The enjoyment of spicy food is highly individual; what brings pain to one person brings pleasure to another. Communicating preferences to your server can be key to a dining experience that’s memorable in the best way.
Kuan Zhai Alley at Los Olivos Marketplace presents China’s mala cuisine, mouth-numbing and spicy thanks to Sichuan peppercorns and chile peppers, respectively. Chef’s Special Dry Chili Chicken presents crispy chicken with loads of peppers. Mapo Tofu is peppercorn heaven.
Yup Dduk translates “bizarrely spicy rice cakes.” The namesake dish at the Campus Plaza eatery brings a large bowl of rice cakes, fish cakes, mini-sausages, cabbage, green onion and light mozzarella cheese. The broth uses Korean ttangcho peppers. “Mild” here means “pretty spicy.”
Southern Spice Indian Kitchen at Crossroads presents the spicier cuisines of South India. Andhra Chilli Chicken tosses fried boneless chicken with red chile sauce and ground-in- house spices. Green Chilli with goat or shrimp comes in mint and green chile sauces and spicy dry masala.
The city’s hottest cuisine? It might be American. Cluck Kitchen’s Nashville Hot Sandwich delivers crunchy antibiotic-free fried chicken breast, vinegar slaw, pickles and comeback sauce on a pillowy bun. Topmost heat level Carolina Reaper comes with an admonition: “Remember, you asked for this!”
