PETALING JAYA, Sept 3 — myBurgerLab debuted their latest creations at Tiffin Food Court last weekend and the new items are not what you might expect from the local franchise.

The brand that made its mark on the food scene with their signature charcoal bun burgers is looking to break new ground with their foray into pizza and bubble tea.

myBurgerLab had initially rented an empty lot next to their shop in Sea Park, Petaling Jaya, turning it into an incubator for new gastronomical projects.

The idea for pizza and bubble tea began brewing over a drinks session between myBurgerLab co-founder Chin Ren Yi and three other business partners back in April 2018.

The burger specialists are carving out a name for themselves in the world of pizza. — Picture via Instagram/tiffinevent

"One night, four of us went out drinking and we were like ‘Hey, we should start a business together’. And I said ‘Hey, I have a store next door to us that’s empty and I’m looking for partners’,” Chin told the Malay Mail.

The four names involved in the new project include myBurgerLab, Inside Scoop, Table and Apron, and Chocolate Concierge.

When it came to deciding what they were going to serve in their new culinary venture, the list was narrowed down to four contenders: pizza, bubble tea, fried chicken, and soft serve ice cream.

myBurgerLab decided to call upon the public to make the final decision for them.

"At that time, it was just before GE14 (14th general election), so we opened up myBurgerLab and created little ballots that allowed people to come and vote for what they want,” said Chin.

The voting ballot for myBurgerLab’s own ‘general election’. — Picture via Facebook/myBurgerLab

"We had our own GE14, if you will. We even painted people’s fingers,” he recalled.

The final tally saw pizza coming out on top and the partners decided to make full use of the space they had by taking on bubble tea as well, which came in second on the poll.

When asked about the democratic approach to creating the menu, Chin emphasised the brand’s commitment to giving the people what they want.

"myBurgerLab was born out of a very democratic principle,” he said. "If you think about the word ‘myBurgerLab’, ‘burger’ is obvious because we sell burgers and ‘lab’ means we experiment with stuff. Then, there’s the word ‘my’.

"A lot of people think it’s because the boss wants to say that [the business] is his or that it stands for Malaysia. It doesn’t. The idea is that whoever says ‘my’ has a sense of belonging and ownership,” said Chin.

Boba Lab and Pizza Lab are slated for an official opening in September. — Picture via Instagram/tiffinevent

Boba Lab and Pizza Lab made their first official appearance at Tiffin Food Court at Gasket Alley at Section 13 here after months of conceptualising and refining their products.

They whipped up treats like Oolong Tea with Cheese Foam alongside pizzas bearing names such as Mary’s Lamb and Huat the Duck.

Chin said that Tiffin Food Court provided independent restaurateurs a platform where they could express what Malaysian food meant to them, even with dishes that may not even be fully local.

"Authentically, pizza is Italian, but some people say that the best pizza comes from New York,” explained Chin.

"We take what we think is a good product or a good idea and we make it Malaysian,” the 37-year-old said.

The public played a fundamental role in the final decision behind myBurgerLab’s venture into pizza and bubble tea. — Picture courtesy of Tiffin Food Court