BLD with Bob and Julie: myBurgerLab @ Seapark

Price Range : Mid-range

Cuisine : Good burgers

Recommended For : Young diners in small groups (not a great place to dine at with impatient parents and screaming young kids, but thankfully, there’s the tapau option)

Catphobia-Friendly? : Yes

It was only a matter of time before we surrendered to the most-frequently tagged eatery on our respective Instagrams. The #beautifulmess and #foodporn on our feeds at 7.41pm on a Sunday night were the hashtags that broke the camel’s back.

By 9 we were on the way to Seapark. Despite endless warnings on the waiting time that we came across online, we arrived at myBurgerLab ravenously starving. The place was packed to the brim; the tables were fully occupied while a row of hungry-looking patrons stand vigilantly beside happy eaters, scavenging for empty seats. And there we were, stepping gingerly into the restaurant, unsure whether the burgers were really worth the wait.

“Hi, welcome to myBurgerLab, is this your first time here?” one of their waiters cheerily greeted us. “Yes,” we exclaimed in relief, glad to have this young man to guide us through our first experience here. He effortlessly walks us through their rather extensive menu, and his amazing descriptions of their highlights left us contemplating on the health and monetary implications of having five burgers at one go.

Thankfully, our senses eventually kicked in, and we both went for that one beef burger that everyone keeps talking about: A Beautiful Mess. Make it a set? Yes, please! We were told the wait would be around 30 – 45 minutes. So we could, like, actually have a proper conversation with each other while waiting for the food to arrive? Cool. We spent the time having distracted discussions, all the while pretending as if we weren’t inappropriately salivating over the beef juice and cheese dribbling down our neighbour’s chin.

Good things come to those who wait, we learned, as our burgers finally landed on our table. Just looking at them, we knew we were in for a good time. Closed our eyes, sank our teeth in for that first bite, and died a little death. 30 minutes waiting time is nothing compared to the pure joy and happiness the burger brings! First, you go through the soft, pillowy charcoal bun, and make your way to the layer of deep-fried portabella mushrooms. Kudos to them for coming up with the idea of frying these mushrooms to a satisfying crisp to make up this genius ensemble.

If you can't get enough of this genius creation,

you can also order the Portabella Fries (RM15) as a side dish

Sink your teeth lower and you will be greeted by… what’s this now? A sunny side up? These people must have done a lot of burger research in their lab, because the egg just works so well with the rest of the components.Then you reach the pinnacle of the burger: its unbelievably juicy beef patty! They say that they are the burger experts, and they are absolutely right; it is one of the most wonderfully-flavoured and skilfully-prepared patty we have ever had! Apparently, what keeps the juices in is the patty's salt crust; instead of the patties being seasoned ahead of time, the salt and pepper are sprinkled on the patties right before they goes on the grill. Top all those beautiful elements with some caramelised onions and melted cheddar, and we finally understood why this burger is named A Beautiful Mess.

Burgers are not the only thing these folks are good at. We NEED to talk about those fries! Those innocent-looking fries that arrive piping hot in their basket, those fries that you forget to pay any attention to, overshadowed by the attractive burger. But just pop one of those fries in your mouth, and savour that blissful surprise. The fries here are not just a side dish, they are stars in their own right! Coated in rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt, we eventually regretted our decision to share the basket.

They only open for dinner, but even getting there at their opening time of 5p.m. is not going to guarantee that you will not be stuck in a queue. Just accept the fact that some waiting will be have to be done, and you will be rewarded greatly.