Lox is a fillet of brined salmon that is sometimes smoked and most often spread on a bagel with cream cheese. It’s also the core ingredient at Lox in a Box, a burgeoning Sydney bagel joint.

The food takes its name from laks, the Yiddish word for salmon which is said to have gained popularity in the 1800s in New York City when Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe arrived in the US. 

While Australia took a while to jump on the bagel bandwagon, it’s fair to say it’s now an established offering in the city, as evidenced by the ongoing success of this burgeoning brand. 

Lox in a Box outlets are now scattered like sesame seeds across Sydney with this new outlet operating out of a trailer in Shepherd St, Marrickville. 

Lox delis have also sprouted in Bondi, Manly and Coogee and, in just two years, have developed quite the following. 

While the Shepherd St bolthole started out as a pop-up for a Mardi Gras event, it’s now permanently parked at its undercover locale in the Inner West, which also bears the brand’s signature forest-green and white stripes. 

The menu at the Shepherd St trailer is more concise than at its sister stores. 

But the bagels are still baked fresh each morning and stuffed to order. Take the classic lox slathered with a herb schmear and layered with house-cured sustainable Ora king salmon, capers, tomato and thinly sliced onion. 

Related story: Fire up those ovens! We’ve launched a bake-at-home New York-style bagel mix

While most bagel fans stay true to this classic pairing, owners and life partners Candy Berger and Gaia Lovell have also taken to experimentation. There’s the spicy chicken schnitzel bagel, the vegan katsu bagel and haloumi buffalo bagel, all of which come with the additional add-ons of a side of crinkle-cut chips or pickles. 

The bagels are soft, with the right amount of chew, and everything made on site adheres to recipes passed down by Berger’s grandmothers (one is Polish, the other of German descent). Berger, who is Jewish and grew up in California, worked for months with Stephen Hodges, of Fishface, to perfect the art of curing the sustainably sourced salmon. 

Berger has also done the schlepping for her customers by curating a weekly “Shabbox”, a cheeky wink to the Jewish Sabbath, which happens each week from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. 

The box is loaded not only with lox but also with challah, the braided bread traditionally eaten during the Shabbat, as well as chopped liver, egg dip and pickles. It’s also delivered on Fridays and can feed two to 10 people. 

Those who want to have their own bagel party at home can also pick up provisions starting with plain bagels and building from there. There are kosher pickles, cucumber salad, Russian dressing and taramasalata, too and schnitties to go. 

Related news: It’s a hole-in-one for Sydney’s absolute best bagels

The food here is hearty, homemade and served in generous portions. And it’s struck a chord with everyone from tradies to arty inner westies and members of the local Jewish community who congregate here around the communal table on the footpath. Snag a stool or take your lox in a box and walk 600m to Enmore Park for a chic-nic. 

Related news: No matter how you slice it, these are Sydney’s best sandwich shops