Start your morning right with a Parisian-style bagel from Le Bon Bagel Bar
Start your morning right with a Parisian-style bagel from Le Bon Bagel Bar
Start your morning right with a Parisian-style bagel from Le Bon Bagel Bar
Start your morning right with a Parisian-style bagel from Le Bon Bagel Bar
Start your morning right with a Parisian-style bagel from Le Bon Bagel Bar

Start your morning right with a Parisian-style bagel from Le Bon Bagel Bar

Having conquered crepes, the team behind beloved Woolloongabba French restaurant C’est Bon is turning its attention to bagels with its brand-new concept, Le Bon Bagel Bar. From Tuesday April 9, Chef Andy Ashby and his crack team of cuisiners will be serving a tight menu of delightfully doughy bagels crafted in-house and stuffed with mouth-watering fillings (croque monsieur bagels, anyone?) alongside velvety specialty coffee. Here’s what’s on offer …

Any serious carb lover will be familiar with New York-style bagels, the lightly glazed dough discs that boast a slightly chewy consistency and a hint of tang on the tongue. Either paired with a simple schmear or stacked with toppings, these bagels are elite. But have you tried Parisian-style bagels?

Andy Ashby, chef and owner of one of Brisbane’s premier French-inspired dining establishments, C’est Bon, is looking to introduce the French variation to Brisbane foodies with his brand-new daytime concept, Le Bon Bagel Bar. Replacing C’est Bon’s long-running creperie, Le Bon Bagel Bar will see the chef and his crew continue to utilise the space as a destination to snag express, on-the-move budget-conscious breakfast options made in-house daily.

“We noticed that our local customers – including many office workers – were enticed by a grab-and-go option, but we also wanted to create a new offering that could also be enjoyed for dining in, if more time permitted with their schedules,” reveals Andy. “We made the decision to pivot our breakfast offering, but for us, the quality had to come first.”

So, what sets a Parisian bagel apart from its US counterpart? The biggest difference is in the texture and flavour. C’est Bon’s bagels are made using poolish yeast starter before being boiled in a French-style stock. Once it can hold its shape, the bagel is then baked at a high temperature until a crispy crust is achieved. Crack one of these cooked beauties open and you’ll notice the inside is lighter and airier, which contrasts with the crisp exterior to create a more delicate mouthfeel. All told, it’s a morsel that won’t slow you down first thing in the morning.

“We love a NYC-style Bagel, however at times the bread can be denser, making it more suitable for a lunch option, rather than breakfast,” says Andy. “With our recipes for breakfast and brunch we wanted to make sure our bagel is an enjoyable first meal of the day.”

Le Bon Bagel Bar’s menu will see Andy’s circular creations crowned or stuffed with an assortment of gourmet toppings and fillings that are expected to rotate seasonally. Folks can swing by for a bagel lathered in fromage creme, or opt for a heartier day starter in the form of a croque monsieur – a bisected bagel crammed with layers of prosciutto, cheese custard, comte and spinach. Other options include a smoked-trout number with trout rillette, pickled cucumber, parsley salsa and bottarga cream, as well as a saucisson and French onion option that comes with a salivation-worthy combo of saucisson, creamy soubise, egg, piperade jam and spinach. As for drinks, coffee from Roast by Yili is on deck alongside a clutch of juices from Yarra Valley Hilltop.

Le Bon Bagel Bar is now open to the public from from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.

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