Beca Tea x Terra Dining – Zero-proof Botanical Pairing

Beca Tea x Terra Dining – Zero-proof Botanical Pairing

Words: Carol Chin & Monica Tindall
Photos: Monica Tindall

You’ll often find The Yum List at wine-paired dinners, but a zero-proof pairing is not usually our thing. However, we know and trust the team at Terra Dining, so when they presented the idea of a tea pairing with local boutique producer Beca Tea, we had confidence that we would not be led astray.

The First Movement x Zero-Proof Botanical Pairing Review — Terra Dining

Terra Dining

Terra Dining, helmed by the self-taught chef-owner Chong Yu Cheng (YC), showcases Malaysian flavours through a distinctive lens. YC’s mission is to redefine Malaysian cuisine with bold innovation, and he does precisely that with a refreshing dining experience, combining tradition with a contemporary twist. Everything runs so smoothly in this kitchen that it reminds us of the comedy horror movie The Menu, starring Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy. The kitchen is spotless, and the team work their magic, moving like clockwork in the open space – only here we know we won’t be the main meal. The service is superb.

Beca Tea

Beca Tea, established by the fourth and fifth generations of a historic Kuala Lumpur tea family—PC Koh, Joshua Ong, and Wong Rin Rin—brings a fresh and lively tea experience. They emphasise natural infusions, real fruit, and botanicals, steering clear of refined sugar, artificial syrups, preservatives, and colouring. Beca Tea appeals to those desiring a healthier beverage option and we soon find out that it’s also an excellent alternative to wine for anyone trying to cut back yet still wanting the feeling of indulgence.

The First Movement – Zero-Proof Botanical Pairing

The First Movement Menu is priced at RM398+ with options to top up with foie gras for an additional RM100+ and a pureblood wagyu course for RM200+ more. The Beca Tea Zero-proof Botanical Pairing is an additional RM228+.

Beca Tea x Terra Dining — Key Local Ingredients Are Presented at the Start of the Meal

First Pairing

Elegance and meticulous attention to detail are evident in the first appetiser trio. Blini topped with smoked eel serunding mousse is tasty and lux with an amur caviar topping. The Fried Mochi has an awesome chewy middle with a paper-thin coat and is accompanied by shiitake, tofu, and “duckkwa” (their pork-free version of bakkwa). The Salted Egg Mung Bean Curry gives a nod to local Indian flavours alongside onion jam and cauliflower in a light poppadom casing. The tea pairing of chrysanthemum buds infusion with rambutan and white ginger lily comes with a showing of the white ginger lily petals. These delicate blooms are highly valued in alternative medicine with claims of generating feelings of peaceful happiness.

Beca Tea x Terra Dining Chrysanthemum Buds infusion, Rambutan, White Ginger Lily — Beca Tea x Terra Dining – Chrysanthemum Buds infusion, Rambutan, White Ginger Lily

Second Pairing

The first pairing reached every corner of our palates, and the second wows us with the complexity of flavours in each dish. The first, a delicate take on rasam, is possibly the prettiness soup we’ve come across. Tri-colour heirloom tomatoes sit in a clean but intensely flavoured tomato water ringed by rasam oil upon serving. Nasturtium leaves and tiny edible blooms add garden greens to the top.

The First Movement x Zero-Proof Botanical Pairing Review Rasam — Rasam

The Slipper Lobster is another good-looking and good-tasting recipe. Soft, sweet lobster flesh is surrounded by the most delicious asam laksa bisque and dotted with tahai (smoked fish) oil. It’s paired with Amber No. 4 oolong cold brew that’s given fresh herbal notes thanks to daun kesum (laksa leaves) and an addictive zing from passion fruit.

Beca Tea x Terra Dining Slipper Lobster — Slipper Lobster

Beca Tea x Terra Dining Third Pairing

We never find out what the Mystery Fish is in the third pairing, but all agree that we’d have more of it, even if we do not know its name. Masak lemak (a local yellow curry) lifts French beurre blanc to new heights. Married with pandan and soft chayote leaves, it’s a scrumptious dish. The disgruntled few naysayers claiming to dislike fusion food have not yet tasted the creations of YC – we’re positive he’d make them all instant converts with just a teaspoon of this sauce. Goddess No. 2 lives up to its name, sitting pretty in an elegant glass and dotted with pandan oil as it’s delivered. Tieguanyin cold brew, passiflora henryi Hemsl bark, mangosteen and bilimbi create an elegant and fruity liquid mate.

Beca Tea x Terra Dining Mystery Fish — Mystery Fish

The First Movement x Zero-Proof Botanical Pairing Review Goddess No. 2 Tieguanyin Cold Brew, infused with Passiflora Henryi Hemsl Bark, Mangosteen, Belimbing — Goddess No. 2 Tieguanyin Cold Brew, infused with Passiflora Henryi Hemsl Bark, Mangosteen, Belimbing

Bread Course

The bread is so good at Terra Dining that it deserves its own course. A cross between roti canai and sourdough, it’s a slightly risen flatbread with a delightful mild chew. It’s good on its own, but the asam pedas butter is an irresistible partner, especially when spread while the bread is still warm, causing it to melt seductively into the surface.

Main Pairings

Guests are given a choice of duck or beef for the main course. We enjoy both equally, so we highly recommend dining with a friend who likes to share, as you’ll want to try both. The Duck Breast in Teochew duck-braise jus came with duck liver ngo hiang (a sausage-like roll) and spring onions. The duck meat was lightly sprinkled with five-spice powder, just enough to complement but not overwhelm the flavours. We’d like to know the chef’s secret to creating such brittle skin and a tender middle. You can also opt to add on a piece of foie gras if that takes your fancy.

Beca Tea x Terra Dining Duck Breast — Duck Breast

Beca Tea Zero-Proof Botanical Pairing – Tuxedo No. 5 Black Tea Cold Brew, Variegated Tiger’s Ear, Kumquat

Two thick slices of Pureblood Wagyu (add RM200+) lay across the plate in the beef course, succulently pink in the middle and charred on the edge. As you’d expect from this cut, we could have sliced them with a butter knife, and they would melt instantly in our mouths. Rendang beef cheek and Thai basil palak round out the plate, and once more, YC shows off his saucier skills with another incredibly delicious liquid poured tableside. Flavour intensities pick up in the Tuxedo No. 5 pairing with black tea cold brew, mulberry and sambung nyawa batik mirroring the tannins you might find in red wine. The local plant infusion is reputed to reduce inflammation. It’s a well-chosen mate.

Beca Tea x Terra Dining - Pureblood Wagyu — Pureblood Wagyu

Beca Tea x Terra Dining Tuxedo No. 5 — Tuxedo No. 5 Black Tea Cold Brew, Mulberry, Sambung Nyawa Batik

Beca Tea x Terra Dining Dessert Pairing

Before we arrive at dessert, Guava and Kedondong Sorbet with Sour Plum cleans our palates. We appreciate its refreshing and cleansing properties, reawakening our palates for a sweet finish.

Beca Tea x Terra Dining - Guava and Kedondong Sorbet with Sour Plum — Beca Tea x Terra Dining – Guava and Kedondong Sorbet with Sour Plum

Our dessert, Kuih Bahulu, is a surprising combo. Pineapple and ginger provide an attractive, sharp flavour contrast to the Beras Rumie (heirloom black rice) ice cream, but it’s the cencaluk caramel that dazzles us the most. The fermented fish caramel (cencaluk) balances sweet and savoury (think salted caramel) without being over-powering in taste. Our liquid mate, Cacao Husk, infused in coconut water, brought further dessert elements to the table, such as figs, sea coconut jam, balsamic vinegar, and honey reduction.

Petit Four

Determined to leave on an unforgettable note, the Terra Dining team presents a tray of innovative petit fours: pandan sponge with caramelised banana; white corn and sablé Breton with century egg; snow skin ang ku with a fantastic cashew “char siu” praline and beetroot; and lastly, deep, rich Malaysian chocolate with cacao nibs.