Hold the Alcohol: Three Michelin Restaurants in Asia Redefining the Non-Alcoholic Temperance Pairing
Establishments at the forefront of demonstrating that non-alcoholic pairings should transcend the overly sweet mocktails of the past.
11 March 2025
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Photo Credit: Roganic, Hong Kong
As the global fine dining landscape evolves, non-alcoholic beverage pairings that rival traditional wine selections are gaining prominence.
A growing demand for thoughtfully crafted temperance options has seen Simon Rogan’s Roganic in Hong Kong, Sam Aisbett’s Akuna in Ho Chi Minh City, and Michael Wilson’s Marguerite in Singapore’s iconic Flower Dome embracing the shift towards more inclusive and sophisticated non-alcoholic offerings. These Asia-based establishments focus on the art of handcrafted beverages, developing drinks that champion complexity, culinary creativity, innovation and the beauty of local produce while providing excellent accompaniments to their cuisine. Their programmes are proof that non-alcoholic beverages have forever cemented their place in crystal stemware and are just as integral to any elevated fine dining experience.
Photo Credit: Akuna, Ho Chi Minh City
Akuna, Ho Chi Minh City – A Celebration of Vietnam’s Bounty in a Glass
At Akuna, Ho Chi Minh City’s newest Michelin-starred restaurant, non-alcoholic pairings go beyond providing an alternative for teetotallers—they reflect a deeper commitment to hospitality and enhancing the diner experience. With many restaurants seeing heightened consumer demand for elevated 0% options, Akuna’s General Manager Desiderio Bevilaqua believes that non-alcoholic pairings should move beyond the simple sodas and saccharine mocktails of yesteryear.
Akuna sets a new standard with creative, refined and thoughtful beverages crafted through fermentation, natural carbonation, and botanical infusions. Through countless tasting sessions, the team carefully balances acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and aroma in each beverage, noting how every drink interacts with its corresponding course. Pairings are ever evolving with a constantly changing menu shaped by the seasons and new ingredient discoveries.
“We craft beverages that highlight natural flavours through fresh, seasonal ingredients, herbs, and spices,” Desiderio adds. A fermented soursop and lemongrass infusion lends herbaceous sweetness to balance the acidity of Bafun uni with fan shell clam and pickled green durian. A local persimmon and dracontomelon blend—enhanced with wood-fired forest banana—complements confit pork jowl with Fremantle octopus, white kombu and choko shoots. For dessert, fermented sapodilla with roasted cacao nibs brings depth to Vietnamese crown melon with verbena cream and caramelised filo. Each pairing not only enhances the dish but tells a story of Vietnam’s rich bounty, proving that non-alcoholic pairings can be just as revelatory as their spirited counterparts.
Photo Credit: Roganic, Hong Kong
Roganic, Hong Kong – A Soft Pairing Championing Zero-Waste
With its highly anticipated reopening in Hong Kong’s trendy Lee Garden One, Roganic continues to champion sustainability and innovation in fine dining—extending these values beyond the plate and into the glass. The restaurant’s non-alcoholic pairing programme is built on the ethos of “reuse, recycle, repurpose,” transforming menu by-products otherwise destined for compost into house-crafted beverages. “The food and drinks menu are in an ecosystem. As we use most of the ingredients from the kitchen, our pairings also change accordingly,” says Junior Assistant Manager Priscilla Tam, the mastermind behind Roganic’s soft pairings.
Reinforcing Roganic’s zero-waste principles, the front-of-house team works in close collaboration with Head Chef Adam Catterall to utilise every part of an ingredient, from stem to stalk, developing formulas for non-alcoholic pairings that change according to each menu. Everything is crafted in-house, integrating locally sourced produce from Hysan Urban farm, and ingredients such as Chinese and Taiwanese teas, local honey and fruits.
Highlights include fermented honey infused with leftover marigolds and blended with coconut water to create a beverage that amplifies the natural sweetness of Nantou tomatoes in perilla and coal. A delicate floral jasmine kombucha, balanced with red dragon fruit, brings depth and complexity to smoked, salt-baked Boltardy beetroots, Yarlington cheese and toasted seeds.
Establishing a pioneering standard for a sustainable and innovative beverage programme, Roganic is redefining alcohol-free fine dining, one elevated drink at a time.
Photo Credit: Marguerite, Singapore / Rebecca Dickson
Marguerite, Singapore – A Temperance Programme that Mirrors Traditional Wine Pairing, Sans the Alcohol
Located in Singapore’s iconic Flower Dome, where nature serves as the restaurant’s primary inspiration, Marguerite offers a sophisticated non-alcoholic temperance option that mirrors the depth and complexity of a traditional wine pairing.
“For our temperance beverage pairings, we generally start with a dish and research the predominant flavour profiles of a wine we think would pair well. We identify a corresponding fruit that would match and craft a temperance beverage around this. We also look to ingredient pairings and what traditionally and historically go well together, taking into account the overall flavour profiles of a dish.” says Chef-Patron Michael Wilson. In the creation of these beverages, the most expensive ingredients prove to be labour and time, with some juices taking anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks to clarify and ferment.
Gala apples are caramelised and cooked with verjuice and celeriac, then clarified and infused with oak chips to create a lighter, non-alcoholic version of Chardonnay. This elegant pairing enhances the richness of aged Patagonian toothfish, geoduck and a fish and clam sauce split with dill oil. Sour cherry juice is hot infused with cacao nibs, smoked paprika, and black peppercorns before being clarified to resemble a spicy Cabernet. It pairs beautifully with Challans duck with lentils and duck confit-stuffed chou farci. Mimicking a crisp 0% Sauvignon Blanc, Granny Smith apple juice is infused with shiso, then clarified, infused with hay, and filtered. It creates the ideal match for chilled lettuce gazpacho with king crab and an amur caviar-studded Labneh veil. Each juice undergoes careful clarification, resulting in light, bright-tasting beverages that sit cleanly on the palate.
As these three Michelin-starred establishments continue to push the boundaries of culinary innovation, they demonstrate that non-alcoholic pairings are not just a trend, but a transformative and inclusive experience that enhances every dish and reflects the future of fine dining.
Author: Natasha Beh Comerford
With over 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry specialising in restaurant public relations, marketing and content creation, Natasha Beh Comerford eats and breathes all things culinary. When she’s not discovering Singapore’s hidden gems, you’ll find her experimenting at her stove or kicking back with a good recipe book or two.
