GET YOUR FREAKING BAGELS: Wooly’s Bagels. All Cry and No Wool?

Written by: Anushka (25-E2), Amelia (25-E3), Liyana (25-I3), Kaitlyn (25-U1), Lynette (25-U1)

Designed by: Kaitlyn (25-U1)

---

All cry and no wool: A great deal of fuss, noise, fanfare, or protestation over something of little or no substance, importance, or relevance.

Armed with empty stomachs and a meagre budget of 25 dollars, we expected a warm, filling bagel to make for not just a great article, but also a satisfying lunch. Only a three-minute stroll from Farrer Park MRT, we found Wooly’s Bagels tucked within an unassuming corner of Rangoon Road. The shop was relatively crowded when we visited on a Sunday afternoon, with no outdoor seating and limited space indoors. 

We decided on the Sweet Mistake set, which was inclusive of one bagel, a serving of mac and cheese, and a cup of lemonade totalling $20.80. The bagel itself was relatively simple: a stack of sliced meat (honeyed chicken ham and beef pepperoni, generously portioned) coupled with red onions, romaine lettuce, and — of course: a slathering of cream cheese, peppered with dill. What drew us to the bagel wasn’t its offerings of meat and vegetables, however, but rather the smattering of strawberry jam that we hoped would strike a good balance between the savoury/sweet dichotomy, supplementing the otherwise plain contents of the bagel with a refreshing twist. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t.) 

The Sweet Mistake set above. 

Though the food couldn’t exactly be described as disappointing, “sub-par” seems to be a relatively accurate adjective to describe our experience. The bagel, though dense and decently-made, was paired with fresh-out-of-the-fridge ingredients that further imbalanced the frigid tartness of the jam surrounding it. The slices of onion did little to curb the confusing mix of flavours, and cast the bagel further from the warm, toasty image we’d initially envisioned. Needless to say, the bagel, however adventurous, was poorly executed and didn’t do much to live up to the ever-growing attention the store received online. The set redeemed itself slightly with its accompaniments: unexpectedly, the mac and cheese proved to be a pleasant surprise. The macaroni, cooked till al dente, was smothered in drizzled, melted mozzarella and cheddar. Despite both of our disaffinities towards nacho cheese, we were impressed by the warm, cheesy execution that pulled the meal's score up. The signature lemonade, while not exceptional, managed to avoid typical pitfalls of the drink (overly sweet and concentrated) and, all in all, was a refreshing addition to the set. 

Our verdict? Wooly’s other bagels (like the GTF and Backyard Birdie), with their classic eggs, chicken, and mayo, seem marginally more promising — but similar options exist at comparable prices across most bagel joints. If you’re craving bold flavours and big ideas, Wooly’s certainly tries to impress. But with mismatched elements and underwhelming execution, our lunch left us more confused than comforted. For a place all over your Explore page, Wooly’s Bagels may just be — ultimately — all cry and no wool.

MOVIE NIGHT - KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

Your all I can think of 

Every drop I drink up 

Your my soda pop

My little soda pop 

Why on earth is this seemingly stupid song all over your For You page? This children’s movie has won over fans worldwide because of its catchy songs and fresh story line. Fictional K-pop groups Saja Boys and Huntrix have taken over Spotify and Billboard charts, breaking records left and right. 

Brilliantly executed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the movie spent almost 9 years in just production before hitting Netflix on 20th June. Now you may wonder, why is the world only going crazy for it now? Well K-pop demon hunters is the first Netflix movie to reach a new viewing peak in its 5th week of release! It's fair to say, other than the songs, the movie is carried by its many characters, with Rumi, Zoey and Mira, who form Huntrix at the forefront of the film. The voices behind these characters, Arden Cho, Ji-young Yoo and May Hong did a fantastic job bringing them to life. Not to forget, the other Kpop band everyone has been crushing on - The Saja Boys. A five member demon boy band which took over K-pop fans hearts in the movie and now in real life despite their true identities. As you karaoke to the bops from the movie, a fun fact is that some of the singers are not the voice actors of the characters, a quick google search would tell you that some of them could be part of your favourite K-pop groups as well or behind your favourite songs. 

Personally, as amazing as the movie is, my biggest issue about it was the title. I initially didn't even want to watch it when I read just the title. While the title, Kpop Demon Hunters, may sound childish and a total turn off, it doesn’t live up to how cool the movie actually is. Some might even argue the trailer is cooler than the actual movie itself. I, however, think the trailer is exactly what it should be. It gives an exciting sneak peek into the movie's humour, songs and battle scenes as well as serves as a solid introduction to the characters of the movie, revealing just enough to create hype and hook the audience without revealing the entire plot. 

All in all, Kpop Demon Hunters is a genre-bending movie that beautifully animates K-pop culture and demon hunting, the movie is packed with fight and dance choreographies as well as emotional beats that make it feel heartfelt, colorful, funny and imaginative. Whether you're a K-pop super fan, casual fan, beginner fan or a complete stranger you're sure to enjoy Kpop demon hunters. As it seamlessly blends themes of friendship, fame, burnout and loyalty leaving viewers just wanting for more.