My special journey with banana pudding began during my university days in Rochester, New York. Like any curious student, I'd occasionally escape to the bright lights of NYC, because who wouldn't?

I honestly can't pinpoint the exact moment I first encountered banana pudding in that concrete jungle. The memory is fuzzy, but the feeling? Crystal clear. I was absolutely enchanted and completely in love with this wholly good dessert that somehow managed to taste like absolute happiness in a tub. Also, maybe because I ni hantu pisang LOL.

Fast forward to graduation. After the commencement, my dear sister, Anis (who visited me for my graduation) and I headed to Chicago to meet my best friends, Fikri, Farhana, and her family sambil jalan-jalan. It was short and sweet! There it was again, Magnolia Bakery's legendary banana pudding. This time, the experience transcended taste. I guess when surrounded by loved ones, each moment becomes a meaningful memory. There's something magical about sharing incredible food with incredible people – it transforms a simple dessert into an unforgettable moment.

And then, before bidding America goodbye for good, I made one final pilgrimage to NYC with my housemate, Sarah Fatin, and my sister. Grand Central Terminal, Magnolia Bakery, one last tub of liquid gold. My sister, bless her heart, even smuggled one back to KL because she knew how very special it was.

But here's where the story gets deliciously dramatic. On a later trip back to New York, I attempted the ultimate heist, like my sister had done last time – bringing a precious tub of banana pudding home. I was confident, but Lady Luck had other plans. TSA stopped me cold. My precious pudding was deemed a security threat. Ridiculous, right? Picture this: me, sitting by a trash bin at the security checkpoint, desperately trying to finish an entire tub before boarding. Obviously because I had just had a full plate of Halal Guys, tapi nak jugak habiskan banana pudding hahaha, three scoops in, my stomach waved the white flag. I finally said goodbye to my banana pudding and headed to the gate. I'm pretty sure I cried.

By this point, Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding wasn't just a dessert. The stories behind it had become some of my most cherished moments. How could I possibly forget that taste, those core memories of pure joy and drama?

Time goes by, and back in KL, I found myself once in a while craving banana pudding. I searched for banana pudding around KL, but to no avail. So, like any reasonable person completely obsessed with a dessert, I thought, "Why not make it myself?"

I was over the moon! This brilliant epiphany coincided with my postgraduate studies, and being the broke student that I was, I saw an opportunity. Maybe I could earn some side income selling banana pudding on campus while tutoring. Two birds, one stone, I naively told myself.

With zero business experience and armed only with passion, I started a consignment deal at a kiosk in Faculty of Medicine, UM. Brace yourself for this: I sold extra small tubs for RM4 each. Four ringgit! I was probably making less than a 10% profit margin. What was I thinking? Well, maybe deep down, I just wanted people to experience the magic of banana pudding and fall head over heels just like I did. Being a student myself, I understood the struggle. I wanted to offer something special to fellow broke students without breaking their wallets.

Then COVID-19 happened. Lockdown. Life as we knew it paused.

When campus finally reopened, that kiosk never recovered. It closed permanently, and with it, my first entrepreneurial dream seemed to fade away #siscuba.

But life has a funny way of bringing things full circle. Despite my postgrad progression yang kurang memberangsangkan, I still had some leftover luck in meeting the love of my life, Aiman. After getting married, one day in November 2024, I decided to give it another shot and this time online through my personal Instagram. The response was overwhelming! What started as a hobby gradually became something more. Inspired by Magnolia Bakery, I created my own recipe by experimenting with different ingredients and incorporating local products to make the taste as close to Magnolia Bakery's, if not better. And the rest, as they say, is sweet history.

From crying over confiscated pudding at JFK Airport to a home-based microbusiness sharing my obsession with the people of Klang Valley. Who would have thought kan? sometimes the most unexpected journeys begin with a single, perfect spoonful.