My 2nd, Then 1st, Now 2nd Home

This is my 2nd home…

It's a place I visit almost once a year, more than just to visit my lovely family & friends…

And not just for fresh air or breath-taking sceneries…

New Zealand - It's about time I shared about the place I migrated to, then lived and studied in, and finally left but only to return every year or so.

Being Singaporean, let's start with the food in New Zealand - SEAFOOD to be specific!

You can also pick mussels for free, but cleaning them is an challenge…

Then you've got the good old 'barbee' gatherings, complete with steak and sausage sizzles…

Or go on a fruit and macademia nut diet!



Throw in some adventurous stunts…

Or don't be so adventurous!

It's all about FUN FUN FUN!

NZ is home to a bunch of touristy things too…

Tired of the sun? Think 4 Seasons!!! When winter comes, snowboarding is a roadtrip away, without the temperature going below -5 degrees…

Then comes the beautiful flowers in the spring, and snow capped mountains in winter...

Talking about beauty or nature OR BOTH, the south island is exploding with that! Despite being to the south island many times, Mr Yap and I still try to do a roadtrip every time we're in New Zealand because it's great for…

Touring New Zealand is like taking a walk through a geography lesson…

Throw in a great getaway wedding photoshoot roadtrip! Our photoshoot and holiday spanned across two whole weeks from the south to the north island, thanks to our photographer a.k.a. groom - Mr Yap.

Don't forget to take a peep into people's houses during X'mas!

Lastly, don't miss an amazing sunrise or sunset!

It's always great to have such beautiful memories captured in pictures, thanks to Mr Yap! We're looking forward to my next trip home…

(Disclaimer: Scenery images are courtesy from E.K.Yap Photography! Not from stock images. All rights reserved :)

The way they do their food...

Last weekend, we went back to Mr Yap's hometown for a dose of protein, calories and cholesterol!

Back in the days when we were dating, these trips were very often. Once in every month or two, we'd head back to Penang to catch up with family, friends, food and shopping!

But nowadays, with his parents here in Singapore, we don't go on these trips as often. The last time I was back was about half a year ago. This trip was long overdue! We were in dire need of a dose of Penang!

Within the span of 2 days, we covered everything on our list and more. Here are some of our favourites!

Penang is known for their hawker food, but you know its good when its crowded! The above Kedai Kopi New Cathay is one example! You can also find Penang Hokkien Mee, Char Koay Teow, Fried Fish Meat Beehoon Soup, and many more here.

Another Penang favourite is their Assam Laksa, and this particular shop is my favourite. There's an option for the Assam Laksa, a sourish spicy base, or the Siam Laksa which is a sweeter curry base. I like the Assam. There's just something about the sourly fishiness that I simply love...

Penang also has many popular snacks, our favourites include goreng pisang and ban chang kueh. Mr Yap dreams about ban chang kueh when he's in Singapore!


He does the regular ban chang kuehs as well as the fancy ones like the Hawaiian Chicken above. Their banana chocolate makes an amazing dessert. Another popular ban chang kueh is the peanut and egg combination...it is one of our must-haves! The key to appreciating them to the fullest is to have them fresh!

If Mr Yap dreams about ban chang kuehs, I dream about these 2 crab dishes below. They are divine. I don't just take namecards from any old store! Only the best!!!

The above baked crab is my favourite Penang dish! No one does it like they do! It's so delish, my photos do not do justice.

So this ends my Penang food trail! There's plenty more amazing food in Penang, till next time!!