Sezairi swears by simple fare, even when it comes to his wedding banquet
Celebrity Chow with Singapore Idol Sezairi
Like the simple two-course meal laid out in front of him, local singer Sezairi wants his upcoming wedding to be a no-frills, low-key affair.
The 28-year-old Singapore Idol 3 winner, whose full name is Sezairi Sezali, popped the question to his girlfriend Syaza Qistina Tan, 24, last December.
They officially got engaged on Valentine's Day. The couple, who have been dating for six years, are looking at a mid-2016 date for their nuptials.
"Many people want a huge wedding with lots of guests. Not me," said Sezairi over lunch with M last Thursday at And Why cafe in Bali Lane.
"My ideal wedding would have just two people in attendance - my fiancee and I. But of course, it's not like we can elope.
"Thankfully, both our parents are on the same page as us. So realistically, our wedding will be a small-ish one. I'd keep it to family and close friends."
Celebrations will also be "multicultural", added Sezairi. Ms Tan's father is Chinese and her mum is half Chinese and half Malay.
"We are trying to avoid holding two weddings. Right now, we are working out how to seamlessly put the Malay buffet and Chinese dinner (concepts) together on the same day," he explained.
Sezairi's fans can catch him on the big screen soon when he makes his acting debut in local historical movie 1965, starring MediaCorp stars Qi Yuwu and Joanne Peh, and Malaysian actress Deanna Yusoff. It opens here on July 30.
Sezairi, who plays rookie police constable Adi, credits Yusoff - who plays his mother - for helping him ease into character.
"Deanna was there for me 24/7. The first scene we shot required me to cry and it was so intense and emotional," he recalled.
"We did so many different takes and Deanna gave it her all. By the end of the day, I was so into my role I literally broke down."
Did you have to go on a diet or put on weight for your role in 1965?
Nah, I was perfect for it. Skinny and lean. My character is 20, I am 28, so I tried to do reverse ageing by drinking Tongkat Ali. (Laughs) Just joking lah.
You don't seem like a big fan of weddings.
I don't go to weddings at all. As much as I can, I try to avoid weddings. (Smiles)
I have celebrity friends who have had their weddings gatecrashed and turned into a 3,000-crowd fiasco. The last thing I want is to be at my own wedding and go, "Hey, thanks for coming. Who the hell are you?"
You're having the Cuppa' Shrooms and Crostini (mushroom soup) and Lobster Mobster (lobster roll) here at And Why (a 1940s New York-themed cafe). It's retro and very hipster. Are you a hipster?
There is a side of me which appreciates old-school sensibilities, like my choice of spectacles.
But I'm not a hipster! (Laughs) A hipster never calls himself a hipster. Seriously, I'm a geek. I stay home, play video games and order in McDonald's.
This cafe is owned by a friend of mine - I've never been here till today. I love mushrooms cooked in any form and while I'm not a big fan of lobsters, I appreciate a good lobster roll.
Do you or your fiancee cook?
She's a brilliant cook. She's always trying to teach me knife skills and she criticises the way I cut my ingredients. She has an amazing Thai fried chicken recipe, and she makes really kickass steak and burgers too. She will handchop meat and make them into patties, and she's particular about the buns she uses.
As for myself, it's always instant noodles. (Laughs) I do have a secret dish though, which I used to make for my friends. It's called "Ramly Burger Maggi Noodles". I would cut up chunks of Ramly Burger into my Maggi noodles and allow the fat (from the burger) to melt into the soup. It's really nice!
What are some of your favourite eating haunts in Singapore? Where do you and your fiancee usually go?
Both of us are big on Thai food and Golden Mile Complex has awesome Thai food. Give me green papaya salad with rice and I'm a contented man.
Have you ever tried Thai-style goreng pisang? There is a stall right outside the supermarket in Golden Mile Complex that sells fried banana fritters... fried in rice flour which makes them extra crispy. Once you've tried them, you'll never look at the world the same way again. That's how insanely good they are.
Korean fried chicken is also one of our shared favourites. We go to Chicken Up Korean Restaurant for our fried chicken fix. I've probably tried 80 per cent of all Korean fried chicken eateries in Singapore.
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