theLab - MILANO - Unconventional Burger Experience — Restaurant in Milan

The danger with upmarket burger places is that they overdo it, they add the unnecessary and we lose touch with the essential core of burger. TheLab is not one of these places. The minimalist menu only offers three burger choices, begone decision fatigue quality trumps quantity. Whilst Ford was figuring out how to make the same car thousands of times, Ferrari was turning tractors into race cars. Let’s be honest, you’re thinking of coming here because of Trip Advisor. Number one in Milan? A burger? In Italy? Yes my fellow foodie they take a simple meal, meat between bread and make it with top class Italian ingredients. The bun, the freaking bun was so soft, with just the right chew, yet enough structure to hold everything as I lifted it off the plate. Yeah I used my hands, the fork and knife are just for decoration. To their credit they only cook their burgers one way. Medium rare, as in you can see the red blood cells, the way it was inscribed by Hammurabi. The menu says no well done burgers, I dared not try request, even if the customer is always right one does not commit sacrilege and if you want a McDonald’s go there instead they serve cow here not cardboard. I’m not sure I can name the rest of the ingredients but a piece of something that looked like bacon escaped my grip as I blissfully chomped away. On closer inspection it was guanciale. Have you heard of this? Guanciale is why you come to Italy. Guanciale is pork from the jowl (the jaw, but we’re learning new words so why stop?) that is cured until it's perfect. It's what happens when Italians feel pancetta is not the peak, guanciale is both more tender and more flavourful. It’s heavenly and why your carbonara in Italy tastes an international return flight ticket's worth better than your pasta with bacon back home. TheLab, these guys put guanciale as a topping. I expected no less. Nothing is overlooked, they even used red onions because we eat with our eyes and so red onions always tickle the palate more sweetly. The cheese was interestingly placed beneath the patty. Being a cheese on top man I was curious to the inversion but I suspect they read the paper by a group of expert Japanese engineers who concluded the best way to eat a burger is to put thumb and pinky from both hands beneath the burger then place the remain fingers on top before inverting the burger and eating it for maximum structural integrity. But you burger connoisseur reading this far into the review already knew that and clearly so do the maestros at theLab. Cheese at the bottom when it arrives and on top when it matters as you eat, like the Apple logo on laptops. Genius. The sides were potatoes wedges, salted and peppered with the skins on, top marks again that’s where the nutrients are. Sides are normally sidekicks, there you know for the hero to talk aloud to, but this accessory my dear friends was armed with real tomato sauce. No not ketchup from the supermarket, sSauce Tomat baby as in one of the French mother sauces. It was thick, flavourful and delighted me so much I thought they’d accidentally thought I was a reviewer for Michelin guide and were trying to impress me. Even vegans would eat here. I didn’t have a drink but the selection looked plentiful. Service was warm and welcoming. I had a tiramisu which was no good. I was confused ok ordering dessert at a burger place but man I thought maybe. Still five stars because they could've served ice cubes with snow and it wouldn't have mattered. Grazie...

Absolutely delicious! The service was amazing, the waiters were very polite and extremely professional. Small but cozy environment, clean bathroom, the kitchen is in full display so you actually see what’s going on (even if there’s no need to doubt, the quality of the dish is all the confirmation you need that these people know their thing and are actual professionals) I was caught by surprise by the level at which the burgers are cooked, didn’t expect them to be that much on the rare side , but that is clearly expressed on top of the menu, plus it tasted amazing! I chose the classic burger with the “al cartoccio” potato, which was perfectly cooked and tasted very well. Even the crafted “PUNKS” beer we drank was a pleasant surprise. The prices are ridiculously low for the quality of the products you’re being served (€15 for the burger + potato) Extremely satisfied,...

Il locale é una "bomboniera", piccolo e con pochi posti a disposizione ma molto carino, funzionale e con una certa attenzione ai dettagli. Molto belle le piastrelle a muro che donano all'atmosfera un certo carattere e comodissimi i ganci per appendere le borse posti sotto al bancone. Ho molto apprezzato la presenza della cucina a vista che permette di seguire le preparazioni intrattenendo nell'attesa, scelta originale per la tipologia di locale e sicuramente un bel plus. Le foto non rendono giustizia all'ambiente, molto meglio dal vivo. Servizio ottimo, personale educato, simpatico e gentile, presente ma non pressante nonostante i pochi posti, insomma a fuoco per un locale di questo tipo. Il menù non é lunghissimo ma abbastanza eterogeneo, sono presenti hamburger di diverse varietà di carne e qualche innesto vegetariano e di pesce. La proposta é comunque in generale sfiziosa e votata all'originalità e anche le birre artigianali in lista seguono il trend. Molto particolare la AERESIS, birra scura speziata con cui ho accompagnato il pasto. Ho preso le "Chips di barbabietola e carota, aiolì leggera" molto colorate e belle da vedere ma soprattutto veramente deliziose. Le verdure croccanti e asciutte si sposano benissimo con la delicata salsa in accompagnamento. Magari le avrei preferite solo un pó più calde ma é solo un dettaglio. Ho proseguito con con quello che credo sia il loro cavallo di battaglia, il burger MI. Che dire, eccezionale. Pane ottimo che ha tenuto tutto il condimento senza sfaldarsi fino all'ultimo morso. Vitello cotto alla perfezione morbido e con i succhi ben sigillati, insomma bello succoso e senza fastidiose pozzanghere dovute alla perdita di liquidi. Parte croccante data dal saporito risotto agli stimmi di zafferano. Taleggio avvolgente a "mantecare" gli ingredienti. Maionese al lime per chiudere con un tocco di acidità che rinfresca il palato e prepara al successivo boccone. Un morso con cosí tante sfumature sia di consistenze che di sapori ben equilibrati e sei in paradiso, in senso figurato si intende naturalmente 😂🤣. Ho concluso con il dolce "Five O’clock", presentazione originale e curata e buono anche se avrei preferito sentire maggiormente i sentori del bergamotto. Per concludere, anche se gli hamburger probabilmente sono un pó più piccoli rispetto a quelli serviti dalla concorrenza, in questo caso gli ottimi ingredienti e la grande attenzione alla preparazione delle materie prime lo fanno rientrare sicuramente tra i miei locali preferiti. Bravi ragazzi...