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 .