One consistent exception to this in my experience is Indian food. If you ask for your biryani to be “spicy” then say goodbye to your loved ones and make peace with your maker before the first bite.
Yeah that one time the concerned waiter in the indian restaurant came back to reconfirm I wanted it ‘spicy’ should’ve been my clue to say ‘you know what you’re right I’ll take it mild’. Mistakes were made that day.
At my favorite thai restaurant, they have “thai spicy” variants of some items on the menu. I tried it once and never again; my mouth went numb for hours… I thought I liked spicy food but my respect for what “spicy” means in different cultures solidified!
Another time, at the same restaurant, there was a double date happening at the table next to ours. One macho guy wanted “thai spicy”, started sweating and almost threw up at the table, then had the nerve to blame and shout at the waiter although they asked him to confirm he wanted it two times… I’ve never felt so much second-hand embarassment in my life.
It was more consistent back in the day, now they’ve lowered the max heat substantially. In the 90s if you were Desi and asked for proper spicy it was guaranteed attempted manslaughter and I miss the dopamine hit of that near death experience. Still can do it at home but there’s something nice about experiencing it more formally.
You still have to find the right spot. There’s an indian joint near me where getting the spiciest version still wasn’t enough for a friend and me. We asked if they had anything to make it hotter and they finally brought out raw onions slathered in hot sauce. Dunked those suckers in and we had a little bit of a bite in the meal.
Then there’s the thai place next door that actually does spice. Beautiful, sweet, ‘I’ll take a 4 out of 5 on the scale’ and you need to take a second between each bite to cool off. I think it’s because we have a lot more southeast asians in our area than indians, so you get the more authentic experience.
One consistent exception to this in my experience is Indian food. If you ask for your biryani to be “spicy” then say goodbye to your loved ones and make peace with your maker before the first bite.
Yeah that one time the concerned waiter in the indian restaurant came back to reconfirm I wanted it ‘spicy’ should’ve been my clue to say ‘you know what you’re right I’ll take it mild’. Mistakes were made that day.
At my favorite thai restaurant, they have “thai spicy” variants of some items on the menu. I tried it once and never again; my mouth went numb for hours… I thought I liked spicy food but my respect for what “spicy” means in different cultures solidified!
Another time, at the same restaurant, there was a double date happening at the table next to ours. One macho guy wanted “thai spicy”, started sweating and almost threw up at the table, then had the nerve to blame and shout at the waiter although they asked him to confirm he wanted it two times… I’ve never felt so much second-hand embarassment in my life.
It was more consistent back in the day, now they’ve lowered the max heat substantially. In the 90s if you were Desi and asked for proper spicy it was guaranteed attempted manslaughter and I miss the dopamine hit of that near death experience. Still can do it at home but there’s something nice about experiencing it more formally.
Tell them “Indian Spicy” and enjoy!
You still have to find the right spot. There’s an indian joint near me where getting the spiciest version still wasn’t enough for a friend and me. We asked if they had anything to make it hotter and they finally brought out raw onions slathered in hot sauce. Dunked those suckers in and we had a little bit of a bite in the meal.
Then there’s the thai place next door that actually does spice. Beautiful, sweet, ‘I’ll take a 4 out of 5 on the scale’ and you need to take a second between each bite to cool off. I think it’s because we have a lot more southeast asians in our area than indians, so you get the more authentic experience.