was happy that my wish came true. ”
-How was the reaction from customers when you actually opened the store?
Ms. Sakakibara: "Until then, we have only been connected through the Internet, but now that I have opened the store and I'm placing great importance on "talking with our customers." Since I'm offering bagels according to the season, I serve my customers carefully, explaining the taste of the bagels, their charms, and recommended ways to eat them. Bagels might have an image of being dry, but I have had customers say, "I can eat bagels here," which is very encouraging.
− What kind of existence do bagels have for you, Ms. Sakakibara?
Ms.Sakakibara: "I open a stall at the Fujigaoka Marché about four times a year. I bake a lot of bagels until the day of the event, and on the day of the event, there are so many customers that there is a long line of people waiting in line. When I look at the faces of the customers, they are all smiling with so many bagels in their trays. When I saw that, I was moved to the point of shaking. I realized that these bagels make everyone smile. To me, a bagel is something that makes customers smile. I hope to bring happiness beyond the bagel.
- Please tell us about your future prospects.
Ms. Sakakibara: "Meito-ku is a town in Nagoya City where many people come for transfer. People who come to this area for the first time get lonely if they don't have anyone to chat with. I hope that when such people come to "coharu*bagel," it will be a place where they can chat. I think it is my mission to be a place of communication in the community, where people can talk about the charms of Meito Ward, delicious restaurants, or just casual conversation about everyday life."
Introducing the owner's recommended bagels!
Nut Fruit Gyungyun Bagel (378 yen)
The "Nuts Fruit Gyungyun (stuffed) Bagel (378 yen)" has been very popular since it was first sold online. You can enjoy the juiciness of the pineapple and the texture of the sweetened chestnuts, pineapple, and white chocolate. As the name suggests, it is a bagel packed with ingredients.
Yokubari Chocolate Bagel (280 yen)
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary bagel, but there is plenty of chocolate inside! Another very popular item is the Yokubari Chocolate Bagel (280 yen). This is irresistible for chocolate lovers, with two types of black chocolate and white chocolate added to the slightly bitter dough. It is also popular for its not-too-sweet taste.
Salt butter croissant bagel (270 yen)
"Salt butter croissant bagel (270 yen)" is said to be very difficult to make. A bagel shaped like a croissant, it is crispy on the outside and juicy with fragrant butter on the inside. The accent of salt is also perfect. The croissant-like bagel taste is sure to get you hooked!
Strawberry and mascarpone open bagel sandwich 518 yen
Coharu*bagel releases new products every two months. Now they have strawberry and cherry blossom bagels for spring. This is the "Strawberry and Mascarpone Open Bagel Sandwich" (518 yen). It's a very popular menu at this time of year, and it will appear again this year! In addition, there are various new items, and there are only bagels that you want to eat.
Chicken and basil vegetable sandwich (420 yen)
The chewy English muffins are also very popular! "Chicken and Basil Vegetable Sandwich (420 yen)" is a perfect combination of juicy chicken and crunchy vegetables! You can also enjoy the texture of a chewy English muffin.
English muffin (432 yen each)
There are only two types of English muffins on sale, the potato onion pepper English muffin and the corn English muffin (432 yen each), so it is recommended to eat with your favorite ingredients at home.
I actually ate the bagel!
I bought bagels from "coharu*bagel" and tried them at home! I purchased the German Potato Bagel (324 yen), which is also one of the recommended items. It is a bagel topped with potatoes mixed with mayonnaise, bacon, and cheese. Upon purchase, you will receive a paper like this one. It refers to the delicious way to serve the bagel.
First, warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds without slicing.
When it's soft and warm, toast it in a toaster for about 2-3 minutes.
After baking in the toaster, it is ready to eat. When I actually cut it into pieces, I was overwhelmed by the chunky potatoes and bacon. When I first took a bite, I was surprised at how fluffy and chewy the dough was! The deliciousness of the ingredients along with the dough filled my mouth and made me happy. The volume of the dough is also very generous, and one piece will fill you up! This is definitely something I will repeat.
The bagels were created after many prototypes, with the aim of "creating bagels that are not ordinary, but rather inpressive." Experience the delicious taste of "coharu*bagel," which will surprise and impress you with its taste and texture that will overturn your image of ordinary bagels.