hanker for real bagels?

Most of the bagels I have had in Japan really STINK...I mean, how can you seriously call those things bagels? The ones at McDonald's used for breakfast sets are a disgrace to the name 'bagel' itself...yuckyyyy, definitely NOT bagels.

My friend once made some bagels for me (so kind!) which were very tasty but very hmm, how should I put it...very Japanese. It was because of this and other experiences that I thought Japanese have the wrong idea of what an authentic bagel should taste like. Real ones are dense, chewy, slightly hard on the outside and soft inside with a good amount of sweetness added in.

There is a famous bagel shop in Seibu in Tsukuba but I have not bothered to try it for fear of falling sorely disappointed. That and I did not think it worth the price!

Out of frustration from fruitless searching for a TASTY bagel which met my standards, I made the decision to make my own. They came out (not as beautiful as this picture) round and not bad aesthetically...and as for taste, PING PONG - right on! I felt like I was back in North America eating a bagel smothered in cream cheese and butter...oh, definitely worth the extra effort.