JOJA Bagels (Penang, Malaysia): A Cafe Crafting Bagelwiches Made with New York-Inspired Bagels

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This article is part of the Penang Food Trip series. Check out the installments in this series: Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery (MICHELIN-Starred Peranakan Restaurant) | ChinaHouse (Longest Cafe in Penang) | Hameediyah Restaurant (Nasi Kandar) | Kafe Ping Hooi and Tiger Char Koay Teow (Traditional Coffee Shop with Popular Char Kway Teow) | Kimberley Street Food Night Market | Lok-lok (Street Food Skewers) | Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay (Traditional Snacks or Desserts) | Penang Road Famous Laksa and Teochew Chendul | Sister Curry Mee (Curry Noodles) | Toh Soon Cafe (Traditional Coffee Shop)

When we were planning for our Penang trip and specifically looking for specialty cafes, we encountered JOJA Bagels in Google Maps. We’re happy to have discovered it!

JOJA Bagels is a cafe that assembles amazing Bagelwiches made with New York-inspired bagels. I asked why the name “JOJA” and the staff said that it has something to do with the owners’ names.

They have a modern, industrial look. It’s a nice place to hang out!

JOJA Bagels offers more than a dozen of bagel sandwiches, both savory and sweet. When you order a sandwich, you’ll be choosing from four bagel options: Original, Parmesan Oregano, Poppy Seed, and Sesame. Their bagels are soft and chewy inside, and crisp outside.

We tried their bestselling Super Mario, which has fried portobello mushroom with mozzarella cheese, fresh rockets, pulled mushrooms, and house sauce. It has a nice mushroom flavor. We also added a hash brown to it, so it has a nice crispness.

We also tried their Smokin’ Beast, which is like a bagel burger. It has homemade Australian beef patty, caramelized onions, grilled sliced portobello mushrooms, house hot sauce, cheddar cheese, and sunny side up egg.

The patty is juicy, the sauce is sweet and spicy, and the mushrooms add texture. I remember getting the parmesan oregano bagel, which add flavor.

For our side, we got their Criss Cut Fries, which are super crisp. Its dip is sweet and tangy, nicely complimenting the fries.

Their handcrafted sodas are fizzy and refreshing. We tried the House Lemonade Fizzy and the Passion Strawberry Fizzy.

Left to Right: Passion Strawberry Fizzy and House Lemonade Fizzy

You can also order other drinks that are espresso-, chocolate-, and tea-based. We hope to try it next time!

If you’re into bagels or want a break from local food, then JOJA Bagels is for you. They make good bagels and sandwiches. We’re going back there when we return to Penang and try other bagelwiches. I highly recommend JOJA Bagels to you!

Address: 55 Lebuh Bishop, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 8:30AM-3:30PM | Contact No.: +60 18-277 7380 | Facebook | Instagram