Dinner @ Bug and Bee

想不到這家叫Bug and Bee的餐廳是在泰國有名的連鎖餐廳，主打新派fusion泰國菜式。在香港新開張的分店位於銅鑼灣，裝潢以蜂巢和泰國民族圖案為主，很有泰國街頭色彩。雖然人流不多，但是店裡桌椅放得頗亂，讓人感覺很擠逼。餐廳的菜式很創新特別，如Peachy Massaman Curry Ox Tail (with rice) ($88) 和 Mango Chicken Kiev ($62) 都製作用心，把不同的水果跟肉類揉合得驚喜無窮，一試難忘。服務態度友善，可是食物稍嫌不夠熱，且價格有點貴，晚餐大概每人＄200 到＄250。

With a name like Bug and Bee, the restaurant is memorable by default but never in a million years would we expect it to be a Thai restaurant, so it was certainly more surprising for us when we realized that it is actually a well known chain in Bangkok serving some interesting and creative Thai fusion dishes.  Foodie who loves Thai restaurants like Mango Tree and Greyhound Cafe may now flock to this cute Thai restaurant recently opened near our place.   As lovers of Thai food, we decided to go there for dinner on a slow Sunday evening because you know, we wanted to take a (small) break from our usuals and try something new. 

Bug and Bee is located right next to the extremely popular ramen place in Causeway Bay.  A 2-storey place with a yellow neon sign and large windows making it look like a giant beehive.  When we arrived at 6 p.m., the place was practically empty and we were allowed to choose our own seats, but the chairs and tables were placed in such a disorganized fashion that made the place seem a bit messy and cramped.  Once we opened the menu, we were completely amazed by the variety of appealing and original dishes and D was having a difficult time because there were just so many dishes we wanted to try.  Dinner was priced at around $200 to $250 per person. 

(1) Tom Yum Kung Soup ($88) is always a must for our Thai meals! The soup boasted a spicy but attractive flavours.  We loved the variety of textures and seafood ingredients to the soup.  But we just wished the soup could be warmer because the soup was simply not hot enough and this reduced the overall flavour of the soup! 

(2) There were several things to praise for the Peachy Massaman Curry Ox Tail (with rice) ($88)!  First, the curry was rich and indulgent and definitely spicy enough!  The ox tail on the other hand was incredibly soft and juicy, even though some of them had too much bone for C's liking.  The accompanying peach was fresh and sweet.  The different layers of the flavours for this dish really captivated us! 

(3) This Mango Chicken Kiev ($62) took a while to arrive, but it was certainly worth the wait! As if chicken wasn't good enough, the innovative twist they took was to fill alluringly tender and succulent chicken breasts with fresh mangoes and this dish was amazing beyond our imaginations! 

(4) The Tom Yum Seafood Fried Rice ($108) had a generous portion of different kinds of seafood including prawns and mussels but the flavouring could have been stronger.  We also thought we made a mistake ordering this dish right after we had the Tom Yum Kung Soup. 

(5) The Green Tea Tiramisu Crêpe Cake ($45) was an interesting cake sandwiched between sheets of crêpe separating each layer, creating a dazzling overall sensation.  But D noted that the cake was less impressive and sweet than he had expected. 

Overall remarks:  The dishes at Bug and Bee were far better than it was given credit for and they captured perfectly the variable nature of Thai cuisine when you're getting tired of the been-there, eaten-that typical Thai dishes.  But the restaurant needs more "buzz" given the expensive price tags and we wished many of the dishes could be warmer and bigger in portion.  This place doesn't appear to be popular, and that disappoints us because we really wanted to come back again.


Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

INFO

Bug and Bee
456 Jaffe Road,Causeway Bay 銅鑼灣謝斐道456號
Telephone: 3460 4900