Terra Dining and Beca Tea’s collaborative menu offers a refreshing take on modern Malaysian fare

Blink and you might miss it. Hidden in plain sight, Terra Dining is marked only by its large wooden door and subtle ‘T’ logo embossed into a nondescript beige wall. Led by chef patron Chong Yu Cheng—or YC for short—the restaurant is on what it calls the “pursuit of homegrown joy”. Taking produce and inspiration from all over the country, Terra Dining is an elegant celebration of what our land has to offer.  

Chong is honest about his lack of formal training but even more honest about his love for finding the right ingredients and doing them justice. His thoughtful nature is evident in his menu, giving diners a heartfelt look into his talent and knowledge. Bringing things to the next level is a delightful pairing with not wine, not champagne, but tea-based drinks, courtesy of local artisans Beca Tea. Ahead, you’ll find our thoughts on the botanical pairing menu.

STARTING BITES

Once we stepped into the restaurant, we found ourselves in an inviting lounge that seemed to shut out the outside world. Instead of heading straight into the dining room, we were shown to our table in the lounge itself. As we were waiting for the first of our bites to arrive, we couldn’t help but admire the interiors of the space—clean, warm, and wood-focused. Within a few minutes, the trio of bites arrived alongside the first of our tea pairings. 

We first tucked into a blini, topped with local pipe conger eel blended with coconut cream and Amur caviar. The blini itself, being made with a combination of galangal, lemongrass, and chilli butter—offered a lovely subtle aroma that sang through each bite. Our second bite starred a tofu-based mixture of “duck-kwa”, shiitake mushrooms, and jicama cubes atop a crispy glutinous rice dish. A modern take on lo mai gai, the dish was a party of textures, paired with a sense of flavourful familiarity. 

Last on our starters list was a papadum tartlet with an aromatic salted duck egg mousse filling. Rich yet delicately balanced, the bite was a fragrant reminder of the banana leaf meals we all can’t resist. To wash down our bites, we enjoyed a refreshing chrysanthemum tea combined with flavours of rambutan and yuzu. A delicate blend of floral, acidic, and fruity notes, the light tea drink was a pleasant accompaniment for the more decadent bites. 

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES & RASAM

Once we were done with our starting bites, we adjourned to the main dining room with chef YC leading the way. Before we got to our seats, however, we stopped by an intriguing display of ingredients that have made it to the Terra Dining menu, even down to the spices. We’re talking slipper lobsters, Langit rice, star anise, and even bunga kantan. After a quick introduction from the chef himself, we made it to our seats, where we were served a light and tangy heirloom tomato water. Despite its tame appearance, the clarified liquid packed a punch in the most tasteful way possible. Rounding off the dish were a few drops of rasam oil, a combination of fenugreek, cumin, mustard, black pepper, curry leaf, dry chilli, and coriander that brought the entire dish together. 

SLIPPER LOBSTER

Following the tangy tomatoes, we move on to one of my favourites of the night: a punchy slipper lobster dish, served with an assam laksa bisque. The plump Sabahan slipper lobster was brushed with French cultured butter before being grilled over charcoal, giving the sweet crustacean some extra flavour. The broth itself was cooked with the lobster shell, adding an extra kick to the dish. As a finishing touch, chef YC drizzled some smoked ikan tahai oil for smokiness, a role filled by the mackerels in actual assam laksa. 

With great richness must come great acidity. Offsetting the indulgence of the slipper lobster course is Beca Tea’s Amber No. 4 Oolong cold  brew, infused with passion fruit and daun kesum AKA Vietnamese coriander. The tea’s floral notes give way to the citrusy nature from the fruit and mild pepperiness from the daun kesum. I found myself reaching for the drink after every few bites, as it allowed for the flavours from the dish to truly sing. 

MYSTERY FISH

Our third main added an element of surprise to our meal. Served without an introduction to the main protein itself, we were left to decipher what exactly it was that we were digging into. Accompanying the “mystery fish” was a silky masak lemak beurre blanc, a combination of coconut cream, tamarind, French butter, and aromatics. Perfect for pairing with this sauce, the fish was clean, flaky, and sweet. 

When chef YC came to collect our guesses, I confidently said “catfish or kinmedai”, while my dinner companion simply answered with a look of perplexity. “Tilapia”, smirked the chef. Usually disregarded as a cheap choice and unsavoury to high-end restaurants like Terra Dining, tilapia is seen as a bottom of the list kind of fish. However, chef YC had bigger plans for it.

Having been raised in the same ponds as the sturgeon at T’lur in Tanjung Malim, the tilapia don’t consume any waste and swim in pristine waters. As a result, its meat is upstanding, skin crispy from the sukibiki preparation method, both combining to make a delightful vessel for chef YC’s lustrous masak lemak sauce. To go with it, we’re served a glass of Goddess No. 2 Tieguanyin cold brew, made more complex with the flavours of mangosteen, belimbing, and Thai holy basil florals. 

FLATBREAD

For a little intermission, we nibbled on some perfectly chewy-with-a-crust flatbread. This entry came as an almost bigger surprise than the tilapia since bread courses are usually served at the beginning of our meals. However, it was a welcome addition to my plate. I slathered on the accompanying assam pedas butter and didn’t look back. A silky smooth combination of lemongrass, ginger flower, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, chilli, and tamarind, the spread was delightfully tangy and spicy. Within five minutes, my butter saucer was empty.  

MAIN PROTEINS

For the main protein of the night, there are two choices on the menu: a Cherry Valley duck and a charcoal-grilled pureblood Wagyu. I went for the former, while my dining companion—who can never turn down beef—went for the latter. 

DUCK

Sourced from Penang, the duck breast was brined in a soy sauce solution for about 16 hours, aged for a week, seared over charcoal, and then finished off in the oven. It arrives on a plate alongside an herbaceous duck liver ngohiang sausage and duck braise jus. As part of the job, I’ve had the pleasure of tucking into many impressive duck dishes, but this one stood out. Not only was the skin crispy yet easy to cut through, the meat itself was tender and incredibly juicy without being too gamey. The soy sauce brine sang through with each bite, while the ngohiang sausage held up as a rich and welcome accompaniment. 

Accompanying the duck was a Tuxedo No. 5 black tea cold brew-based drink, inflected with notes of variegated Tiger’s Ear leaf and kumquat. Slightly sour yet incredibly bright, this beverage was a great pairing for the deep and rich flavours of the duck. Not to mention, the intense savouriness of the ngohiang sausage was also a perfect match for the black tea cold brew.

BEEF

Moving on to the beef, I shamelessly took a bite (or three) from my plus one’s plate. “Blame the job,” I said. While I didn’t regret my choice of duck in the slightest, this beef dish had me wishing I could’ve had both to myself. The meat was grilled over charcoal and served alongside a fork-tender beef cheek with rendang sauce, smoke-grilled king oyster mushrooms, and a quenelle of Thai basil palak. Slightly spicy, sweet, and unapologetically meaty, this dish would do well among fans of steak and heartwarming Malaysian flavours like myself.

For this tea pairing, we were served the same Tuxedo No. 5 black tea cold brew. However, this time, it was made with mulberry, roselle, and and Sambung Nyawa Batik leaves. In my head, this tasted like a fancy, fine dining version of Ribena (non-derogatory). The sweet berry notes did a fantastic job at cutting through the meatiness. 

DESSERT

The final acts of our meal at Terra Dining began with a dessert heavily inspired by Malaysian sweets. On the plate was a bed of crispy rice puffs, served with a smooth quenelle of beras rumi ice cream and a kuih bahulu made with local vanilla from Penang. The latter is also dipped in a concoction of pineapple, ginger, and Sri Lankan cinnamon. On the other hand, the ice cream was topped with a trail of cincalok caramel, a daring yet welcome choice. All in all, each component was executed masterfully and I gave chef YC the ultimate Malaysian compliment: “not too sweet”.

Our tea pairing for this portion of the meal was a combination of coconut water infused with cocoa husk from Chocolate Concierge, balsamic vinegar, nutmeg, fig, and a honey reduction, topped with some chunks of sea coconut jam. As someone who isn’t a fan of coconut water, I was a little apprehensive as I took my first sip. However, once its tasting notes combined with the flavours of my dessert, it all made sense. 

PETIT FOUR

Just when I thought the meal was over, our petit four arrived. Each of these little morsels were homages to classic Malaysian bites. Starting off the final course was a very pleasing mini pandan cake sandwich with caramelised banana in between. Next, a corn tartlet with a sablé breton, century egg yolk, charred corn kernels, and white corn custard. This was a far cry from the steamed sweet corn cups I used to love, but still somewhat nostalgic and oh, so delicious. 

Our third bite was chef YC’s take on an angku with a dehydrated beetroot snowskin filled with a cashew ‘charsiu’ praline. This immediately stole the show for me. Albeit slightly confusing to the palate at first, everything fell into place soon after as the savouriness from the fermented bean curd and soy sauce filling meld perfectly with the subtle sweetness from the skin. The final bite of the meal was a Malaysian chocolate truffle from Chocolate Concierge. Rich and creamy, this was the perfect end to an impressive meal. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Ever since my visit, I’ve been singing praise about Terra Dining to friends looking for a modern Malaysian dining experience that is worth their time. If I had to sum up my meal here in one word, it would be “eye-opening”. While familiar flavours were a theme throughout the meal, the careful preparation, unorthodox combinations, and thoughtful presentations made it one like no other. The addition of the tea pairings really upped the experience as well as the pride I had for our local produce. As a whole, the meticulous execution of the meal and attention to detail is a testament to chef YC and his team’s dedication to serving great food. Just by listening to (the very articulate) chef YC talk about his menu, you can tell he cares deeply about his ingredients and doing them justice and it all pays off. 

TERRA DINING

Address: 91, Jln Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours: 6pm to 11pm (Wednesday to Sunday)

Contact: +6011 7072 7777

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