Special thanks to The Bee for extending this food review invitation.
Located at the eastern end of Publika Shopping Gallery, The Bee is a Western fusion-style restaurant and bar.
The dining section of this restaurant is designed with comfort and ambience in mind. A bar provides a convenient place for customers to enjoy drinks in a relaxed manner.
In addition to proper dining tables, there are also several cozy couches and coffee tables for casual diners to hang out and mingle.
As for guests who prefer natural breeze, outdoor seating is also available. I think outdoor dining is more viable at night in view of the hot daytime weather.
The Bee is operated by the same team as Plates and Inch in George Town, Penang. The Bee also has another outlet at Jaya One, Petaling Jaya. The Jaya One outlet is the original store but is smaller in size than this one in Publika.
For appetizers, Nachos (RM19.00) is a popular choice for sharing around the table. Multiple layers of crispy corn tortilla are held together with melted cheese and spicy jalapeño peppers. On top are pico de gallo (chopped tomato salad), sour cream and guacamole. Made from avocado and salt, I love the cooling and creamy sensation of fresh guacamole. This appetizer is best enjoyed when hot. Otherwise, the cheese sets in and tortilla chips become glued together.
Kimchi Fries (RM18.00) is a recent addition to the new food menu. This snack is the result of an assimilation between the iconic Korean ingredient and the all-American French fries. Mild sourness of kimchi-flavored cheese sauce helps to enhance the appeal of shoestring fries.
Kimchi Fries is worth trying if you are the adventurous type. The portion is quite large, so it is best enjoyed around the table of three or more persons.
Moving on to proper meals, the Spicy Chicken Burger (RM25.00) comes with cream cheese and a generous serving of either French fries or sweet potato fries.
Sandwiched between two pieces of brioche bun is a thick, succulent piece of chicken thigh. Also included are delectable turkey bacon, gherkin (pickled cucumber) and Monterey Jack cheese. This burger is supposed to be spicy, but this attribute is unnoticeable to me.
Sweet potato fries is a good choice for a change. The fries are not burnt; it is normal that they are darker than regular French fries.
From the pasta menu, the recommended choice is Cili Padi Aglio Olio (RM16.00). This fusion dish is inspired by crossing the signature Italian pasta with local bird’s eye chili. The spaghetti is cooked al dente with olive oil, but I am glad that it is not excessively oily. Much to my delight, this dish includes over a dozen large shrimps, plump and succulent.
Moving on to fajitas, Stir-Fried Beef (RM36.00) is glazed with the kitchen’s very own teriyaki sauce and served on a sizzling hot plate. Keeping the striploin beef company is copious amount of shoestring fries. The use of fries with beef looks awkward; personally I prefer bell peppers instead. However, I understand that serving fries in this manner is a norm in Tex-Mex cuisine. Other ingredients in this fajita dish are flour tortilla, fresh tomato, onion and chives.
As for salads, one of the crowd favorites is the Tex-Mex Beef Salad (RM24.00). Fresh lettuce is tossed with a generous helping of Australian rib-eye beef. Corn tortilla, sweet corn and a drizzle of chili lime dressing are used to enhance the flavor even further.
I seldom associate beef with salad, but The Bee shows how gracefully this assimilation can be done. In particular, I enjoy the toasty savoriness of roasted beef with slight pink in the middle.
It has been quite some time ago since I last enjoyed Churros (RM9.00), but this Spanish street snack never fails to delight me. Flour dough is piped from a churrera (springe with star-shaped nozzle), producing long pieces of dough with spiral ridged edges. Dough is fried in hot oil very briefly so that the external layer becomes crispy while the inside remains soft. Nutella and caramel are provided as dipping sauce.
The Bee employs a professional pastry chef to handle the cakes section of the restaurant. The cakes are wildly popular and are often sold out within the day. Therefore, cake choices may be limited in the late evening. The Bee also allows customers to place orders for whole cakes, but 2-day advance notice is highly recommended for such orders.
One of The Bee’s bestselling cakes is the Oreo Cheese Cake (RM14.00). Supported by cookie crumb base, the creamy cheese layer is intermittently punctuated by crushed Oreo chips. Finally, the cheesecake is topped an all-time favorite Oreo cookie.
The Coconut & Pandan Layered Cake (RM14.00) is a more localized cake, with custard-like texture similar to Malay pandan kuih. Pandan-flavored custard is interleaved with thin layers of sponge cake, giving layered appearance to the slice. Grated coconut kernel is showered on top as the finishing touch.
The Bee’s coffee beans are supplied by Papa Palheta, an established brand in Singapore. Our choices today are Cappuccino (RM12.00) and Latte (RM12.00). Each cup comes a piece of biscotti cookie. As I have expected, the coffee is smooth and very pleasant with every sip.
There is a small stage for live music every Saturday evenings. On occasion, internationally renowned artists also perform at The Bee as part as their tour route. During such special events, the indoor section of the restaurant is converted to a mini standing concert. Regardless, the outdoor section remains open to cater to regular dine-in customers.
In my opinion, The Bee is has a number of commendable dishes, particularly due to the kitchen’s boldness in assimilating Western-style food with a twist of local ingredients. Food quality, as far as I can tell, is top notch. Considering the food, ambience, waiting service and overall dining experience, I think the pricing at The Bee is very reasonable in comparison to other restaurants in Publika.
Name: The Bee
Address: C5-G2-36B, Publika Shopping Gallery, Jalan Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 9:00am-12:00am (Monday-Friday), 10:30am-1:00am (Saturday-Sunday)
Business hours: 03-6201-8577
Website: http://thebee.com.my
Coordinates: 3.17117 N, 101.66763 E
Directions: Driving southbound on Jalan Duta, take the left exit for “Kompleks Kerajaan” (Government Complex). Turn right at the traffic lights under the overpass, then take the next left turn at the next set of traffic lights. You will see Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan (Federal Territory Mosque) on the right. Turn right at the T-junction at the end of the road. At the next intersection, turn right and then enter Publika’s parking garage on the left. The Bee is located at Level G2, at the easternmost end of the mall.