Cover Jin Ting Wan head tea master Jacky Zhao Gang curated more than 80 varieties, ranging from aged pu’er to Wuyi Rock teas, alongside the restaurant’s own floral blend, Fu Yu Jin Ting (Photo: Jin Ting Wan)
Jin Ting Wan head tea master Jacky Zhao Gang curated more than 80 varieties, ranging from aged pu’er to Wuyi Rock teas, alongside the restaurant’s own floral blend, Fu Yu Jin Ting (Photo: Jin Ting Wan)
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As diners drink more mindfully, restaurants across Singapore are rethinking tea—not as an afterthought, but as a considered partner to food, with pairings designed to rival wine in nuance and intent
Drinking habits have been shifting in recent years—and it is not about giving up alcohol, but about drinking more mindfully. As more diners seek choices aligned with health and lifestyle, non-alcoholic options have moved from niche to mainstream, claiming a growing presence on menus across the region. In Singapore, tea sits at the forefront of this movement. Once regarded as a simple comfort drink, it is now celebrated for its complexity, versatility and ability to complement food with the same nuance as wine. Restaurants are responding accordingly, expanding their beverage programmes with dedicated teams crafting thoughtful tea pairings to ensure diners who opt out of alcohol still enjoy a complete and considered dining experience.
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Above Jin Ting Wan head tea master Jacky Zhao Gang preparing tea
Jin Ting Wan head tea master Jacky Zhao Gang preparing tea
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Cantonese restaurant Jin Ting Wan is a case in point. When it opened at Marina Bay Sands in July last year, it debuted one of the island’s largest tea collections. Head tea master Jacky Zhao Gang curated more than 80 varieties, ranging from aged pu’er to Wuyi Rock teas, alongside the restaurant’s own floral blend, Fu Yu Jin Ting. For Gang, tea pairing is all about “creating harmony between food and tea to deliver a layered and pleasurable experience for the palate”. He approaches it with the creativity of a chef—harmonising ingredients and tea leaves, balancing aroma and flavour, and deciding when a pairing should complement a dish or provide contrast.
This philosophy is best illustrated in Jin Ting Wan’s signature roasted Pipa duck, paired with a tea blend of premium 2010 Xinhui tangerine peel and Fuding aged white tea. “This pairing amplifies the natural sweetness of the duck and shrimp, while echoing the citrus notes of the tangerine peel in the dish,” shares Gang. The tannins of the tea offset the duck’s richness, ensuring the palate remains light and fresh. Each course is also accompanied by a lavish tea performance that harks back to ancient tea ceremonies, building anticipation and intrigue as the meal unfolds.
Read more: The best roast duck in Singapore, according to top Cantonese chefs
Above Summer Palace’s tea ritual, rooted in Chinese tradition
Summer Palace’s tea ritual, rooted in Chinese tradition
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Tea, of course, has always been central to Chinese dining culture. When Cantonese restaurant Summer Palace reopened in 2024, it did not only debut a fresh look but also a refreshed tea programme. “Introducing a structured tea-pairing programme was about giving proper attention to a tradition that has always belonged at the table,” explains tea sommelier Helen Wang, who aims to highlight flavours, refresh the palate and make the meal feel more complete.
Wang’s tea selection comprises more than 30 teas sourced from regions across China and Taiwan. Each pairing considers the appearance of the tea, its aroma and how it tastes alongside the dish to ensure what Wang describes as “a harmonious balance”. This harmony, she adds, is best expressed through Summer Palace’s nourishing soups such as Chen Yu Luo Yan and Qi Yu Xuan Ang. Old hen and Jinhua ham form the base, double-boiled to draw out natural sweetness, before being enriched with fresh and dried seafood and Chinese ingredients such as bird’s nest, fish maw and sea cucumber.
“We pair these soups with Silver Needle peony tea, chosen with the same consideration of colour, aroma and taste that guide our cuisine,” says Wang. Light, clean and refreshing, the tea cleanses the richness left by the soups’ silky, collagen-like texture. “This prevents palate fatigue and allows diners to continue enjoying the soup with clarity, tasting its flavours at their purest throughout the meal.”
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Above Born’s updated tea pairing offerings to complement chef-owner Zor Tan’s contemporary cuisine
Born’s updated tea pairing offerings to complement chef-owner Zor Tan’s contemporary cuisine
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Mindful Pour
While tea is closely associated with Chinese cuisine and culture, its universality has seen it embraced across other cuisines. Chinese-French restaurant Born now offers 11 tea varieties sourced from well‑known regions across Asia. It is a growing list, admits operations manager Sham Samsuri, who has observed more guests “looking for a new adventure in tea, along with the showmanship and tableside service we provide”.
In developing the pairings, Sham works closely with chef-owner Zor Tan to select teas for the degustation menu. “Each of our teas has its own character and finish, allowing it to pair with our sophisticated dishes,” he shares. The first three courses, with their light and delicate flavours, are matched with floral teas such as Silver Needle from China’s Fujian province.
For the main courses, more robust teas such as Jin Jun Mei from Fujian’s Wuyi Mountain, and Pomelo Red Oolong from Yilan in Taiwan, are chosen to stand up to the dishes’ richness. “Each tea also comes with a distinctive presentation for the guest,” adds Sham. “For a Western fine-dining restaurant, this level of detail and ceremony is, in my view, what sets us apart.”
Read more: Restaurant Born reflects the life and culinary journey of its chef-owner Zor Tan
Above Pangium’s tea offerings are infused with local ingredients
Pangium’s tea offerings are infused with local ingredients
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At contemporary Straits cuisine restaurant Pangium, senior operations manager Jessline Lee sees tea as a compelling partner to food because of its “remarkable versatility and sensitivity to flavour”. With 20 tea selections offered hot, iced, sparkling or as infusions, the restaurant’s pairings move with greater fluidity and range. To create something distinctive, the team experiments by layering traditional teas with familiar local ingredients.
“Our guiding principle is balance,” adds Lee, noting that flavour intensity, texture and temperature play a crucial role in shaping each pairing. “We look closely at how tea can echo certain notes in a dish or gently shift our guests’ perception of flavour.” This is exemplified in Pangium’s Darjeeling tea with roasted coconut, served alongside the rawon mee sua.
“Rawon is a dish of depth and intensity that comes with a rich and spiced gravy, Wagyu beef and oxtail satay,” explains Lee. Rather than competing with its flavours, the tea gently cleanses and refreshes the palate with its natural brightness and light astringency. The addition of roasted coconut, inspired by the smoky notes of the oxtail satay, allows delicate aromas to linger, enhancing the dish without overwhelming it.
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Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
