myBurgerLab @ MyTown Shopping Centre

When one mentions burgers or gourmet burgers, you bet the name myBurgerLab would be in the mix.  Started by 3 friends who had no experience in the F&B industry in 2012, the brand was an instant hit and became a mainstay in the gourmet burgers industry.

Going from strength to strength, myBurgerLab now spans six branches located throughout Klang Valley in Seapark, OUG, Sunway, Cyberjaya, MyTown and Bangsar.  Not only that but their success led to spin-offs (like popular TV series lah) of myPizzaLab in Seapark, Desa Sri Hartamas and Subang Jaya and Chick n' Buns in Hartamas Shopping Centre.

After hearing that myBurgerLab is phonghongbakes favourite burger + news of them selling out daily during their heydays were well documented, there can be no further doubt as to how good their burgers are.  With an outlet opened near me in MyTown (in 2018), there can be no more excuses of not trying though I know I'm a decade late (lol)...better late than never, right?

For my first try of myBurgerLab's gourmet burgers, I got myself the Hangover (Set) @ RM32 (inclusive of soft drink and RM1 for the packaging).  First impression....I was indeed impressed by the thick quality paper box the burger came in.  The picture of a double beef patty (on the box cover) being pressed down by a fork with juices flowing was enough to get me salivating.

The Hangover burger was described in the menu as a beef patty paired with mushrooms, topped with a crispy hash brown and covered in maple syrup for a combination of sweet and savoury flavours accompanied by a side of awesome fries.  Sounded very promising....but that was all it was unfortunately! >_<

Let me dissect my burger experience for you.  First of all, when I opened up the box and placed the burger on a plate, I realised that there was no accompanying maple syrup.  Neither was it already drizzled on the burger (I peeked).  That was the first bummer! >.<  Missing out an accompaniment (like a sauce) is not accepted SOP from a gourmet burger joint....from a fast-food burger chain, maybe.  I used to get missing creamers, sugar and chilli sauce from McD (and having cheese when I requested for no cheese) but that's probably easier to forgive and forget seeing the price of their burgers.

Let's start from the top.....the burger bun itself.  This is myBurgerLab's signature bamboo charcoal bun that's freshly baked to yield fluffy, tasty and oh-so-addictive buns.  It was soft and fluffy indeed but tasted bland like any charcoal bun...maybe that's how they want it to be for the rest of the burger ingredients to shine.  I felt it was just a tad dry too maybe because the sauce (in this case the maple syrup) was missing + I also had no runny egg yolk to help its cause.

I think charcoal buns, when they first came out, was a bit of a novelty but it's now quite common in many burger joints.  It's a pretty sight alright and looks striking in photos because of the contrasting black.  But I'd settle for a brioche bun anytime with its complimentary sweetness against the savouriness of a buttered and grilled bun (even better).

Lifting up the burger bun, I could see a piece of nicely fried hash brown.  The hash brown was perfectly fried to yield a crispy exterior with the finely diced potato cubes offering a good bite.  The hash brown was good but probably from a frozen food supplier like Simplot (coz I doubt they'd take the trouble to make their own hash brown)...hehe!  They offer this as an add-on in other burgers at RM3...and if it's offered with your burger of choice, I suggest you to take it...lol.

Underneath the hash brown lies a thin piece of lightly grilled tomato....too scant to offer much to the burger but still welcome that it's there for juiciness.  And beneath the grilled tomato was the beef patty itself.  It was seasoned well and cooked to medium doneness (as advertised) as it was still a little pink in the centre. The patty was well seared achieving a nice crust on the edges of the patty but not as juicy as expected (and certainly quite unlike the juiciness depicted in the photo sticker on the box....lol).  Overall, it was still a very decent patty.

Beneath the meat patty was the sauteed mushrooms atop fresh lettuce with some scant sauce (this burger does not come with cheese).  The sauteed mushrooms were properly seasoned and adequate in taste but ended up as the culprit that made the burger soggy.  I initially thought the fresh lettuce was some form of sauteed greens (like spinach) coz it was so soft and disintegrated (bits of which were left in the paper bag after I slipped the burger out onto a plate).

The sauteed mushrooms must have been scooped on top of the lettuce right after they were cooked while they were still hot thereby causing the fresh lettuce to wilt (and darken) tremendously and the bun getting soggy as a result (just cooked mushrooms tend to leak out water too).  You can see just how soggy the bottom piece of the bun was.

And because of that, you can't hope to hold the bun with your hands and eat it the way a burger should be eaten.  I had to eat it with a fork and knife. :O  That aside, I wasn't able to get the true experience of the burger without the maple syrup...and didn't get to find out if the sweet and savoury flavours worked in this case (though I know it has worked before in my other food experiences).

As with any burger set, it comes with a side of their Awesome Fries (if you sell it as awesome, it better be).....well...it didn't quite turn out as awesome as promised.  That's because they were no longer the thick cut fries (that I've seen online, with skin on) but replaced with shoestring fries (don't know when this took effect or whether it was due to the fries shortage experienced lately or they simply changed supplier or changed to a cheaper type of fries). >:(

These shoestring fries, though crisp on the outside, just weren't as fluffy on the inside as one would get with better quality, thicker cut fries (the insides tasted a bit powdery like those frozen fries bought from supermarkets).  If I wanted lower quality shoestring fries, I'd get myself a cheaper McD burger and fulfill myself with lower expectations.  To say the fries was a disappointment is an understatement.  The saving grace was the red dipping sauce that was creamy, tangy and moderately spicy.

My Personal Opinion

I know it's not fair to judge them on only one burger experience but with the burgers costing in the region of RM30 - RM40 (via delivery), let's just say it isn't the cheapest burgers around, so I certainly expected more based on the price point.

Until they improve their SOPs (on how to roll out a complete burger to ensure no missing items) or do some R&D to find the best way to serve the hot, freshly cooked mushrooms (maybe it should be prepared ahead and left to stand at room temperature first?) and not present an overly soggy, I can't help but be cautious so as not to end up paying for something that's going to be less than satisfying.

I actually lined up the next 2 - 3 burgers that I wanted to try after making this order but (sadly) had to take a step back.  But having said that, I do admire myBurgerLab for how they respond to criticism from customers and (hopefully) they'll take all the constructive feedback and strive towards being purveyors of the best burger experience (as they claim or aspire to be).

Perhaps when their fries become awesome again and they re-introduce the cheese crisp (I read that this had been dispensed with...I may not like melted cheese but I do like a fragrant cheese crisp after trying it at another burger place)...and hopefully no more foul-up in the orders, I may still revisit this burger brand one day...for their burgers were great once (based on reviews) and can be again...but for now, it's a No for me! :'(

myBurgerLab

G-020 Ground Floor

MyTown Shopping Centre

No 6 Jalan Cochrane Seksyen 90

55100 Kuala Lumpur