Weekday Grab-and-Go Bagel Breakfast at Tribe Organic

You’re on the way out the door for work, stomach growling and the remnants of last night’s networking event still lurking in your system. If you’re wanting anything but another 7-Eleven breakfast to cure your ails, you’re in luck. Stop by Tribe Organic before 11am, and you will have three options for a grab-and-go bagel sandwich. Plus for an extra RMB 10, Tribe will throw in an Americano coffee, hot or cold, with each bagel sandwich. Those geniuses!

Made fresh each morning, the selections at Tribe include a house-cured salmon sandwich, a chicken sausage sandwich, and one vegetarian tofu sandwich – all wrapped and ready to go. Fancy ingredients such as apricot caper relish, sriracha labneh, and pickled carrots round out these meaty (yes, even the tofu is meaty) fillings.

My favorite was the salmon sandwich (RMB 58), which features Tribe’s own beet-cured and brined salmon, served with fresh tomatoes, onions, watercress, and wasabi labneh on a savory black sesame bagel. The chicken sandwich (RMB 48) comes as as a huge disc of vietnamese-style chicken sausage patty, and if that weren’t enough, is topped with a fried egg, carrots, cucumber, cilantro and Sriracha labneh, all served on a pickled pepper bagel. A veggie option (RMB 38) is served with grilled tofu and a heap of veggies on a za’atar bagel.

I made it to Tribe shortly before 11am and was able to pick up a salmon sandwich quickly, but had to wait for the other options. The sandwiches looked a bit hastily compiled, but I was in much need of coffee (which was acquired), plus my weekday mornings are generally hasty anyway so I certainly won’t fault Tribe for appearance. As for the bagels themselves? Much to my dismay, Tribe's versions were a distant cry from their dense, chewy New York cousins. But if we let down our New York standards for just a minute and think of the well-curated combo of fillings – plus the fact that we don't have to break our fast at 7-Eleven – well, this weekday breakfast deal is a mighty fine offer.

Photos courtesy of Tribe Organic