Wilson Wong and Cindy Chow's hot first date
Spicy soup left Wilson Wong 'breathing fire'. But Cindy Chow, who he marries at St John's Cathedral today, was warming to his charms
There are some dishes you should never order on a first date, such as squid-ink pasta or garlic bread.
How about something super spicy? For Cindy Chow and Wilson Wong, nothing was too hot for their first date.
Cindy, a lawyer, and Wilson, who sells premium children's toys and products, will tie the knot today at a ceremony in St John's Cathedral.
They will then be joined by more than 300 friends and relatives for a banquet at the Four Seasons Hotel.
The couple were introduced when they were at university in Melbourne, Australia, eight years ago.
On their first date they dined at a Thai restaurant, where Cindy dared Wilson to drink the extra-hot tom yum soup.
"I asked Wilson if he could handle the spice, and he said, 'Of course, it's not spicy at all', and quickly downed the whole bowl," Cindy recalled.
Talkative Wilson then became unusually quiet as his face turned increasingly redder.
"His mouth swelled up and he was breathing fire because the soup was extremely spicy.
"But he tried to keep a straight face and acted like it wasn't spicy at all. It was so hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing," she said.
Wilson did not mind burning his mouth if it meant winning Cindy's heart. And even though they were almost strangers, it felt as if they had been friends for a long time.
"It was amazing how we never ran out of things to talk about, even though we had just met," Wilson said.
The two foodies explored Melbourne's vibrant food and cafe scene, and collected many recipes from their favourite restaurants to recreate at home.
Their relationship bloomed over their love of food. "Wilson is a very generous person and is never reluctant to give to people, even if he gets nothing in return," Cindy said.
"He is also fiercely loyal and never gives up on anybody who is a friend. He is always considerate and puts others before himself, and always has good things to say."
Wilson was attracted to Cindy's honesty. "She doesn't pretend to be what she is not, and is straightforward about who she is," he said. "Although we are very different, we actually make a fantastic team. Every quality that I lack, I find in her.
"Every weakness I have is one of her strengths, and vice versa."
In late 2010, Cindy left Melbourne for a job back in Hong Kong, while Wilson stayed in Australia. They took turns flying between the two cities so they could see each other once every few months. Over Easter last year, Cindy was about to leave Melbourne again when Wilson gave her a photo album.
Inside were 200 photos of them taken during the eight years they had been together.
Turning to the last page, she found a picture of a diamond ring. When she turned around, Wilson was down on one knee, holding a red rose, and asked her to marry him.
Cindy took the rose and immediately said yes. "I was so overwhelmed that I didn't even realise there was a ring attached to the rose," she said, laughing.
They will honeymoon in Europe, visiting places that will tantalise their taste buds.
