When is spicy food at its best? At 2 a.m.? After a breakup, when you\u2019re ready to feel the pain? Spicy food is appropriate whenever you need it.<\/p>\n
We did some of our own sleuthing and got tips from several chefs for what they order when they\u2019re feeling spicy. Chef Sarabjit Singh Assi of Sanjh<\/a> told the Observer that with Indian food, spicy isn\u2019t so much about heat, \u201cIt really means food that\u2019s well-seasoned and layered with spices. Heat is just one part of it. I like to focus on depth, aroma, and balance.\u201d He added that at his restaurant, sourcing spices directly from India and grinding them in-house gives his dishes a bold and fresh flavor, rather than aggressive heat.<\/p>\n Chef Nikky Phinyawatana of Asian Mint warns that \u2018spicy\u2019 means different things to different cultures. \u201cLet\u2019s say, if spicy was a scale of one to three, where one is mild, two is medium, three is spicy, then Thai spicy would be like a four or five.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Following is a list of the 10 spiciest dishes in the city. Good luck and don\u2019t hurt yourself. <\/p>\n The A-Bomb at Ricky\u2019s Spicy Fried Chicken at Brick and Bones Oyster Tofu Soup at Cho Dang Village Spicy Tenders at Mike\u2019s Chicken Curry at Ka Thai Damn Damn Hot Noodles at Red Stix Kori Gasi at Sanjh Spicy Fish Fillets at Sichuan Folk The Salazar Burger at Goodfriends No. 1 Plus Chicken \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
100 S Central Expy, Richardson, 3810 S Cooper St, Arlington and 8400 Preston Rd, Plano
Ricky\u2019s Nashville hot chicken is a Dallas staple<\/a>. The simple sandwiches are made with buttered buns, pickles, slaw and Comback Sauce. There are six levels here, topping off with the A-BOMB, which has become somewhat legendary. The spice mix includes jalape\u00f1o, habanero, Ghost pepper, scorpion pepper and Reaper. Have milk on hand.<\/p>\n
2651 Commerce St
Brick and Bones is consistently one of our favorites for fried chicken<\/a> in Dallas. Here, the chicken is brined for 24 hours in a Mexican-inspired mix of japones, piquin, cayenne and morita peppers, honey, salt and garlic, rendering a juicy and flavorful bite even after frying. The heat is then enhanced with a spicy oil-based sauce added just before serving. The result is a piquant bite that delivers smoky heat in both the crust and the meat, rather than just a coating of hot sauce.<\/p>\n
2625 Old Denton Rd #404, Carrollton, and 109 Legacy Drive, Plano
Chef Nikky Phinyawatana told us that at her restaurant, Asian Mint, she goes for the Papaya Salad and Asian Noodle Salad when she wants heat. But when going out, she recommends Cho Dang Village<\/a> for their tofu soup, otherwise known as sundubu jjigae, which is infused with Korean chili paste and flakes to create a balance of spicy and savory. The spice scale here goes from one to five, and is labeled \u201cwhite,\u201d \u201cmild,\u201d \u201cmedium,\u201d \u201cspicy\u201d and \u201cvery spicy.\u201d If Chef Nikky\u2019s previous scale holds any value, then level five isn\u2019t for the weak. We can only imagine that labeling level one \u201cwhite\u201d is a hint for new customers.<\/p>\n
4234 Maple Ave, and 7752 Forest Lane
In a world full of Dave\u2019s Hot Chicken and Wendy\u2019s spicy chicken nuggets, we Dallasites have Mike\u2019s to remind us that hot chicken is real and meaningful, not just a trend. The menu is perfect, with a chicken option for everyone, and classic sides done just right. Mike\u2019s made its way on our list via Chef Anasticia Quinones-Pittman.<\/a> When asked for her favorite spicy dish, Mike\u2019s was her immediate answer. \u201cMike\u2019s chicken has a spicy option for tender and bone-in. It\u2019s fantastic,\u201d she says. \u201cPair it with their house-made Buffalo.\u201d She ended the message with a sweating tongue-out emoji and fiery heart emoji, which are very crucial details. <\/p>\n
3220 McKinney Ave, 8185 Walnut Hill Ln<\/a>, and 6859 Arapaho Rd<\/a>
Ka Thai has over 430 five-star reviews on Yelp, and \u201cspicy\u201d flies around in those reviews like seagulls behind a shrimp boat, with some even calling it too spicy. This restaurant offers five curry dishes: yellow, red, green, massaman and pineapple, which you can order on a scale of 1 to 5. One reviewer notes that if you like spice, ask for the 3, leaving us to wonder what 4 and 5 must be like. It isn\u2019t just Yelp showing Ka Thai love, though; influencer Nara Smith<\/a>, who was recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the most influential creators in the world, called Ka Thai one of her favorite Dallas restaurants.<\/p>\n
1499 Regal Row and 10305 Bee St, Farmers Branch
The Damn Damn Hot Noodles at Red Stix were recommended to us by pitmaster Tim McLaughlin of Crossbuck Cattle Co. Red Stix<\/a> has an all-star chef of their own: Uno Immanivong, a first-generation Asian American born in a Thai refugee camp who left a banking career after being mentored by Anthony Bourdain. She\u2019s built a celebrated culinary career blending Thai and Lao flavors. The Damn Damn Hot Noodles comes with a warning and has its own TikTok challenge<\/a>.<\/p>\n
5250 N O\u2019Connor Blvd, Irving
Chef Sarabjit Singh Assi of Sanjh recommends the Kori Gasi at Sanjh, which is made with a coconut milk base, Guntur chilies, garlic, curry leaves and strong South Indian spices. \u201cThe heat comes through right away and stays with you,\u201d he says, adding that it is still deeply flavorful, but the heat is the star of the show.<\/p>\n
109 Legacy Dr, Plano
The spicy fish fillets at Sichuan Folk are legendary. These grilled fish filets are served hot-pot style, swimming in a sea of chili oil, ginger, scallions and peppers. The key to the heat here is the intense mala from the combination of Sichuan peppercorns that numb, then the chilis that light a fire. <\/p>\n
1154 Peavy Road
Goodfriend used to have an Annihilator on the menu, but perhaps they got served too many restraining orders. Now, they have The Salazar, which the menu says is \u201cHot enough for Javier.\u201d It\u2019s made with habaneros and Ghost Chili Sauce, which is often described as very hot, even for people who \u201clike heat.\u201d<\/p>\n
2240 Royal Lane and 2625 Old Denton Road, Carrollton
This Korean spot<\/a> has great fried chicken options, including Green Onion, White Onion and even Crack Chicken, which is topped with their \u201caddictive crack powered cheese blend.\u201d If you prefer to light you insides, order the XXSpicy heat level. Kristy Yang wrote<\/a> for the Observer about this spot, \u201cThere are spicy foods, and then there is No. 1 Plus Chicken. Holy moly.\u201d Her boyfriend \u201cwirthed and burped in pain the whole night.\u201d We hope they worked that out.<\/p>\n