Location: The Lab Cafe
Participants: Mrs. Twit and Mr. Twit
Event: Utter Annihilation of Yummy Burgers, Coolers and then some
Time: 1.30pm - 6.30pm
Seriously we sat there for close to five hours having the best of food and the best of conversations.
Headed out to hang out with Hudidoo a few weeks back. I waited for her for a change; that was nice. Spent close to 2 hours walking about Kinokuniya, unable to decide which books I wanted - left with one physical one, but more titles have been recorded down in my brain.
A few years back, we used to be really enthusiastic about documenting our every dish, every face, movement and emotion but nowadays we kind of just sit down at the table and pull our cameras out from our bags and sit them down calmly on the table top. My photo-taking skills have absolutely degenerated but Huda still remains the best photographer I know!
"WHAT TO EAT, EVERYTHING LOOKS SO GOOD, HALP"
We chose to head to
The Lab because Huda's friend's friend just newly opened the cafe and I was up for a new experience! You'll never know unless you try it out yourself, right? I find that even with places with countless recommendations, one needs to head down to the place for actual consumption because everyone's palettes differ so greatly that one person might totally love something and another totally dislikes it.
First up were our coolers! It was a really sunny and warm day so we opted for refreshing drinks. I got the
Heisenberg (Mint + lime), which cost $6.00. Apparently there's a Breaking Bad theme going on here but I don't watch the show (yes, blasphemous, how could you, Pamela) so I don't know about it. But hell yes, please do get this drink, it does feel like there're substances in it the way it reaches to my bones and lifts up my mood with all that refreshing citrusy flavours going on!
Huda got the
Strawberry Rosy Rosemary ($6.00)! The addition of rosemary to the sweet strawberry drink gave another level of depth altogether. The earthy herby taste really complemented the gentle floral fragrance of the rose petals and the fizzy strawberry drink!
THIS SHOT WAS NOT TOO BAD!!!! I'm improving, yay (I used to get chided by Huda for leaving too much space on top of her head while taking photos of her). Pretty darling is wearing MAC's Ruby Woo on her lips here!
Our mains arrived pretty quickly, and here's Huda's:
She got the
Heisenberger ($12.90). The meat patty is really juicy, and there's a slight tangy sauce coming through from the tomato slices. The grilled onions give a different texture to your bite because of its crunchiness, as well the turkey bacon slices, and there's blue cheese topping up the creaminess. It might sound really odd but the toasted sesame bun is so crunchy and buttery - it's almost the best part of the meal for me. But in actual fact, the sweet potato fries were the best best! Crunchy on the edges, and the starchy mash part leaves a lingering sweetness in your mouth. I am a huge believer of eating with one's eyes as well, and the deep rich purple colour of the sweet potato is just so inviting!
I got the
Classic Beef Burger ($11.90), which I preferred! Blue cheese is an acquired taste that I have yet to.. acquire. My onions were caramelised, more so than the grilled onions in Huda's burger, so they were incredibly sweet. I'm a huge fan of onions! Further to that, there wasn't a tangy tomato sauce on my burger, hence it was just absolutely meaty and juicy. Really appetite-stimulating.
(also, apologies for that plastic tag thing on my plate. I think I flung it onto my plate from my bag or something *-*)
The portions are quite huge and I couldn't finish some fries and my burger buns. By the time we were done, we were absolutely stuffed. We did sit there for reaalllllly long thou, conversing about everything and anything. So we decided to get coffees after a bit!
Swapped places with her because the glare from the sunlight had become unbearable, and I had sunnies in my possession.
I got the
Classic Cafe Mocha ($5.50). Totally apt for my mood then; needed a pick-me-up yet was still in the mood for some indulgence. The balance scale of chocolate and coffee was tilted toward the chocolate side just ever so slightly - made for a comforting drink. Was really happy with the level of sweetness (just a hint of sugar) and the acidity of the coffee as well!
Huda got this, which was the
Iced Caramel Macchiato ($6). We were both fascinated with the huge syringe - it contained the espresso shot! At the bottom of the glass jar, you see gallons of caramel (I kid). I'm not a fan of things that are too sweet, but Huda definitely has a sweet tooth - she totally perked up and her eyes lit up after drinking this concoction.
Past that moment our conversations became a lot more animated and crazy. The next I need Huda to be alive and enthusiastic, I will inject her with caramel.
We talked about a lot of stuff. In particular I was telling her about some troubles I was having, regarding feeling neglected and sad because of the lack of
care and
concern from someone. This was with respect to relationships, romantic ones, especially. To her, wanting care and concern IS wanting a romantic relationship, whereas to me, it's not about that; wanting care and concern is just something I feel is basic treatment from a friend to another. It was thought provoking because we both have such different views on this matter. But I think we're both reaching our destinations to be fine with
being by ourselves (I wouldn't say her more so than me, but we're getting to the same spot by using different paths). I love this lady incredibly for all her thoughts and insights on everything; conversations with her enrich my soul.
We also spoke about feminism - we always do, I feel, every time we meet, because being women and being daughters are such salient roles we fulfill. Anyway she feels that there should be a wider spectrum of feminisms that people should be aware of and give credit to, and I heartily agree with that. She highlighted the problematic nature of giving authority to men who speak up for women just on the sole basis of them being men, when I brought up the example of Joss Whedon, which was something I hadn't thought about!
Past these we also discussed our aspirations and goals. And fears. "I'm a failure," I moaned, and immediately got scolded by her. "You're only 23. What have you failed at?"
Hehehehe. Such love for this woman.
Finally left the cafe, and because it was I think, about the 5th day it had opened, it was still fairly empty (it was in the afternoon, as well), so we could actually seat our arses there for so long. But I recently returned in the evening for dinner and it was PACKED! So do try to head down in the afternoon if you can, because it has excellent vibes; the cosy layout and rustic decorations make for a very comfortable hangout. The owner also has a spectacular playlist - a mixture of deep house, indie, and electronica - and was kind enough to tell me the name of a track when my Shazam failed me. Most importantly the people are passionate about their food and the passion shines through in their produce. So do head down for a visit if you can! The prices are reasonable as well.
Drains are precarious things
t-shirt dress, feist heist / burgundy round shades, nasty gal / owl socks, asos / boots, doc marts
The cafe's located at 1 Jalan Pisang by the way, near to Arab Street!
The Lab's slogan is
We Experiment, and they do! I follow their account on Instagram, and I see that they make regular changes and tweaks to their menu depending on availability of ingredients and just, experimental tendencies in general!
Ending this post with Hudidoo's signature pose.
Find The Lab on these platforms!
The Lab FB
The Lab Instagram
Address: 1 Jalan Pisang #01-01 S 199069
Telephone: 6299 5681
Mon-Sat: 12-10pm
Sun: 1-9pm
(Last order 45mins before closing)
They only accept Cash & Nets as of now!
Have a nice Sunday evening, y'all.
Love,
Pamela
Labels: Bugis, cafe culture, Cafe Hoppin, conversations, discussions over food, Food Entries, Halal Cafe, happy days, Hayden, sg cafe, The Lab SG
