Two Men Bagel House is a brand that really needs no introduction these days — the folks here are certainly going stronger with each and every passing year. Established in 2014, Two Men Bagel House started off being a spot well-known for its New York-style bagels located at Icon Village — their entry into the F&B scene also made them one of the OG bagel houses in Singapore that actually bakes their own bagels. Fast forward to 2023, and Two Men Bagel House operates a total of four (4) outlets islandwide — this includes their original store at Icon Village that is still currently in operations, as well as two other locations that had opened in later years; the Novena outlet at Royal Square Novena and another one at Lorong Liput in Holland Village. Their fourth and newest outlet is situated in the hipster Katong neighbourhood — they had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct The Communal Place, which is just a short walk away from i12 Katong. Their latest outlet at Joo Chiat Road is nothing short of the boisterous and industrial vibes of their other locations, though this particular outlet does feature an open-concept kitchen at the back of the store with the counter area replicating that of New York delicatessens — one could most certainly have a glimpse of the various dips, cream cheeses and other condiments that are stocked in their display chillers here. There are a mix of communal seating and large dining tables at this outlet, making it easy for larger groups to dine-in. As with all Two Men Bagel House outlets that have opened in recent times, the Joo Chiat outlet offers some items that are exclusively available at this outlet; there also some items from their standard menu which has been remastered as well, considering how the Joo Chiat outlet is also branded as a wood-fired house. Beverages available at the Joo Chiat outlet includes various non-caffeinated beverages such as their house lemonade, teas, TMBH slushies, as well as specialty coffee brewed using beans roasted by St. ALi Coffee Roasters from Melbourne, Australia.

The Firebird is one of the bagel sandwiches that is an item exclusive to the menu of their Joo Chiat outlet. Based on the description in the menu, the Firebird comes with elements such as hot fried chicken, Brussels Sprout, Seaweed, Garlic Pickles and Maple. Patrons can get to choose between the various types of bagel that they have to offer here (i.e. Plain, Sesame and All Sorts); we opted for the All Sorts bagel for our order. Much like the other outlets, order has to be placed through the counter for both dine-in and takeaway orders — this is before one actually looks for a seat for those who are dining in. Announcements for patrons to collect their drinks and food are being broadcasted via a microphone — a unique way of doing things but it just works. Collecting the Firebird from the counter, we already noticed the heft of the bagel sandwich — opening the packaging reveals the thick fried chicken patty in between the bagels; all with the other elements described also sandwiched within. The bagels at the Joo Chiat outlet are wood-fired; we especially liked how the bagels were suitable dense without being overly carb-y — toasted to a crisp on the exterior, the grains and sesame seeds embedded helps to further provide a crunch, giving the bagel a varied texture. Sinking our teeth further into the bagel sandwich, the crisp, golden-brown batter of the fried chicken is also delightfully light — the chicken flesh being tender and juicy. It seems that the hot fried chicken does come with a drizzle of chili oil that puts the “hot” in its description — the level of spiciness was rather mild however, and would do just fine for those whom are tolerable to low levels of spiciness even. That, alongside with just a light drizzle of maple syrup provides the dish with just that dash of sweetness it needs to balance things out; not a conventional flavour combination, but one that has become increasingly common with soul food establishments these days. The seaweed provides an umami note to the dish, while the Brussels Sprouts came all crunchy with its distinctive flavour that cuts through the heaviness of the carbs and meat here — a very apt addition even though it sounds intimidating on paper.

Two Men Bagel House has pretty much established a name for themselves ever since their days from being that bagel spot at Tanjong Pagar — they had since revamped their image from time to time during the course of their existence, sometimes even resulting in temporary closures; that being said, we are pretty glad thus they have seemed to have found the direction that they wanted to head to after all these while. There is always something about Two Men Bagel House being this outlandish, playful and fun-loving space that puts in all their effort to serve their patrons well — be it through the food that they serve up, or making their patrons feel welcome; this does seem to be now ingrained in their DNA, and is pretty much prevalent in every Two Men Bagel House as well. The introductory text on the wall beside the entrance at their Joo Chiat outlet says it the best — “Welcome to our humble woodfired house. It is not a bagel nor is it just a sandwich. It is our legacy”; a quote that seems to suggest that Two Men Bagel House identifying themselves as a brand in whatever that they are doing, and it is not just limited to their bagels and their bagel sandwiches. Having tried only the Firebird from their Joo Chiat outlet, we did find the quality of the bagels even beyond what we had experienced at their other outlets in the past — something which we found to be worth commending. With so much effort not only just in sourcing the right ingredients and creating the recipes that provides patrons with their very best, Two Men Bagel House is not just merely a brand name; but one with its own community which is especially loyal to them, following their foot steps wherever they go. There is no denying in their popularity; we visited the Joo Chiat outlet on the day of their official launch and there was already a queue stretching out to make orders for their bagels. Needless to say, one should exercise some patience to dine here; be it in the placing of orders or waiting for seats. That being said, Two Men Bagel House’s Joo Chiat outlet is certainly a spot worth making a trip for, as they always have been with their other outlets.