What to Do in New Zealand (Part I)

This is the longest trip I have ever taken – 17 days and 15 nights in New Zealand, also my most memorable and enjoyable. When asked which three places I liked best about the trip, my instant reply was "too many". Indeed, the country offers so much diversity that it was difficult to choose. And in a relatively small geographic area, that there is something for everyone. I have instead curated a list of 12 things to do in "Home of the Middle-Earth", including a few that we have not tried like bungy jumping:

Hokkaido-Ya

Located on the 2nd floor of VivoCity, Hokkaido-Ya is a new conept by Sushi Tei Pte Ltd. Decide what you want using a hardcopy of the menu, so as not to hog the self-ordering kiosk – there are two, at the entrance. The place is more for tech-savvy and literate customers, as you can only order through the kiosk and there is no staff to assist you in the process. Upon placing your order, grab a buzzer and place it a distance away from the camera to take a photo of its QR code. Pay by NETS or credit card at the kiosk, or cash at the counter. Since it opened on 12 June, I have tried its aburi salmon don and truffle bara chirashi don. Preferred the latter as the cubes of sweet tamago and fresh sashimi (salmon, scallop, tuna and prawn) went well with the truffle-oil-coated shiny pearls of rice. Together with crunchy cucumber, roes and tempura batter crisps for a balanced texture. Niigata rice and chilled, not frozen, salmon from Norway are used here.

Mui Kee

Not knowing how long the queue will be at Mui Kee, I have put off visiting the restaurant on the 1st floor of Shaw Centre since it opened in March this year. It started in Mong Kok, Hong Kong in 1979 and was first brought into Singapore by the Les Amis Group as a pop-up stall at the Botanical Garden last year. Decided to try our luck as we were in the area around 9pm yesterday and were seated immediately. Probably because the place closes at 10pm (last order at 9.30pm). My dining companion was not impressed with the sliced fish kway teow soup while I could neither rave about nor fault the homemade pork meatballs congee. The silky smooth congee had a consistency more watery than the Cantonese ones I was used to, was a tad bland but perfect when paired with the well-marinated tender meatballs and crispy dough fritters. Add side dishes such as fried beancurd skin and dace fishcake, or chee cheong fun and claypot dishes respectively for lunch and dinner.

Where to Stay in New Zealand

After staying 15 nights at 13 accommodations for a 17 days New Zealand trip, these are our top three picks:

Lake Tekapo, South Island
Of course, we have to stay at Lake Tekapo. In Maori, Tekapo means night sleeping place. Kidding, my travel companions and I chose it over Mount Cook so we need not drive another hour up and down New Zealand's tallest mountain that we would not be climbing anyway. As for its supposedly spectacular glacier views, we would be walking close to the Terminal Face of Fox Glacier on a guided tour a few days later. With limited choices of accommodations in Lake Tekapo, we settled on Peppers Bluewater Resort – our most expensive stay on this trip. Of the 27 (at the time of writing) Peppers resorts or hotels, five are in New Zealand, one is in Bali and the rest are in Australia. This sits in the heart of Mackenzie Country, 3 hours away from Christchurch by car. Clean, contemporary and tranquil with a breathtaking view of Lake Tekapo. Now, this is what you call a holiday.

Moments – Two Michelin-starred Restaurant in Barcelona

It was our first trip to Spain and we decided to set aside time for a nice dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Barcelona as it would be too rushed in Madrid. Mandarin Oriental’s Moments, managed by chef Carme Ruscalleda (and her son Raül Balam) who has won seven Michelin stars for her restaurants in Spain and Tokyo, offers "creative, fresh and healthy cuisine inspired by Catalan culinary culture". Made reservations for four and brought or bought what we thought would be appropriate wear, only to realise upon arrival that we were overdressed. Ordered from the à la carte menu so everyone could eat what they wanted as the tasting menu was meant for the entire table. There was no variety of bread, neither served warm nor with butter, to choose from. Requested for olive oil and vinaigrette that took so long to arrive that we thought our request was forgotten. Liked how the mango cubes in my appetiser made the Mediterranean red tuna tartar with wasabi ice-cream less cloying.