There are a few things I like about The Bee in Publika. The interior, the coffee counter, and mostly because they just started serving Papa Palheta coffee. I knew about Papa Palheta when Jeen took me around Singapore and enjoyed the coffee experience there. So when I found out Papa’s is available at The Bee, I wasted no time.
Coffee/Bar Counter
Pour-over
Ben and I chose to sit at the coffee counter to watch as the barista prepared our coffees. From water temperature, weight of the beans to the type of grind, everything has to be taken into account for a good cup of coffee. Since I had Ethiopian and Columbian coffee at Papa’s in Singapore, I tried the Guatemalan pour-over (RM10) instead.
Freshly ground beans
Water at the right temperature
Guatemalan Coffee
It’s best to leave the coffee to cool for a minute or so, to allow the flavours to develop. I smelt laces of floral elements when I took a whiff. It was full bodied with a crisp and pronounced acidity. As it cooled further, the floral elements of the coffee stood out more. Perfect for a chilled out weekend.
Espresso
Ben ordered an espresso made with Costa Rican beans from Sensory Lab– bold and smooth with a strong acidity. Levi the barista also made me a latte, which was one of the better ones I’ve had in KL. The latte – which came in a rosette latte art – had a nicely frothy top and a strong coffee presence. Most places in KL serve latte with too much milk.
Latte
Then there are two things I don’t like about The Bee – food and service.
While the coffees were pretty good, I was very disappointed with the food and service (not including the baristas, who were efficient and friendly). The Bee’s Fettuccini Carbonara (RM18.50) comprised fettuccine pasta tossed with bacon, onions, Parmesan cheese and egg yolks. Average at best, I found the carbonara gravy bland and the bacon was hardly flavourful. Also, the fettuccine was overcooked.
Fettuccine Carbonara
Chili Prawn Pasta
The Chili Prawn Pasta (RM19.50) was slightly better than the carbonara, but I still didn’t find it tasty. Like the fettuccine, the spaghetti – tossed with bird’s eye chili, parsley and white wine – was overcooked and the prawns were not fresh. Not something I would order again.
While every restaurant deserves a second chance, the service at The Bee killed any second chance it deserved. No water was served despite numerous reminders and it wasn’t as though we didn’t order a drink – we had three coffees. Also, the staff didn’t bother giving us serviettes even after being reminded several times. It was as though they didn’t give a damn about working there.
I would come here just for coffee, but won’t bother wasting money and calories on the food (and service).
Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 3/10 (pork free)
Coffee: 7.5/10
Verdict: Come for the coffee, skip the food.
36B, Level G2, Publika,
Solaris Dutamas
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 016 673 6142
Website: https://thebee.com.my/
24 comments
I remember that Sensory Lab’s S1 blend goes exceptionally well with milk – see if they carry it
I think they do. Will go check it out. 🙂
wow coffee beans from sensory lab, sounds like they want to really win over a group of australian coffee drinkers? quite a number of good cafes uses their beans.
pity about the bad food and service.
Yeah, I quite like Sensory Lab. Am not going to eat anything there, but coffee, definitely!
Haha…the pastas from S.Wine are way better than this…portion-wise n taste-wise =)
I’m sure! First and last time thing.
I also adore the interior there (ONLY?) 😛
Hahaha! The coffee is good la… 😉
Looks like I have a new place to give the coffee a whirl.
I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy the coffee here!
ooo, i remember drinking some costa rican single-origin coffee this year, and though i liked it, i couldn’t really appreciate it … and i wouldn’t have known how to describe it 😀
I learnt it from Jeen. She’s the coffee expert. 😀
Sensory Lab! That’s located in Melbourne CBD!
Lucky you!
Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Perfect for anytime except before sleeping hours:P
I can actually drink coffee and still sleep. Immune to it already. 😛
LOL your food pics made my mouth water. Then you say they are not so nice ;P
Good lighting. So pictures turned out nicer. But don’t bother eating there la.
The food is really bad and agreed with your feedback.
For coffee, my friend was a ex-barista there. He told me the coffee they using is very cheap than coffex beans. The foam lost out totally. By the way, strong bitter coffee taste doesn’t mean is good coffee quality. You are just drinking more burnt beans (chao tar).
Love your pictures a lot.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I haven’t tried their bad coffee…because I asked for the Papa Palheta coffee so it’s pretty good. Hopefully, the coffee stays that way. Otherwise, I don’t see why people would want to go there.
Hi..
I guess , that The Bee hired a new chef. you should go and try…
Come and back and do another review =p me and miguel will be ur personal waiters/barista/chef hehehe . nice seeing u again on sat =)
Lol. Ok la…I’ll go when you’re around. Good seeing you too! 🙂
hey babe, went there. unfortunately, they dont serve pastas for dinner options. i was craving for carbonara so head over to Ben’s in Publika. Spaghetti portion may be big but taste- wise, quite bland. Dont think I will return to Ben’s. Not only that, they have some very aloof staffs, not properly trained & well groomed.