With the trend for bagels going strong, it does seem like the fast food giants are pretty aware of what has been catching on in the F&B scene recently — and perhaps that is how we found ourselves now having the Breakfast Bagel from McDonald’s as a limited time-only special for now. We personally have a preference for the Breakfast Bagel over the Honey Soy McCrispy; the Breakfast Burger perhaps feeling like a bigger “innovation” than the former, considering how McDonald’s had never officially carried the bagel in their main brand — always more of a McCafe item instead, thus bringing in more “surprise” factor than the Honey Soy McCrispy.

Made a beeline for the Breakfast Bagel at the nearest McDonald’s within our vicinity during breakfast service hours which the Breakfast Bagel is only available in the day — there was quite a crowd at the outlet which we visited and it did take us quite a while to get the Breakfast Bagel delivered to our table. McDonald’s didn’t really reinvent the wheel with the Breakfast Bagel here; the bagel does seem like a familiar offering to that of the ones served with cream cheese at McCafe, but the condiments included did make it feel like a rehashed Egg McMuffin in general. Expect the same “fresh round egg” with chicken ham and melted cheese in between the wholemeal bagel bun — the only noteworthy addition that seems to give the Breakfast Bagel a slight twist from being a total McCafe bagel-Egg McMuffin hybrid would be the sautéed mushrooms that sit atop the melted cheese. Taste-wise, the Breakfast Bagel is a pretty decent offering though came rather well within expectations — we liked how the ham provides a slight hint of savouriness amidst the cheesiness and the earthiness of the sautéed mushrooms; the highlight was how the bagel carried a firm and chewy texture as it should.

While the limited time-only Breakfast Bagel is not a must-try in our opinion, it does make for a good-to-have option that we wouldn’t mind to have if it ever gets pushed to the usual breakfast menu of McDonald’s. Despite the fact that the Breakfast Bagel does not quite differ much from that of the Egg McMuffin, one thing is for sure — it does answer to those raging cravings that one may have for bagel sandwiches served at a convenient location; bet this is one plus point that pretty much works in the favour of the Breakfast Bagel against the many artisanal bagels that we have been seeing all around in recent years.