Chong says the collaboration marks the start of a long-term partnership. — Photos: Terra Dining
Just over a decade ago, fine-dining restaurants all over the world regularly sourced wines from top producers across the globe. These intoxicants were paired with intricately prepared meals and were designed to lubricate diners and accentuate the highlights and qualities of each course. Some-times, a cocktail pairing was also on the cards.
But as time progressed, so too the restaurants. First there were campaigns like Dry January, launched in Britain in 2013, which espoused the virtues of not drinking any alcohol. Then restaurants like trail-blazing chef Renee Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark began crafting juice pairings to go with its celebrated menu.
Eventually there was a trickle-down effect and these days, most top-end restaurants offer non-alcoholic pairing options. Sometimes these drinks are crafted in-house and while other times new partnerships are forged to create beverages that meld well with meals.
The first tea pairing is the chrysanthemum buds infusion with rambutan and yuzu.
This is exactly what happened when Chong Yu Cheng, the chef-owner of contemporary Malaysian casual fine-dining restaurant Terra Dining in Kuala Lumpur decided to form an alliance with Beca Tea, a modern tea house in Petaling Jaya whose roots date back over 100 years.
“Restaurants in Malaysia are starting to embrace non-alcoholic pairings but for us, it’s kind of difficult because we are limited in space and manpower. My connection with Beca Tea’s owners goes way back to when I worked at a political party many years ago and met Joshua Ong, who is the fifth generation in the family business.
“We met with the family – they came for dinner and we talked them through what we do. And then we started working together... and we work together amazingly well! And I think this is unprecedented – it’s the first time that a collaboration like this has taken place,” Chong shares.
Chong says this novel collaboration is only the beginning – both he and Beca Tea’s founders intend to keep the momentum going and turn this into a long-term affiliation.
The tilapia with masak lemak beurre blanc offers a hint of familiarity juxtaposed against a whole new configuration. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
“When we were discussing how to split the profits, my business partner and I were arguing that we needed to give them (Beca Tea) more, and then they were like ‘No, no, no, we want to take less’. So both of us were negotiating against our own interests. That’s really when I knew this was a relationship that will keep going on,” says Chong, laughing at the recollection.
The new Terra Dining x Beca Tea Zero Proof Botanical Pairing is priced at RM596++ and showcases the strengths of both parties. Also, all the teas and tisanes crafted for the menu are exclusive to the restaurant, which means you won’t be able to find them anywhere else.
Highlights from the menu include the trio of snacks that start off the meal. Get your hands on the blini with smoked eel serunding mousse and Amur caviar (sourced from Singapore). The local conger eel has been smoked over rambutan wood and turned into a mousse, alongside fenugreek and shallots.
The overall meal is sublime – combining the soft doughy blini alongside the more covert qualities of the eel and the opulence of the caviar in what proves to be a resounding success.
The next snack is a fried mochi with shiitake, tofu and “duck-kwa” (the restaurant’s homemade bakkwa made using duck legs). Chong explains that this is a take on the classic loh mah kai (glutinous rice with chicken). Although the two bear no resemblance to each other – this is still amazing. The mochi is chewy with a pull-push mouthfeel and this is elevated by the rusticity of the mushrooms and the underrated qualities of the duck.
The Amber No. 4 Oolong cold brew is paired with the slipper lobster and offers a tannic underbelly that proves to be a worthy companion to the aquatic elements in the dish. — Terra Dining
The salted egg mung bean with curry, onion jam, cauliflower and poppadom is meant to encapsulate the flavours of a Malaysian Indian banana leaf rice meal in a mouthful and it delivers, not quite the same experience but something with a soulful note. This is essentially a clever use of local favourites.
To tie this all together, the Beca Tea pairing is a Chrysanthemum, Rambutan, Yuzu and White Ginger Lily offering topped with coriander oil. It’s a light, effervescent opener that washes the palate clean and infuses it with the herbaceous notes of coriander, rendering a light yet unforgettable start to the meal.
Another show-stopper on the meal front is the Slipper Lobster with Asam Laksa Bisque and Tahai Oil. Tahai is a kind of fish from Sarawak that is smoked with mango and this is paired with lobster that has been brushed with French cultured butter and then charcoal grilled. The lobster bisque is a homemade concoction fashioned out of cream, ming prawns and lobster shells.
This is a really lovely meal that shows how modern Malaysian cuisine can catapult local ingredients and flavours to glory without stealing attention away from any component. The lobster is fat and fluffy and countenanced by the bisque, which is redolent of aquatic flavours, while the tahai oil poured atop adds smoky, fishy nuances to the meal.
The slipper lobster dish offers fat, fluffy lobster meat against a ridiculously delicious laksa bisque. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
It’s a very cosmopolitan dish that Chong has clearly put plenty of thought into.
The drinks pairing is just as judiciously thought out and features Amber No. 4 Oolong with Passionfruit, Pineapple and Daun Kesum. The highlight here is the oolong which dispenses strong, pronounced tea notes throughout the drink, which are then jazzed up and sliced through by the fruitiness of the passionfruit while the kaffir lime leaf adds a green freshness to the drink.
Then there is the Tilapia with Masak Lemak Beurre Blanc, Pandan and Chayote Leaves. This is paired with Beca Tea’s Goddess No 2 Tiguanyin, Mangosteen, Belimbing and Thai Holy Basil.
Although all the other pairings are good in their own right, this is the Michael Phelps equivalent of the collaboration – basically an unstoppable juggernaut that beats all the other competitors out of the water.
The fish has been charcoal-grilled and laced with a masak lemak beurre blanc that is crafted out of lemongrass, galangal, ginger, garlic and coconut cream with French cultured butter and tamarind added to the mix. It’s wondrously good – rich but not overwhelming with a sense of nostalgia laced throughout.
The superstar tea offering of the meal is the Goddess No. 2 Tiguanyin with mangosteen and belimbing, which proves to be a floral wonder that entrances from the very first sip. — Terra Dining
The tea pairing meanwhile is sublime – floral with the fruity freshness and sweetness of starfruit and the tea flavours almost laying an overcoat over these key pillars. It’s strategically clever and delivers pure euphoria on every count.
For mains, you could opt to have the Pureblood Wagyu with Rendang Beef Cheek and Thai Basil Palak (RM200 top-up).
Pureblood wagyu is cattle that contains more than 93.75% Japanese wagyu DNA. In this instance, the beef is actually 96% Japanese wagyu DNA and to preserve the natural flavours of the meat, it is simply seasoned and cooked over charcoal.
The meal is further layered with a beef cheek rendang, which is beef pressure-cooked in rendang sauce, breaded, and then fried in beef fat.
This is a meal that highlights both natural beauty in the form of the purity of the pureblood wagyu – which is oh-so tender and succulent – as well as the bounty of local flavours, as expressed through the beef cheek rendang, which shows off a popular Malaysian favourite with quiet grace and aptitude.
The pureblood wagyu is fantastic from start to finish.
The meal is paired with a Tuxedo No 5 Black Tea Cold Brew with Roselle, Asam Gelugor and Sambung Nyawa Batik (a plant with leaves that have intricate designs, similar to batik).
The drink is sweet and slightly floral with an almost velvety overlay to it and a slight tanginess from the asam gelugor. It is also the perfect compatriot for the beef as it sluices through all the meaty overtures and refreshes the palate instantly.
It is clear that the Terra Dining-Beca Tea partnership is solidified out of a passion for putting each entity’s best food – and foot – forward.
As Chong has indicated, this is only the start and this new menu heralds a laudable chapter in the annals of non-alcoholic pairings in the local restaurant realm. It is also very likely to spur the advent of copycat models – because it has done the seemingly impossible: turned tea into something that closely resembles a sex symbol.
Terra Dining
91, Jalan Aminuddin Baki
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 011-7072 7777
Open Wednesday to Sunday: 6pm to 11pm
