Stuffing the spotlight:
Calic Bagel’s rise in LA.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
25 of the best bagel shops in Los Angeles
Husband-and-wife duo Alex and Sun Sohn went viral during the pandemic when they launched a garlic bread pop-up via Instagram, and now, at their Koreatown cafe, you can try hand-rolled bagels coated in everything seasoning, cheddar jalapeño or sesame seeds and stuffed bagels bursting with corn cream cheese, cheddar and mozzarella. Breakfast-oriented bagel sandwiches are also available and can be ordered in variety packs. Schmears depart from your usual options, including bacon scallion, basil sun-dried tomato and yuzu flavors. Coffee and matcha drinks round out the menu, with Korean snacks and other grab-and-go items available.
March 13, 2025NBC 4
Meet the creator behind K-Town's viral stuffed garlic bagels
NBC LA’s Melissa Magee visits Calic Bagels in Koreatown to meet the owner behind the viral stuffed bagels. The breakfast hotspot also serves bagel sandwiches and fun rip and dip options so you can create your own adventure.
May 21, 2024ABC 7
Los Angeles based Calic Bagels rival traditional New York City bagels
LOS ANGELES, Calif. Founded by visionary entrepreneurs with a passion for both culinary arts and cultural exploration, Calic Bagel challenges the conventional notion of what a bagel can be.
July 22, 2024GOOD MORNING AMERICA
How to make the viral cream cheese-stuffed bagels
If you follow food trends and recipes online, then chances are your social media feed is stuffed with a new viral bagel.
Calic Bagel, a pop-up vendor inside MarkEat 8 food hall in Los Angeles, has gone viral on social media for its cream cheese-stuffed bagels that are hand dipped in garlic and herb butter and baked to a golden, crisp with a fluffy, custardy center.
April 12, 2024Foodbeast
Rolling into @calicbagel to get a behind the scenes look at their VIRAL stuffed Garlic Bagel filled with cream cheese and dunked in a garlic butter sauce!
April 8, 2024
EATER LOS ANGELES
15 Destinations for Supreme Bagel Satisfaction in Los Angeles
Just scroll through Calic Bagel’s Instagram feed to get a sense of why crowds gather daily for its signature garlic cream cheese bagel dipped in garlic butter. The bagels stuffed with pizza and habanero garlic are popular, too. Bagel purists can rest assured that Calic also prepares the classics well.
MAY 1, 2024
INFATUATION
The Best Bagels In LA
LA has its share of bad bagels, but when they’re good, they’re fantastic. No one can argue that, even opinionated purists who don’t live on this coast. And since there’s no such thing as an “LA-style bagel,” we have bakeries, pop-ups, and window shops that serve every type of yeasty dough ring under the sun, like Montreal-style, “rip-and-dip” bagels, and bagel sandwiches filled with freshly smoked pastrami. There’s a lot to explore, but these 13 spots make the argument that LA is a bagel town, after all.
August 9, 2024
TASTINGTABLE
13 Absolute Best Spots For Bagels In Los Angeles
Another pandemic-born operation is Calic Bagel, founded initially as a garlic bread service by husband and wife Alex and Sun Sohn. Koreatown's Calic Bagel not only provides that perfect blend of crunchy and chewy, but features one of the most extensive arrays of cream cheeses aka "schmear" on this list, with unique flavors ranging from black sesame, fig pecan, and cacio e pepe butter. Apart from classic sandwich and bagel choices, you also won't want to miss out on the stuffed bagels, which you may have seen popping up across TikTok — namely its signature the Calic, which includes garlic butter dipped with garlic cream cheese.
DECEMBER 11, 2023
SECRET LOS ANGELES
NOVEMBER 29, 2023These Mouthwatering Cream Cheesy Garlic Bagels Are Making L.A. Drool
One thing about Los Angeles is that we know how to take something simple and make it indulgent. While Calic Bagel does serve up some ordinary bagels, they also serve up a decedent cream cheesy bagel doused in garlic. Yup, you read that right — it’s what your carbohydrate dreams are made of.
LA WEEKLY
[LAWA Honest Review] Have you tried “Rip-and-Dip Bagels”? How does the buzz-worthy Calic Bagel in Koreatown measure up?
After all, the name of the store is directly homophonic to garlic (Calic). Of course, this garlic flavor is a must-try. The flower-shaped bagel has cream cheese squeezed in the middle of each clove, and each side is coated with garlic butter
OCTOBER 31, 2023
LOS ANGELES TIMES
The best places to eat and drink in L.A. right now, according to our food writers
When husband and wife Alex and Sun Sohn started experimenting with garlic bread during the pandemic their Instagram almost immediately went viral with orders. Now, with ALMG Hospitality, the couple has opened a storefront in Westlake with hand-rolled bagels and Korean pantry items. While traditional bagel options like plain, sesame and everything are available, Calic also stands out for bagels stuffed with garlic cream cheese and mashed potatoes, ham and cheese, including a variety of cream cheeses that draw upon Korean flavor profiles like sweet corn and jeju hallabong.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023
SECRET LOS ANGELES
These Mega Korean Bread Loaves, Loaded With Garlic Cream Cheese Are The Stuff Of Dreams!
If you love garlic, cheese and sourdough bread then these cream cheese-stuffed loaves are your food fantasy come true! Each divine pull-apart bun comes in a beautiful oval shape oozing with a soft cheese filling, dipped in garlic sauce and topped with corn. It’s the irresistible, creamy creation that will immediately halt any carb-free diet considerations.
OCTOBER 16, 2020Food Network
GUESS WHAT! These sourdough loaves are filled with cream cheese and a TON of garlic before being dunked in a pool of garlic butter
October 14, 2020