L.E.S. Bagels

Precious Anne Reyes

3.0

No Lox, No Life! That’s my motto when it comes to bagels. For those of you who don’t know, Lox is salmon that’s brined and served with cream cheese, on a bagel. Sadly they didn’t have any at this branch of LES Bagels in Podium. Really?I was craving it so bad, and with Podium being somewhat close to work than McKinley, I thought I would have it easy. Apparently not. Same thing with the Truffle, which was my second option. So I ended up with Jalapeno Cheddar and my Everything bagel. Don’t get me wrong, it was really good, but you know how things suck when you think you’re there, then face splat? Appetite satisfied, but website me not satisfied.LES Bagels is really the only establishment in town that serves the true New York style bagel. So if you want the taste of something truly New York besides a pizza, it’s bagels from LES, which by the way stands for Lower East Side. The classic would be a bagel with the standard cream cheese. But then the ultimate classic would be the one with Lox. Grrr! I am honestly still pretty peeved about not getting it.The price maybe expensive to some, but if you know what you’re getting, it’s worth it. Service, attentive as always, and very sorry for not having Lox. I wasn’t the only customer at that time that wanted Lox. But still, Lox! Lox! Lox! To the back service peeps, have some delivered.McKinley branch, I will head back to you soon. Lox, I need you!

Amir Fadli

4.0

If you love bagels, L.E.S. is the place to be! I love bagels! I used to get so frustrated at the available selection of bagels since none of them came close to what real bagels are like! I personally think L.E.S. is the best source for bagels in town. Their bagels are reasonably priced too, Php40 for their regular bagels and Php60 for their special ones. Some may think this is too much but honestly, I've had more expensive ones which were not even close to the quality of L.E.S. Bagels!While the bagels are worth paying every peso for, the rest of their menu is quite expensive. They have ready made sandwiches for Php450. I've honestly never tried them since I like my bagels on the simpler side.I've found that ordering a small tub of cream cheese is enough for generous servings of it on 2 bagels. For cream cheese flavors, I like their Sun Dried Tomato & Basil and their Lox. They sound expensive, especially the Lox, but it's got loads of smoked salmon in it which makes it worth it.For 2 people, a small tub of Lox at Php300, and 2 regular bagels at Php40 each, we both get our bagel with lox craving satisfied and for only Php380. In my opinion, that's not bad at all! We had to eat outside cause their airconditioning was warm. The mall was colder! 😂 The servers were nice. Not exactly eager to help but they were pleasant.I hope they also consider using real plates and utensils. They use paper plates and cups and disposable/plastic utensils. This may be easier on their end but what's a little more effort to be more environment friendly?

Migz Cervantes

4.0

I am not really a fan of eating bagels because I did not know how to enjoy it (yes, there is a way of eating bagels!) until I dined at LES Bagels. Contrary to some Filipino perception, bagels are different from donuts. Bagels are from heavy yeasted wheat dough (they are very crisp on the outside), while donuts are dough products (they tend to be light or cake-like and are usually sweet). The way that they are cooked are also different from each other.Located at the second floor of The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, LES Bagels (Lower East Side Bagels) opens as early as 8am--even before the mall has opened (just tell the guard that you will dine at LES Bagels and they will allow you to enter the mall). This is their second branch. LES Bagels offers a variety of bagels, cream cheese, salads, desserts and pastries. Bagels: Garlic; Onion; Black Sesame Seed; Whole Wheat Everything; Whole Wheat; Everything; Chocolate; Sesame Seed; Blueberry; Pumpernickel; Black Russian; Plain. I had some difficulty slicing the bagels so you can have them slice it for you. They can also be served toasted, depending on your preference. Cream Cheese: Plain; Apple Cinnamon; Sundried Tomato & Basil; Scallions; Jalapeno Cheddar; Herb; Sundried Tomato & Olive; Garlic & Chives; Black Pepper Truffle; Strawberry; Blueberry; Lox (Salmon). Foremost, I tried everything and they are all good. Bagels are best eaten with cream cheese and this is the reason I started to love eating bagel. If you opt a sweet, dessert-effect bagel, I recommend the apple cinnamon. If you want it spicy, the jalapeno cheddar is the best choice. If you want to experience having your bagel the traditional way, have the lox. Their bestseller is the black pepper truffle, while my favorite is the blueberry. Salad. I was amazed that these are salad. From a distance, I thought that these were dessert. Love the presentation. Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie and Fudge Brownie. Either of the two are both indulging. They also have chunks of chocolate inside which are really good. These brownies are also heavy that you can have a single order for sharing. Oatmeal Cookie and Homemade Oreo. Both are good and for some reason, it reminds me of childhood. FULL/DETAILED REVIEW ON MY BLOG