Booya Bagels by Chef Aaron Lau, Now Bangin' at Glorietta by Ayala Malls

Glorietta gets a bangin' new addition to its tempting array of tasty offerings. Chef Aaron Lau hits the malls with his specialty New York style bagels at the new Booya Bagels kiosk in Glorietta 3. Hearty bagels and bagel sandwiches, refreshing salads and soothing cups of freshly brewed coffee await diners at Makati's popular shopping and dining destination. Hungry? Then, read on...

Finding bagels in the metro is no longer as difficult as before, but the search for a real good bagel can still be a challenge. Chef Aaron Lau changes all that with Booya Bagels, an obsession he picked up during his stint at New York's prestigious db Bistro Moderne by Daniel Boulud. Recreating the quintessential experience from The Big Apple took months of tedious testing, perfecting recipes and techniques. Chef Aaron Lau rocked Makati with his bangin' bagels at his first location along Legaspi Street back in 2022, but he's aiming for a bigger bite of the local bagel scene (for more on Booya Bagels, see my post #banginNYstylebagels: Now, These Bagels are Bangin'. At Booya Bagels... from two years back). 

What led Chef Aaron Lau to Glorietta 3 is an interesting story in itself. Reeling from the shock that the entire property where his original store is located will soon be scheduled for demolition, Chef Aaron Lau's bagel story could have ended right there. But the reputation of Booya Bagels has attracted quite a loyal following, including some folks from a major mall. And Chef Aaron Lau's bagel story continues at its new home at Glorietta 3. The distinctive modern lines of the kiosk inspired by New York's subway trains makes Booya Bagels easy to spot in the sprawling mall. 

Still on soft opening phase, diners can now enjoy a bite of The Big Apple with with the specialty bagels, sandwiches and salads along with fresh brewed coffee at Booya Bagels in Glorietta 3. Where else can you find a real bagel in Glorietta? 

At Booya Bagels, diners can choose from twelve bagel variants from classic and traditional to special and creative twists including Plain (P 80), Whole Wheat (P 120), Cinna-Raisin (P 100), Rye (P 100), Onion (P 110), Sesame (P 90), Chocolate Chip (P 120), Sana' Ol (P 120), Jalapeño (P 120), Cheese & Chives (P 120), Cafe Con Leche (P P 120) and Everything (P 110). Can't decide? Order a Box of Six Classic Assorted (P 580) or Box of Six Special Assorted (P 610). 

Whatever you choose, the soft yet dense texture capped by a delicately crisp outer layer of the specialty fresh-baked bagels will have you going for another bite. To make it a proper NY style experience, Booya Bagels offers a wide selection of schmears in 120g tubs like Herb & Garlic (P 288), Plain (P 200), Birthday Cake (P 212), Nori (P 288), Oreo (P 260), Sundried Tomato (P 355), Blueberry (P 250), Apple Pie (P 355) and Scallion (P 255). Oh, and butter too in 60g tubs like the Honey (P 140), Herb & Garlic (P 140), Strawberry (P 140), Snicker Doodle (P 140) and Dirty Spice (P 140) for that customized bagel experience. 

You can also add deli meats or vegetables like Bacon (P 80), Salami (P 90), Canadian Ham (P 120), Pepperoni (P 90) or House Cured Lox (P 350) along with Avocado (P 70), Mozzarella Cheese (P 60), Cheddar Cheese (P 50), Salad Greens (P 100), Pickle Plate (P 110), Lettuce (P 30), Cucumber (P 30), Tomatoes (P 30) and Onion (P 30). 

But first, coffee. The bold and deep notes of the Americano opens up the palate for your bagel feast at Booya Bagels. 

Sampler portions of Booya Bagels' trio of salads with the Tuna, Potato and EggSalad paired with an Onion Bagel and a side of salad greens brings fresh and creamy notes to your table as a flavorful prelude to your bagel feast. 

Each of the salads offers unique flavors to satisfy any appetite or craving for that healthy start at Booya Bagels. And the Onion Bagel with its mildly sharp hints and just a whisper of sweetness completes your salad course. 

The aptly named Chef's Lunch (P 360) is Chef Aaron's favorite go to bite with Cheddar, bacon, salami, pepperoni, mustard and mayo on a Plain Bagel for a quick yet satisfying savory lunch at Booya Bagels. The trifecta of bacon, pepperoni and salami is hard to beat with even more layers of richness from the Cheddar and mayo with the mustard cutting through the richness for that balanced finish. 

The layers of meat, cheese, mayo and mustard punches through with each tasty bite...

...but it's the Plain Bagel that's clearly the star of the show with its deep yet subtle nutty hints and soft dense texture that makes this a satisfying meal in itself at Booya Bagels. A soothing Americano, salads and the Chef's Lunch combine for a winning meal any time of day at Booya Bagels. 

And there's more. Booya Bagels also offers other classic and playfully inventive bagel sandwiches like the Ham & Cheese (P 265), the wittingly named Unicorn Poop (P 375) with Birthday Cake Schmear and Oreos on a colorful Rainbow Bagel, the West Coast Lox (P 536) with Nori Schmear, cucumber, avocado and House Cured Lox; the Booya Lox (P 536) with Herb & Garlic Schmear, onions, capers, dill and House Cured Lox on Everything Bagel; the The Italian (P 420) with Canadian Ham, Salami, Pepperoni, Mozzarella, Cream Cheese and mayo on a Sesame Bagel; the Tuna Melt (P 290), Caprese (P 280), Baby Boi (P 375) with Nutella and marshmallows on a Triple Chocolate Bagel and the Pride (P 200) with Birthday Cake Schmear on a Rainbow Bagel. 

Where to find some of the best bagels in the metro? Easy. Take a trip to the mall and have a bite of an inspiring and serendipitous story that began along Legaspi Street that's now bangin' it at one of the major malls in Makati. Chef Aaron and Nikki Lau are ready to satisfy all your bagel cravings at Booya Bagels in the Activity Center of Glorietta 3. Now on soft opening, but ready and waiting for you for some bangin' bagels...