Bee Thai Kitchen — Restaurant in Asheville

A Mixed Bag of Flavors: My Recent Experience at Bee Thai Kitchen

If you're looking for a place that does some dishes really well but falls short on others, this might just be the spot for you. Here’s a breakdown of my experience:

The Positives:

Let’s start on a high note. Whoever crafted the Ice Thai Tea and Coffee at this place deserves a round of applause. It was beautifully done, and honestly, it might be one of the best versions I’ve had so far. Smooth, flavorful, and just the right balance of sweetness. Please, for the love of all things caffeinated and delicious, don’t change this recipe!

The Gyoza and Crab Rangoon appetizers were another win. The gyoza were fried to perfection: thin, crispy, and grease-free. The Crab Rangoon, while not exactly brimming with crab, had a delicate, crunchy exterior with just enough cream cheese filling to make it a decent bite. I wouldn't mind ordering these again.

The Mixed Feelings:

Now, for the Drunken Noodles. My guest ordered this dish, and while the presentation was fine, the flavor was missing the heat that they were looking for.

The Negatives:

As for the Appetizers, the gyoza and crab rangoon were letdowns in terms of flavor. While they were fried beautifully—crispy with no grease—the chicken gyoza was more about cabbage than chicken. The flavor was pretty lackluster, and there was nothing to excite the taste buds. As for the crab rangoon, well, it was a very generous thimble of cream cheese, with just the faintest whisper of crab. Honestly, I’m not sure the crab even made it to the filling—maybe its essence was caught in a breeze somewhere?

Moving on to the Main Dish: I had the Pad Thai, and, well, what can I say? It wasn’t great. It looked pretty on the plate, but the flavor was just sweet. That’s it—sweet and not much else. I kept wondering if I had accidentally ordered a dessert. The beef was tough, bland, and overcooked. It was one of those moments when you find a forgotten piece of meat in your fridge, take a sniff, and think, "Hmm, it still smells fine." Sadly, it was just as unseasoned as it was unappetizing. No salt, no pepper, just... sad beef chunks that really needed some help.

Notes for Future Guests:

A couple of things to keep in mind before you head over. First, seating is a bit of a scramble. There are only a few tables, so be prepared for a bit of a frenzy to grab one before someone else does. Also, if you're hoping for a quiet, intimate meal, think again. The seating is very close together, and you’ll likely be elbow-to-elbow with the next table. If you’re sitting near the window, be ready for some disruption from the line of people waiting to order—they’ll be bumping into your table constantly.

Lastly, if you’re someone with accessibility needs, this place might not be the best option. It’s not wheelchair friendly, and even those with a walker will have a hard time navigating the tight spaces without bumping into someone or something.

Final Thoughts:

This place definitely has potential, but it feels like a hit-or-miss experience. While some dishes really shine (like the Ice Thai Tea and Coffee), others miss the mark, leaving me to wonder if they could use a little more consistency in the kitchen. If you’re nearby and craving some decent appetizers or a refreshing drink, it might be worth a visit. But, if you’re after a full, satisfying meal with depth and seasoning, you might want to consider...

Went for the first time last Saturday after hearing several good recommendations from colleagues, which seemed promising. The weather was especially beautiful that night and the patio and dining room were already full by 6:30 - this too seemed promising. So, I made my way up to the counter and ordered 2 sets of spring rolls, 1 pad Thai, and 1 red curry. It was a little bit more expensive than what I am accustomed to paying for the same items elsewhere, but I don't mind paying more if it's for quality. My order was ready in 20 minutes and I quickly made my way home to eat dinner with my wife.

First, the spring rolls were pretty good - nothing special, but nothing bad either. Second, the pad Thai was for my wife and I tasted it to see how it was and it was very good. The noodles and the sauce were not too heavy and the flavor was delicate, but tasty. Finally, the red curry. Let me preface this by saying that pad Thai is not my favorite dish, but luckily for me I really did like it because the red curry was TERRIBLE! My wife was kind enough to split her pad Thai with me so that I could have some semblance of a dinner for myself. Little Bee Thai's red curry was the single saltiest dish I have ever had in my entire life. It was like a salt mine. So salty, in fact, that I could not eat more than a couple of bites of it. I've eaten at countless Thai restaurants all over the country and abroad and have quite a bit of experience with these dishes. I've also worked in the restaurant industry as a general manager so I wanted to at least give the restaurant a heads up and the opportunity to make things right before writing a bad review. Now, more than ever, restaurants live and die by online reviews. I wrote the restaurant an email that night about my unfortunate experience. Well, a whole week has gone by without any response. Now, my review gets posted to warn any other foodies... while it looks quaint and inviting and maybe even kinda hip, it is all just aesthetics. I can forgive many things, but at the end of the day if the food isn't there and management doesn't care, then you will never get my...

I'm a relatively new patron of this charming lil' restaurant, having ordered take-out 3x so far. My only regret? That I didn't check it out sooner! =D

I found their website super easy to navigate and their restaurant warm, cozy and welcoming.

Order1 was Pad Thai w/shrimp - '"less spicy, extra shrimp" = absolutely delicious! FULL of flavor, shrimp cooked to perfection (in proper C-shape, nice crunch into shrimp sweetness!) and just enough of a lil' spicy kick for me. I will get at least 3 meals out of this bec the portions are generous and I don't usually eat a lot per meal.

Order2 was same as above, plus spring rolls. This time my Pad Thai was way too hot for me; my palate got fried and tears streamed down my face. Yikes. =O (We all make mistakes.) Their spring rolls I found scrumptious, fresh, delicious as was the sauce for them.

Order3 same as above EXCEPT this time, I ordered "not spicy" or "no spice". Man, over THE top DELICIOUS! All of it!!! My palate savored every moment of all those yummy flavors.

I find their portions most generous, the food both filling and fresh and I could not be a bigger, new fan! I will be sure to try different dishes they offer but it will be hard to deviate! Bee Thai Kitchen rocks this dish and the spring rolls as well.

Finally, the container the Pad Thai comes in for take-out is wonderful as well. It is sturdy, both microwavable and dishwasher safe so it's a keeper.

~Thanks Pad Thai and thanks also for the welcoming and...