Question about Thai Food
 

I have only had it 3 times, all within the last 2 months. I've always heard that you order it on a spiciness scale of 1-10, and that 10 is supposed to be extremely spicy.

First time I ordered I got a 6, and it wasn't spicy at all, then I got an 8, and it barely registered. Last time I went 9 and it still didn't crave my spicy hunger.

I'm going to get a 10 next time, but wtf is up with all the hype?

P.S. I got Pad Thai each time, I don't know if that's just not a spicy dish or what.

Go down on a thai chick that will tell you the level of spice you want. Just make sure you don't end up in a crying game moment....

I feel like this is a Q

I really like the use of veggies in Thai food, it makes eating them so much more enjoyable.

I searched and for some reason there is one in the Media Center.

When you order say "I want it Thai spicy"

/thread

yeah they're giving you the white-boy scale of spiciness.

oh, and Papaya Salad is habit-forming! anyone else like it?

I don't know what that is but that peanut sauce they use as salad dressing is on point.

Pad Thai is really never that spicy. Try ordering some red curry at 10 and it may blow you away.

And it's just the restaurant you are going to likely.

The one near my house sells a Tom Yum soup that's very spicy even at 4 or 5. Probably varies by dish and location I guess.

Say you want it "Thai hot." At least that's how we order it here if you want it really spicy. If it still isn't spicy, find a new thai restaurant. I like spicy food and have a high tolerance, but I no longer order it that hot because of the flaming shits the next day.

This. You are getting the white-boy treatment. Next time order it the spiciest level (don't give them a #, tell them you want it Thai Hot) and if it still doesn't register ask them to bring out a spice tray. Add what you want. They'll get the message and eventually will give you the real stuff. I've received the white-boy treatment at Thai restaurants before and now let them know how I really want it. Usually when I go to a place with an Asian person they give me the real stuff without having to ask.

Yes - papaya salad is good stuff.

Peanut dressing FTW!

Red or panang curry thai hot is my typical go-to. Amazing stuff.

Tom Kha is better. Extremely Awesome. I love tofu in soup so I often order Tom Kha Tofu. Those insistent upon meat can go with Tom Kha Gai.


DaKCMan AP, Thai food addict.

I haven't eaten any Thai in about a yr. Love Pad Thai. There was a great Thai take out place near where I lived in Ohio. They would make it HOT like I like it.

That soup is good.. I prefer mine without so much coconut, which I think has another Thai name I don't remember right now. Otherwise, I think it is pretty much the same spices.

For me it's waking up at 4 am with digestional uncomfort.. that goes on and on... It is sad to have to reduce one's normal heat amount by a level or two.

Even a good amount of Jalapenos can do it to me now. Damn getting old(er).

My wife makes Thai peanut chicken wraps, and the heat of course varies with how much she puts in them...but DAAAAAMN I live those things.

There's a decent Thai joint in west Omaha that does the pepper scale. Like, 5 red peppers and you're in mortal danger. I was there a couple weeks ago, ordered some red curry chicken dish... Can't exactly recall what it was. Anywho, it was a 3 on the pepper scale and I had the drizzling burn-shits for two days.
It was decent but just not my cup of tea.
There's a Mongolian BBQ joint right next to it where you pick your raw ingredients, hand them to the cook and he makes it in front of you. You add your own sauces, etc.
guaranteed to give you the runs in 6 hours or less or your money back.

Next time tell them you want massive amounts of Ghost Peppers for flavoring.

Is that the Thai Pepper on like 120th and Q?

I eat Phad Thai almost exclusively. One of my favorite foods on Earth. **** the star system. Tell them you want it THAI spicy and they'll know what the **** you're talking about, and it will be perfect. I like my Thai hotter than my women, so I'm picking up what you're laying down. If the place is authentic Thai, trust me, just say you want it Thai spicy.

Oops. Q on my part. Seriously though, it's one of my favorite foods on Earth and I eat the **** out of it. Found a whole in the wall down here in Missurah that does it well. Just order it Thai spicy.

NewChief has it. From what I've been told, there are completely different scales for Thai and non-Thai people. non-Thai hot is Thai mild-to-medium. Thai hot is something of unsearing pain.

If you're weak. Don't get me wrong, Thai Hot is spicy... but that's how I like it.



DaKCMan AP.. Thai Hot King and Conquerer

I eat Thai all the time and I've never heard of ordering it on a scale of 1-10. I just tell them I like it pretty spicy, they bring it, and if it isn't hot enough (rare), I add some siracha to it.

The one near me doesn't say anything about 1-10 unless I say spicy/not spicy. My wife doesn't like spicy at all, so I tell them not spicy and they'll say "1-10, how spicy?" I don't know how scientific it is or anything, though.

I remember one Chinese restaurant I used to go to, when you ordered a dish marked as "spicy" the guy would go, "You want Hot. Hot Hot? Or Hot Hot Hot?"

Thai House in SKC will bring out a tray of spices, which I think is the best method of dealing with that issue. Another place in the Northland, Tasty Thai, has told me they do Thai Hot, Thai Hot *2, *3, and 'Nuke', but I went up that scale and wasn't impressed at all, even after telling them 'not white-guy hot, but Thai hot'. But, they have Pad Thai Tuesdays, which comes with an extra serving for $1, so I take that home and put some Blazzin or Near Death Sauce in it.

Sounds like you need to find another thai restaurant.

Try drunken noodles, aka pad kee mow. Yummers. Thai basil also has heat. I usually order my dishes around a 7, but there is this one spot that does 1-5 level and I can barely handle their 2.5.

Find another Thai restaurant.

you are going to the wrong thai spot & pad thai is not really the right plate for spicy -- order something like beef/red curry or spicy ________ and you will get the heet.

really tho, you need to find the right place to get the right food.

HonestChiefsFan disapproves of this thread

that's where I go. I just ate there yesterday. I usually get the pad thai dish that is served in the giant egg crepe, and then a second order for $1 for my wife. I get it "hot", and it's about a 7 out of 10 for me, and I love spicy food. I sometimes have to add a few squirt lines of siracha still, but Tasty Thai is good stuff.

For the record, my 3 times were at 3 different restaurants. I'll ask for Thai spicy next time.

I want to branch out, but Pad Thai is so good.

The food is good and fairly authentic compared to other Thai places I've tried... just wasn't impressed by the 'Thai hot', but I've built up quite a bit of tolerance. And you can't beat the second lunch for a buck. Their Thai iced coffee is really good, too, and it's a good choice with really spicy food.

Mmmmmm, now I want Thai for lunch.

As for the really spicy stuff, as I've gotten older, I still like it, but it doesn't like me. I don't order it really hot anymore. Not a fan of the screaming flamethrower shits that come later. :eek:

I've only had it one time...at a resort in Thailand. I was able to take two bites before my eyes were watering and my ears were sweating. And I didn't even order it spicy. I think the staff saw a farang and decided to have some fun.

Dude, you need to branch out...you're missing some great food. Thai curries are awesome, and if you're ever in a Thai place that has access to good, fresh seafood, order some soft shell crab curry. And get mango & sticky rice for dessert.

Order it Junior Seau....prepared to be blown away.

My god Thai food at high levels is awesome. Sinuses clear for a week.

A Thai Hot Karl should work

Take a Zantac before you eat it.... No problems

every Thai place I've been to you have the following options

Mild (+)
Medium (+)
Hot (+)
Thai Hot

(+) meaning you want it a little hotter than Mild/Medium/Hot, but not to the next step


Pad Thai is the California Roll of Thai food.

LMAO

I think it varies from place to place.
One place I go, a '5' (or medium) is ****ing super hot. Good, but hot. I LOVE spicy food.

Other places, I've asked for Hot and it comes out with hardly any kick.

Once I found a place I really liked, I stick with them so I know what to expect.

As for branching out from the Pad Thai:

Tom Ka Tofu (or Tom Ka Gai if you want chicken) is awesome shit. Seriously. It's like the best soup flavor combination in existence. It's also usually one of the best values on the menu, as it's usually priced like an appetizer but can easily be eaten as an entree with rice.

If you really like the flavor of Pad Thai and want to branch out a bit with a few more vegetables: Pad See Eeu.

All curries are awesome and worth trying: red, green, massaman, panang.

there are thai people in san diego?

Thai Hot. "Thai Spicy" just sounds stupid. Don't allow the restaurant people think you're stupid.

+10

This. Or, of course, the minus option as well.

ya good post. tom ka gai is a coconut based soup that has some herbs that are not meant to be eaten and it can be very spicy. I'll hit that stuff when I feel a cold/flu coming on.

for those of you that may be visiting Los Angeles, Torung is popular spot among entertainment industry circles and has been doin' it right a very long time;


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I had some shit I couldn't pronounce that had squid in it, and a hint of star anise flavor in an almost black sauce, with green onions, and red and green peppers. It had the word Phet in it, but I can't remember what it was called. it was killer, and very spicy.

Ok, I looked it up. Pla Muet Pad Phet. Thai for spicy squid and veggies in a black broth I guess.

Massaman chicken is my go-to for Thai.

I only tried curry based dishes once at a Thai place. I didn't care for it. Of course, I didn't know what the hell I was ordering at that time, so I'm sure there are other curry dishes that are better than what I had.

So I should probably give it another go.

Most people think "curried dishes" mean they are flavored with that yellow "curry powder" that we are all familiar with. Far from it. Curry is simply a mixing of spices, so there are many different curried dishes.

Hmm. Good to know. I think whatever I had was just a shot in the dark being my first time at a Thai place years ago.

do you dislike coconut milk? thai curries use it as a base. thai curries can be done very poorly too, it's not easy to find a thai spot that really knows how to do curries.

I like coconut milk.
I remember sitting there at a company lunch thing, and next thing I knew the waiter was standing there asking for my order....and I hadn't even looked at the menu yet lol.

So that probably has a lot to do with it.

Curry = happy DaKCMan AP.

Preferably Thai curry. Red curry. Panang curry.

But yellow curry, green curry, massaman curry, Indian curry, Chinese curry (green/yellow), Jamaican curry still = happy DaKCMan AP.

Thai curries typically use garlic, shrimp paste, thai chilis, and then other aromatics, usually fresh, and made into a paste with water or coconut milk.

I could see it being difficult in the Midwest. I've been a few places that were terrible. However, in FL and a lot of the places I travel it's not difficult to find a good Thai restaurant.

winner winner curry dinner:D

Try Siamese Basil in Encinitas

I swear that Fayetteville, Arkansas is the Thai food capital of the South. We have 19 thai restaurants in a town of 60,000.

Not a single Indian restaurant, though. :(

Tiny little Jonesboro, AR, has the best Indian food I've ever had...

Sounds amazing. My kids ordered some squid dish at one of our local thai restaurants. The flavor was good, but the squid was like chewing on a piece of rubber. Of course, we ARE in Arkansas, so I wasn't expecting much. If the kids want to order something crazy like squid, though, I humor them.

That's my favorite. I ordered it the first time I met my in-laws in Thailand. As it turns out, it's considered "peasant food" over there :LOL: But its definitely good stuff.

Zombies love that Thai shit LMAO

I have a recipe for Tom Kha that is really ****ing good, and simple to make. I love Thai food.

I had Rama Chicken for lunch. Tame but tasty.

this

as you get older its the exit that is the problem


Man ... if you get a clay,mud shit combined with flamethrower hot food and you are a messed up for the night.

All curry yum!!!! theres a spot that does a tri-color Curry(3 curries together). OUTSTANDING!

An authenticity gauge I use is chinese broccoli -- if they have this then they are good thai food 9.9 times outta ten. I may only ask if they use it, but I do like chinese broccoli. sometimes it is listed in the menu.


although not real authentic, I go to this spot in KC

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The best I've had outside of Thailand was in Seattle, and they have several good Thai restaurants.

One of the interesting dynamics in our local Thai scene is an appreciation of good beer. It's really strange, but the good thai joints all have a self-serve cooler with tons of Czech and Belgian selections.

I think it all started when one of our first Thai restaurants was opened by an Anglo ex-military dude who had married a Thai woman. He and her extended family all moved back and opened the restaurant. The anglo had been stationed in Europe as well as SE Asia, and he started loving those beers there. I guess the practice spread from there as other people noticed the success of his restaurant. Now when you go into a local thai joint, they almost always have a healthy selection of european beer.

The Pacific Northwest in general has great food. When I was in Vancouver the ethnic food was outstanding.

Looks interesting and pretty gimmicky, but will have to try it sometime.... I accept their Thai Hot Challenge. Not sure if it's there any longer, but there used to be one next to the strip joint just south of Sprint Center that was really good.

which reminds me -- singha beer is good thai beer :D

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...iereSingha.jpg

Thai Place has a couple of locations in KC, and has been around forever. Their food is very good. Love the fresh spring rolls, and mother in-law beef.

I'll keep that in mind when I drive in that area

It may be authentic, but Chinese broccoli is vile. Ick.

/thread

(or Thai Spicy)

oh shut the **** up its the same ****ing thing you bumpkin

Thai Paradise is what I was thinking of... doesn't come up when searching though, so it might not be there any longer.


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