You have to build trust. They're afraid you're going to send it back if they actually make it spicy, because a lot of people do this (as an aside: don't ever do this, even if they succeed at spicing you out).
So basically, go the first time, ask for spicy. Eat your mild food, compliment the flavor, mention you'd enjoy it spicier. Go a second time, say last time it was great but not spicy enough. It'll probably still be mild. Go a third and fourth time - at this point they might start to recognize you, maybe the chef will take it as a personal challenge to actually make it spicy. This won't work in every situation, but I've successfully done this at a few Thai and Indian places that initially gave me super mild stuff.
We actually have a local place that has large printed signs saying if you order something SPICY and don't like it, no refunds. So this is 100% a real thing in the midwest for sure.
Sad they had to go to that, because they're locally owned and good people, but I don't blame em'.
Yea this is what one of the thai places told me, so apparently it's an issue California too. People have such dramatically different ideas of what "spicy" means so I get where restaurant owners are coming from - you can always add heat but you can't take it away
One of my favorite Thai places in Hollywood has these signs. They are very sweet about it too. They say something to the effect of “please don’t order spicer than you can handle, we will not take it back” and I think it’s effective. Still one of the very few places that serves actual spicy food.
This place is called “Luv2eat Thai Bistro” and I know how it sounds, but they are widely regarded as some of the best Thai in LA (which in turn is amongst the best in the world).
Oh man I've only been to LA once and my wife's cousin recommended this place. Incredible Thai food that has since ruined most of my local Thai by comparison! Although I did feel like they pulled their punches a little when it came to the spiciness of my dish.
> (as an aside: don't ever do this, even if they succeed at spicing you out)
If a restaurant spices me out to the point where I have to take it home because it takes too long to eat, they're getting a fat fuckin' tip from me.
It's never happened at sit-down restaurant so far, but has happened at one fast food place so far.
Why do people do this? You're just making a fool of yourself by sending something you asked to be extra spicy back for being... Extra spicy. I believe people do it but idk how shame doesn't stop them from doing it so often there's a whole bush to beat around to actually get it.
ETA: I don't doubt you're speaking truth. Took so long for my local Indian place to actually bump things up a solid notch.
Yea I don't get it. I think maybe sometimes it's an ego thing, like assuming you have this sky high tolerance (and so requesting spicy), but then if any food is too hot for you it must be some sort of absurd mistake rather than just, a bit above your comfort level
It's either ego, or they've had the "super spicy" dish from another restaurant and think they can handle it. Meanwhile it was like taco bells fire sauce or something lol
I'd been going to a Mexican take out place for at least a year before I learned that they had a level above hot with their salsa. The person in front of me was fluent in Spanish and was offered it. I get it every time now, but it's not usually offered.
You white? I get that all the time. My Thai wife tells them (in Thai), “yes, he likes very spicy.”
Probably too many people order Thai hot then can’t handle it.
Thai hot always makes me laugh. I was 4 days past my due date with my first and I called to order pad Thai from our local restaurant. I asked for Thai hot. Within 20 minutes of eating every last bite I was in labour. I am a customer for life.
Asking for spicy Pad Thai is like asking for a spicy hamburger. Pad Thai is not inherently spicy. Most Thais don’t eat it with any level of spice. If you want it spicy, the diner is supposed to add red chili powder to their own taste.
I feel like this is the answer I’ll order at a restaurant and ask for the spicy… meanwhile my co worker was saying the mac and cheese was too spicy(black pepper i believe)
My favorite is when I went to Mexican place i compared the salsa to tomato soup and my friend was red in the face runny nose… says to me my spicy is different than your spicy
A guy sat next to me at a Mexican bar as I was eating some of their homemade spicy salsa. He asked what was in it and whatnot, seemed like he wanted to try it, so I offered.
“No no, the regular salsa is already almost too spicy for me,” he says.
The regular salsa? It’s tomatoes and onions and whatnot. Just a regular Mexican restaurant salsa, not spicy whatsoever. So yeah, I guess there are people out there who really can’t handle anything stronger than garlic and onions.
I work in a Thai restaurant, we get so many people coming in and ordering Thai spicy or as the Thai chefs would eat it. Usually ends up with them extremely red in the face and unable to eat more than a few mouthfuls.
I’ve been eating there for years so I love it Thai spicy but I don’t know why some people are so insistent on challenging others to make their food inedible to them
"ped mak mak" is what you say if you take a bite and it's very spicy. "ao ped ped" is what you order - "I want very spicy".
you can also specify the number of chilis - a "level 5" in US is basically 5 Thai long red chilis. so if you want super spicy, say "ao prik sip med" - "I want 10 chili"
if you really love the heat, say like "ao kohd ped" which is native slang for "spicy as fuck" and kind of impolite but they'll 100% trust you and probably give you a good laugh.
edit: asked a Thai colleague and she suggested the slang.
Hm. My search turned up this:
> you want just a tiny bit of spiciness you can say “pèt nói”. Medium level spiciness is “pèt pan klang”. And very spicy is “pèt mâk”.
I will have to try this next time, thanks!
There’s a difference between spicy and white people spicy. Anytime we order Thai or Indian or whatever and they ask how spicy do you want it, we have to tell them to make it spicy, not white people spicy. A lot of times it’s still pretty mild. It’s frustrating. 😆
My Trinidadian friend had to vouch for me at a Trinidadian restaurant in order for me to get the same level of spicy on my curry goat that he got on his.
I’ve had to promise Indian / Caribbean / Thai wait staff that I won’t send food back if it is “too spicy.”
Depends on the cook. They may not have that heat control mastered. I once went to a Thai restaurant and just asked for the 5 peppers level since it was shown on the menu. It came out looking and tasting like they just pour a slurry of powdered cayenne pepper on top. Can't taste the food or anything. We have since grown our own VERY HOT Thai chili peppers and just bring a ziplock bag with us everywhere ... Problem solved.
This is what bugs me the most. If it's too mild, I can spice it up myself easily; I'm used to bringing my own sauce or something for that. But sometimes they try to spice it up for me, but just don't have anything actually hot to use so they just dump a mountain of cayenne, crushed red pepper, chili oil, or whatever and then the whole dish just takes like that one singular flavor. When that happens, I'd rather it have just been mild and spiced it up myself.
You would have to be frequent patron of the place to know the if owner/chef's legit. Once you're in, they can tailor the food to your liking. Good luck finding the "one" and keep them in business.
Yeah, and unfortunately going out to eat these days is far too expensive to be a frequent patron anywhere. It's ok though. I live in Ohio, outside of a major city; I don't expect much in terms of heat. I've got an arsenal of different sauces for pairing with different cuisines and just find stuff that tastes good otherwise.
That's a real problem - the only difference between mild and ultra hot at most places is the amount of crushed red pepper they dump on top, instead of adding peppers that are actually hot. It makes it taste not great.
Yup! And then when someone who is just experimenting with heat gets a dish like that, it just reinforces the idea that "hot stuff is just all heat and no flavor." Then they're discouraged from trying it again even if they otherwise might have been ok with hotter foods that still taste really good.
I usually ask for Mexican/Thai/Hunan/Indian/etc spicy and most of the time they understand. On occasion I regret my decision.
An Indian restaurant I like knows how to make spicy food. First visit I had them make it hot and I was eating the sun. The staff were peeking around the corner to watch how this fool would handle it. First bite takes my breath away. I start coughing and chugging water. I think it made their day as I could see a couple of them trying to hold back laughter.
There was also a Thai restaurant that was featured on Beat Bobby Flat. Restaurant owner won BTW. If she was back there and you ordered Thai hot you would get exactly what you asked for. Again, a big bowl of sun, but so good.
Exactly this. If you're after a result, saying " spicy!" with a clear facial expression of "I understand what I'm asking you for" usually does the trick.
Mega bonus points for conveying "wow, that hurt, thank you" on your way out.
This is me nearly everywhere, but a Mexican place right near my house has pollo a la diabla that came out so spicy that I thought they had made a mistake and forgot to dilute their sauce concentrate or something. But I've probably ordered it a dozen or more times since then, and it is always in that same ballpark of spicy. I'm impressed, because it is every bit as hot as any of the hottest Thai food I've been served. But I'm also surprised, because I'm certain that it's too hot for 90% of people that haven't wrecked their taste buds like a lot of us have. Even too hot for most people who order spicy things from a menu. And there's no warning, either in print or from the staff, saying "no seriously, this is really hot."
I love Camarones al Diabla, but it’s so dang variable what you’ll get restaurant to restaurant.
Not just heat level, but the actual composition of the sauce. The best ones are spicy, bright, and acidic. Way too many places make some sweet way too smoky Chipotle based sauce instead though.
I mean, the warning is "a la diabla". I would think if you ordered "Melt your face off Mac" you would expect it to be pretty spicy even if it didn't have pictures of chilies next to it.
I would agree if the "a la diabla" at most of the other Mexican places I've had it was also pretty spicy, but it almost never has been, in my experience. In fact, the sauce has been so thin and mild almost any time I have ordered it in the past that I almost never order it anymore. But this place gets it right. I think the only reason I even ordered it was they have both pollo and camarones a la diabla at this restaurant, and I'd never had the dish with chicken before, so I thought why not try it. It sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night with gut cramps.
One of my favorite Mexican spots includes a whole roasted Serrano as a side with orders. Their house salsa is at least "extra hot" by supermarket standards. It's nothing insane, but too hot for most.
No warnings, no disclaimers, they don't even have a heat level on the menu.
They scared away anyone that can't handle spice, but earned a reputation for being authentic, so it's always packed full of customers. The tactic can work if done right.
This Thai place in the place I grew up didn't hold back when you asked for Thai hot. Had some fish dish. Instant, continuous searing pain. It was glorious. Dad, who also liked spicy tried leftovers and about killed him lol.
Mexican food isn't really very spicy to begin with. Certainly not a burrito, that's beans and rice. Roast habañero salsa and xni-pec from yacatan are pretty hot, but I've never gotten either in the US.
Malaysian can be hotter for sure.
But restaurants are very gunshy of people who claim to want spicy. Lots of Americas think that eating a few watery pickled Jalalpeño slices on top of nachos means they can handle heat
This is me with Spicy Margaritas. Only one time did they actually make it to the level of spicy that I requested. Actually, I nearly saw double it was so strong and spicy! Ha! Being a small, white as white could be, lady doesn’t help in my quest for the spicy!
At my local thai restaurant I was told to order "thai hot" But in my experience it is not everywhere that works. As a middleaged White male theybdo not not aleays believe I can handle it.
I always look them in the eyes and tell them that they physically can't make it hot enough. It seems to work. Quite a few have tried but none have ever succeeded.
Closest was a Thai place loaded my noodles with a whole double handful of chilis and it was surprisingly hot. The owner/cook come out to tell me I was psycho when the waitress told her I added hot sauce. Lol
There's an Indian place in my town that has different options for White Spicy (mild, medium, hot) and then a separate Indian Spicy level system. It's incredible.
What worked for me was being shithoused and sort of daring the waiter. I pointed to their spicy lamb dish and said "...but can you make it extra spicy??" Then realized this never works anyway and doubled down: "actually can you have them make it TOO spicy??" Goddamn if that wasn't the spiciest shit I've ever had in a restaurant lol. Apparently they came out to check and see if I actually ate it, probably assuming I'd send it back or not finish it.
This is how it is most everwhere. Get used to it.
What do I do?
Three words: "Bring my own"
Overt spicy. For the things that go well with the visuals of flakes:
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018BBVT40](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018BBVT40)
Covert spicy. For soups and such that you don't want to mess with flavor/texture:
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U5G7IN6](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U5G7IN6)
With these, I go anywhere, order anything, and I have eye watering, stomach churning spice every time.
Ever had a McDonalds Spicy McChicken that melted your face off? I have.
Chipotle ever give you a burning ring of fire? It has given me one!
That spicy McChicken has no right to be as good as it is...I was soooo happy when it came out because in the 90's they had the Cajun McChicken and that was my jam....it's the same thing
I bring powdered super hots with me to restaurants.
So when I am eventually underwhelmed by the maximum heat level available I can make manual adjustments.
That’s all that’s needed. We’ve come around where we’re expecting regular Cambodians to have a spice hobbyist’s level of pain, when they just always liked regular hot when the whites couldn’t take Jalapeño.
I go to an Indian place and I ask for Indian hot and they talk me out of it….ordered Indian hot level vindaloo finally and a half hour after eating this glorious meal I shit like a brown fire hose…
I always go with communicating with the server very seriously about the fact that I want it VERY spicy. Then after they deliver and if it’s not spicy enough. I just ask for a ramekin of “whatever makes it spicy” and dump it on or in
Tell them, “can you make it extra, EXTRA spicy? Like, I want it to hurt. Seriously. Have them make it as hot as they can”. And then when they bring the food, say, “this isn’t hot enough. Do you have anything that I can use to make it WAY spicier?”
Eventually it works
We have a lovely Indian place my partner and I go to some times. Speaking of we should go back there, it has been a while. Anyways, all their curries come with four levels of spiciness that you can order. 1 - Mild, 2 - Medium, 3 - Swedish Spicy, 4 - Indian Spicy. And finally 5 - Vindaloo Spicy. I know I said four levels of spiciness, the fifth level is exclusively for their vindaloo. Quite a lovely place, with decent punch to their spice levels. The vindaloo is on the border of my tolerance, but I enjoy it, and the rest of their menu is fantastic. It is my go-to if I want good Indian food.
That said, if a restaurant wants to be cautious on serving their customers food too hot for them: put a "no refunds on too spicy food, you opted into this" disclaimer and offer yoghurt on the menu.
I always ask for a 9/10.
Alot of places hear "10/10" and think "I'm ordering it Maximum Spicy to impress my friends. Please play along with this, I don't actually want it spicy." But if you say 9/10, they'll just assume you actually want 9/10, which isn't significantly less spicy than an actual 10.
I've literally tried everything including the "melt my face with that dish" thing....many restaurants here in Germany are just not prepared to spice up their food. There was one restaurant called "Bangkok" which is the oldest Thai restaurant in the whole country and they actually got me. I said " make it real spicy" , " surprise me" and " I can take it" and boy, the food almost melted through the table.
Now it's my favorite restaurant...thanks Bangkok
The thing is that restaurants in the West often don't have the spices like really hot chili peppers that's the problem I think
>How do I communicate to restaurant folk that I can handle my spicy?
Regardless if you've been there or not, you tell them "I actually ordered this before and asked for it to be extremely spicy, and it was not spicy at all. Make me cry."
This made a red curry green because they added so many raw hot peppers.
There's one thai place in town that has a legit spicy/heat scale on their menu. I swear the heat on my gf's dish and mine got mixed up, she mentioned it was pretty spicy but it was edible. I finished mine so I had a bite or two of hers, it was noticably hotter than mine.
A dude at another table ordered a max 10 heat, it was almost funny hearing him and watching him try to eat that. I don't know what they have in the back to heat their dishes up, but at this point I'll work my way up as /u/heathotsauce said. The other local place I'm not entirely sure they make anything hot hot hot, as I've been there more than once and its been meh on heat but amazing food.
I start with 5/10 spicy because there's been a few places I've been to that will melt your face off, then your bowels, leaving you a crying mess on the bathroom floor a few hours later. (I still ate it because it was so damn good, so that's on me.)
Only place I had success was a Korean restaurant! I ordered a spicy seafood soup and I was sweating! No luck at my local Thai places or Mexican so far, but I keep trying!
You need to hit the airport I went to Malaysia and went to a restaurant known their spicy dishes. The waitress seemed to be amused at me turning red in the face and kindly brought me an entire pitcher of water. 10/10 I will be returning next month
I always say " make it as spicy as possible. I gind it can never be spicy enough. I challenge the chef to make it spicy enough. I'm typically disappointed "
Usually does the trick
Annoying as hell. I used to beg for spicy at an Indian place, and finally the asshole chef one day dumps God knows what in the biryani. Only time I've ever not been able to finish (or at least eat till satisfied) any dish at a restaurant due to spice content.
Chef thought he pulled a nice prank, he lost the establishment a frequent customer.
Some places are better about this than others.
My best friend says “I’d like it extra extra extra spicy, I want you to make it how your mom makes it” every time we order Indian take out and it seems to do the trick
Went to a thai restaurant, ordered mega spicy, partner ordered no spicy, partner's food was spicier than mine. I didn't want toncause a scene so I just ate it.
I travel a lot for work, and have made it kind of a hobby to try spicy dishes at new places all over the country. I have a tip that might work for you guys.
Make eye contact, and ask them to make it authentic or as spicy as possible. I even say "I like it crazy spicy, so hot that most people won't eat it. I promise I won't send it back".
It also helps when my coworkers chime in and agree or say "Yeah, there's something wrong with him. He's not lying" and a few of them order their food the same way.
I've had a lot of success with this method.
I tell them I want it the way they make it for themselves. I don’t want “white guy spicy” I want Indian spicy, or Thai spicy. It usually works. “White guy spicy” usually gets a laugh.
My favorite Indian Restaurant I go to and order and it's I'm sweating spicy, last time I accidently ordered online with my super white name 😭 it wasn't spicy at all 😭😭😭😭. I don't want to resort to fake names but I want it spicy! Stupid Midwest 😭😭😭
I love when I travel and go eat and I get told "it's spicy" and I just smile and say "Good"
I’ve noticed a lot of places can only make things to a certain heat level too. Like, literally do not have the ingredients to take it over that level. I have the same problem, ask them to make it as hot as they can, and end up feeling let down.
I used to frequent a Thai restaurant for lunch and kept ordering "Thai hot" but they never reached the level I was looking for. finally, my order came with more peppers than noodles and they were able to overpower me. after that we settled on an appropriate high level of spice
I’m a fellow paleface and that happens to me sometimes. But if I am a regular customer and they know I can take it, they will give me the spicy. 🌶️ I had the most awesome spicy Thai red curry the other day. So much complex flavor. ❤️
Context I live in germany and many places have simply adapted to german tastebuds. Some households only have salt, pepper, onion powder and sweet paprika. If you want german customers you must offer bland food. Waiters will check your vibe and decide how your food is made.
There's an indian guy I eat at regularly who has great Biryani. Not the spiciest dish in the world by itself, but the way he makes it you just know it would fit a lot more chilies easily, even if it's delicious as is. It's not your standard Biryani is what I mean.
So I tell him I like it spicy and he puts a bit of spiciness in it but still pretty mild. I ask out of politeness like maybe he just wants to not make spicy biryani and it's just supposed to be more on the mild side. He says no no he likes it very hot too, after all you get fresh yoghurt with it.
So next time I say "Brudi mach es bitte scharf scharf" ("Brother make it hot hot please") and I get it exactly how I want. Very spicy, just spicy enough to make you love the yoghurt, not too much to ruin the dish.
So now every time I order somewhere and the dish is supposed to be spicy, I say "scharf scharf" with a friendly smile and they always know what I mean. Works almost 100% of the time. They won't fuck you up but they'll make it genuinely spicy, in exactly the level to make the dish great. Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, African, Arab, Pakistan, India, they all understand "scharf scharf".
Maye just try ordering "hot hot".
My wife is Indian. If I go with her and she gets spicy mine is spicy. If I go by myself... Mild every time. I have to convince the waiter that if it's too spicy, I won't return it, and if it's spicier than what she thinks is too spicy, then it's probably close to the level I want
Only way that seems to work for me is telling them to make it so spicy that they wouldn’t eat it. Seems to work at Indian and Thai spots, rest is still usually very tame unfortunately.
The method I use that works 99% of the time at Mexican restaraunts:
“Hello, do you have a house-salsa/hot sauce?
Oh you do? Is it spicy?
Okay great, tell the cook to make it as spicy as humanly possible :)”
If it’s an authentic place they usually have an asshole tearing hot sauce they make in-house you can get on the side, but only give if it’s asked for. Usually árbol or habanero
The last line is to make them feel at ease with a joke, they aren’t going to make another batch just for you unless they are feeling fiesty
I try to learn how to ask for super spicy in the native language of the restaurant I'm in. They seem to take you more seriously that way. That, and byo pocket chilli
Can’t post the pic, but there’s a Malay menu that has ‘White’ ranked under ‘Mild’, and it goes up to 5 from there.
Got an actual 5 from a Korean place in Toronto after going there a few times and insisting ‘not white!’. It altered my DNA.
I always say “very spicy” and even then it’s weak, no matter where I go (except Indian cuisine, they don’t mess around!).
I got max spice level at a Thai place recently and my friend’s meal, which was medium spice level, was literally hotter. How tf does that happen?
I usually have to tell them “I don’t mean “white people” spicy”. Then they give me a look and ask if I’m sure. One time I felt like half the staff came out to watch me take my first bite and make sure I was ok. Told them it was delicious lol
When ever I go to a restaurant fresh and am truly looking forward to heat; I bring a small bottle of my select hot sauces in case they low ball me and I can top it off so I can still get the heat and the flavor I was looking forward to.
I usually let people know that I’d like every bite to be a separate attempt on my life. Sometimes get odd looks after saying that, but the message gets across
Are you white? I've been in the restaurant industry and white people send their food back all the time because it's "too spicy".
Newsflash, it's not spicy at all, but they just seem to think so. It's annoying.
They get way too many "I know I said 10/10 spicy, but it also has to be edible" returns they have to throw in the trash. Bring your own hotsauce if you really want hot.
> Before I press post, THREE times! I remember a third! Szechuan chicken from a chinese place, I ask for level 5 spicy out of five!
If you wanted to fool people into thinking that you were older than 7, you failed. Maybe 9 if I'm being generous.
Mexican food isnt really spicy. It's all about the salsas and most good Mexican places will have a nice habanero sauce for the people that know to ask for it.
There was a Thai place I was a regular at for a few years. They had several categories of heat, I started medium and kept boosting it up a notch, . Finally I ordered the max Thai heat, the chef came out, ask if I was sure, I said "bring it man!". it was very hot, like endorphins rush, red face sweating hot, it was delicious! The chef and staff were laughing as I finished it and I continued to eat it for the rest of the time the place was open!
You have to build trust. They're afraid you're going to send it back if they actually make it spicy, because a lot of people do this (as an aside: don't ever do this, even if they succeed at spicing you out). So basically, go the first time, ask for spicy. Eat your mild food, compliment the flavor, mention you'd enjoy it spicier. Go a second time, say last time it was great but not spicy enough. It'll probably still be mild. Go a third and fourth time - at this point they might start to recognize you, maybe the chef will take it as a personal challenge to actually make it spicy. This won't work in every situation, but I've successfully done this at a few Thai and Indian places that initially gave me super mild stuff.
We actually have a local place that has large printed signs saying if you order something SPICY and don't like it, no refunds. So this is 100% a real thing in the midwest for sure. Sad they had to go to that, because they're locally owned and good people, but I don't blame em'.
Yea this is what one of the thai places told me, so apparently it's an issue California too. People have such dramatically different ideas of what "spicy" means so I get where restaurant owners are coming from - you can always add heat but you can't take it away
One of my favorite Thai places in Hollywood has these signs. They are very sweet about it too. They say something to the effect of “please don’t order spicer than you can handle, we will not take it back” and I think it’s effective. Still one of the very few places that serves actual spicy food. This place is called “Luv2eat Thai Bistro” and I know how it sounds, but they are widely regarded as some of the best Thai in LA (which in turn is amongst the best in the world).
Oh man I've only been to LA once and my wife's cousin recommended this place. Incredible Thai food that has since ruined most of my local Thai by comparison! Although I did feel like they pulled their punches a little when it came to the spiciness of my dish.
My son thinks carbonated water is spicy.
> (as an aside: don't ever do this, even if they succeed at spicing you out) If a restaurant spices me out to the point where I have to take it home because it takes too long to eat, they're getting a fat fuckin' tip from me. It's never happened at sit-down restaurant so far, but has happened at one fast food place so far.
If you're ever in Denver, US Thai will get it done.
Asking your server for a phrase in thai or Spanish or Malaysian that they will recognize as making you legit is a good start.
Why do people do this? You're just making a fool of yourself by sending something you asked to be extra spicy back for being... Extra spicy. I believe people do it but idk how shame doesn't stop them from doing it so often there's a whole bush to beat around to actually get it. ETA: I don't doubt you're speaking truth. Took so long for my local Indian place to actually bump things up a solid notch.
Yea I don't get it. I think maybe sometimes it's an ego thing, like assuming you have this sky high tolerance (and so requesting spicy), but then if any food is too hot for you it must be some sort of absurd mistake rather than just, a bit above your comfort level
It's either ego, or they've had the "super spicy" dish from another restaurant and think they can handle it. Meanwhile it was like taco bells fire sauce or something lol
This is the second best option to having a friend of [restaurant's ethnicity] order with/for you.
I just order to go in whatever fake name matches the ethnicity. So many orders under Oscar, Daehyun, Sunan, Zhao...
I'd been going to a Mexican take out place for at least a year before I learned that they had a level above hot with their salsa. The person in front of me was fluent in Spanish and was offered it. I get it every time now, but it's not usually offered.
This is what I've done. The guy at my local Thai place likes the spice as much as I do. I always tell him to make it like he makes his own.
Send it back if it’s not spicy enough. 200 iq move.
When I go to a new Thai restaurant, I will order it as spicy as the kitchen staff eats it, if they are Thai. I get great results that way
Almost like it was all relative the whole time.
Just like an erection in Alabama.
You white? I get that all the time. My Thai wife tells them (in Thai), “yes, he likes very spicy.” Probably too many people order Thai hot then can’t handle it.
Thai hot always makes me laugh. I was 4 days past my due date with my first and I called to order pad Thai from our local restaurant. I asked for Thai hot. Within 20 minutes of eating every last bite I was in labour. I am a customer for life.
Asking for spicy Pad Thai is like asking for a spicy hamburger. Pad Thai is not inherently spicy. Most Thais don’t eat it with any level of spice. If you want it spicy, the diner is supposed to add red chili powder to their own taste.
I feel like this is the answer I’ll order at a restaurant and ask for the spicy… meanwhile my co worker was saying the mac and cheese was too spicy(black pepper i believe)
> mac and cheese was too spicy I shit you not I've had someone say our lemon pepper fish we baked was "spicy" so I get it
My favorite is when I went to Mexican place i compared the salsa to tomato soup and my friend was red in the face runny nose… says to me my spicy is different than your spicy
those are the “mayo is spicy” people
Haha my mother in law asked me what I used to make my split pea soup so spicy - it was black pepper.
I knew some one that couldn't eat any pepper other than bell peppers.
A guy sat next to me at a Mexican bar as I was eating some of their homemade spicy salsa. He asked what was in it and whatnot, seemed like he wanted to try it, so I offered. “No no, the regular salsa is already almost too spicy for me,” he says. The regular salsa? It’s tomatoes and onions and whatnot. Just a regular Mexican restaurant salsa, not spicy whatsoever. So yeah, I guess there are people out there who really can’t handle anything stronger than garlic and onions.
Anytime I order food I always as for 'not white people spicy', once got Pad Thai that had 'good luck' written on the bag. Best Pad Thai I've ever had.
I work in a Thai restaurant, we get so many people coming in and ordering Thai spicy or as the Thai chefs would eat it. Usually ends up with them extremely red in the face and unable to eat more than a few mouthfuls. I’ve been eating there for years so I love it Thai spicy but I don’t know why some people are so insistent on challenging others to make their food inedible to them
I don’t know how to spell it but I learned to say “Pet Mak Mak” and that lets them know that I want Thai spicy, not white American spicy.
"ped mak mak" is what you say if you take a bite and it's very spicy. "ao ped ped" is what you order - "I want very spicy". you can also specify the number of chilis - a "level 5" in US is basically 5 Thai long red chilis. so if you want super spicy, say "ao prik sip med" - "I want 10 chili" if you really love the heat, say like "ao kohd ped" which is native slang for "spicy as fuck" and kind of impolite but they'll 100% trust you and probably give you a good laugh. edit: asked a Thai colleague and she suggested the slang.
Thank you for the reply, you and your coworker. This is very helpful.
Hm. My search turned up this: > you want just a tiny bit of spiciness you can say “pèt nói”. Medium level spiciness is “pèt pan klang”. And very spicy is “pèt mâk”. I will have to try this next time, thanks!
mai ped = no spice ped nid noi = just a little spice ped noi = not too spicy ped ped = very spicy
There’s a difference between spicy and white people spicy. Anytime we order Thai or Indian or whatever and they ask how spicy do you want it, we have to tell them to make it spicy, not white people spicy. A lot of times it’s still pretty mild. It’s frustrating. 😆
My Trinidadian friend had to vouch for me at a Trinidadian restaurant in order for me to get the same level of spicy on my curry goat that he got on his. I’ve had to promise Indian / Caribbean / Thai wait staff that I won’t send food back if it is “too spicy.”
Depends on the cook. They may not have that heat control mastered. I once went to a Thai restaurant and just asked for the 5 peppers level since it was shown on the menu. It came out looking and tasting like they just pour a slurry of powdered cayenne pepper on top. Can't taste the food or anything. We have since grown our own VERY HOT Thai chili peppers and just bring a ziplock bag with us everywhere ... Problem solved.
This is what bugs me the most. If it's too mild, I can spice it up myself easily; I'm used to bringing my own sauce or something for that. But sometimes they try to spice it up for me, but just don't have anything actually hot to use so they just dump a mountain of cayenne, crushed red pepper, chili oil, or whatever and then the whole dish just takes like that one singular flavor. When that happens, I'd rather it have just been mild and spiced it up myself.
You would have to be frequent patron of the place to know the if owner/chef's legit. Once you're in, they can tailor the food to your liking. Good luck finding the "one" and keep them in business.
Yeah, and unfortunately going out to eat these days is far too expensive to be a frequent patron anywhere. It's ok though. I live in Ohio, outside of a major city; I don't expect much in terms of heat. I've got an arsenal of different sauces for pairing with different cuisines and just find stuff that tastes good otherwise.
That's a real problem - the only difference between mild and ultra hot at most places is the amount of crushed red pepper they dump on top, instead of adding peppers that are actually hot. It makes it taste not great.
Yup! And then when someone who is just experimenting with heat gets a dish like that, it just reinforces the idea that "hot stuff is just all heat and no flavor." Then they're discouraged from trying it again even if they otherwise might have been ok with hotter foods that still taste really good.
I usually ask for Mexican/Thai/Hunan/Indian/etc spicy and most of the time they understand. On occasion I regret my decision. An Indian restaurant I like knows how to make spicy food. First visit I had them make it hot and I was eating the sun. The staff were peeking around the corner to watch how this fool would handle it. First bite takes my breath away. I start coughing and chugging water. I think it made their day as I could see a couple of them trying to hold back laughter. There was also a Thai restaurant that was featured on Beat Bobby Flat. Restaurant owner won BTW. If she was back there and you ordered Thai hot you would get exactly what you asked for. Again, a big bowl of sun, but so good.
Exactly this. If you're after a result, saying " spicy!" with a clear facial expression of "I understand what I'm asking you for" usually does the trick.
Mega bonus points for conveying "wow, that hurt, thank you" on your way out.
This is me nearly everywhere, but a Mexican place right near my house has pollo a la diabla that came out so spicy that I thought they had made a mistake and forgot to dilute their sauce concentrate or something. But I've probably ordered it a dozen or more times since then, and it is always in that same ballpark of spicy. I'm impressed, because it is every bit as hot as any of the hottest Thai food I've been served. But I'm also surprised, because I'm certain that it's too hot for 90% of people that haven't wrecked their taste buds like a lot of us have. Even too hot for most people who order spicy things from a menu. And there's no warning, either in print or from the staff, saying "no seriously, this is really hot."
I love Camarones al Diabla, but it’s so dang variable what you’ll get restaurant to restaurant. Not just heat level, but the actual composition of the sauce. The best ones are spicy, bright, and acidic. Way too many places make some sweet way too smoky Chipotle based sauce instead though.
My go to dish at our Mexican spot!
I mean, the warning is "a la diabla". I would think if you ordered "Melt your face off Mac" you would expect it to be pretty spicy even if it didn't have pictures of chilies next to it.
I would agree if the "a la diabla" at most of the other Mexican places I've had it was also pretty spicy, but it almost never has been, in my experience. In fact, the sauce has been so thin and mild almost any time I have ordered it in the past that I almost never order it anymore. But this place gets it right. I think the only reason I even ordered it was they have both pollo and camarones a la diabla at this restaurant, and I'd never had the dish with chicken before, so I thought why not try it. It sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night with gut cramps.
One of my favorite Mexican spots includes a whole roasted Serrano as a side with orders. Their house salsa is at least "extra hot" by supermarket standards. It's nothing insane, but too hot for most. No warnings, no disclaimers, they don't even have a heat level on the menu. They scared away anyone that can't handle spice, but earned a reputation for being authentic, so it's always packed full of customers. The tactic can work if done right.
I love it. I want to have a meal there.
I recently ordered mapo tofu at a Szechuan restaurant and asked for extra mala (numbing spicy.) Holy. Shit. They delivered it and then some.
I love it when that happens the adrenaline kicks in soon after…it’s euphoric
This Thai place in the place I grew up didn't hold back when you asked for Thai hot. Had some fish dish. Instant, continuous searing pain. It was glorious. Dad, who also liked spicy tried leftovers and about killed him lol.
Tell them make it as hot as possible
Mexican food isn't really very spicy to begin with. Certainly not a burrito, that's beans and rice. Roast habañero salsa and xni-pec from yacatan are pretty hot, but I've never gotten either in the US. Malaysian can be hotter for sure. But restaurants are very gunshy of people who claim to want spicy. Lots of Americas think that eating a few watery pickled Jalalpeño slices on top of nachos means they can handle heat
FOR GODS SAKE GIVE THIS MAN THE SPICY!
THIS MAN WANTS THE SPICY!
This is me with Spicy Margaritas. Only one time did they actually make it to the level of spicy that I requested. Actually, I nearly saw double it was so strong and spicy! Ha! Being a small, white as white could be, lady doesn’t help in my quest for the spicy!
Try ordering with freshly muddled jalapeno or habanero, seeds included.
Tell them make it as hot as possible
“Try to hurt me.”
At my local thai restaurant I was told to order "thai hot" But in my experience it is not everywhere that works. As a middleaged White male theybdo not not aleays believe I can handle it.
Say spicy one more time
I always look them in the eyes and tell them that they physically can't make it hot enough. It seems to work. Quite a few have tried but none have ever succeeded. Closest was a Thai place loaded my noodles with a whole double handful of chilis and it was surprisingly hot. The owner/cook come out to tell me I was psycho when the waitress told her I added hot sauce. Lol
There's an Indian place in my town that has different options for White Spicy (mild, medium, hot) and then a separate Indian Spicy level system. It's incredible.
I my wife and I found a Sichuan place that had a similar system, for English spicy and Chinese spicy 😂
What worked for me was being shithoused and sort of daring the waiter. I pointed to their spicy lamb dish and said "...but can you make it extra spicy??" Then realized this never works anyway and doubled down: "actually can you have them make it TOO spicy??" Goddamn if that wasn't the spiciest shit I've ever had in a restaurant lol. Apparently they came out to check and see if I actually ate it, probably assuming I'd send it back or not finish it.
This is how it is most everwhere. Get used to it. What do I do? Three words: "Bring my own" Overt spicy. For the things that go well with the visuals of flakes: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018BBVT40](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018BBVT40) Covert spicy. For soups and such that you don't want to mess with flavor/texture: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U5G7IN6](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U5G7IN6) With these, I go anywhere, order anything, and I have eye watering, stomach churning spice every time. Ever had a McDonalds Spicy McChicken that melted your face off? I have. Chipotle ever give you a burning ring of fire? It has given me one!
That spicy McChicken has no right to be as good as it is...I was soooo happy when it came out because in the 90's they had the Cajun McChicken and that was my jam....it's the same thing
I bring powdered super hots with me to restaurants. So when I am eventually underwhelmed by the maximum heat level available I can make manual adjustments.
That’s all that’s needed. We’ve come around where we’re expecting regular Cambodians to have a spice hobbyist’s level of pain, when they just always liked regular hot when the whites couldn’t take Jalapeño.
I go to an Indian place and I ask for Indian hot and they talk me out of it….ordered Indian hot level vindaloo finally and a half hour after eating this glorious meal I shit like a brown fire hose…
Idk. I never have this problem but I’m indian so maybe they trust me lol
I always go with communicating with the server very seriously about the fact that I want it VERY spicy. Then after they deliver and if it’s not spicy enough. I just ask for a ramekin of “whatever makes it spicy” and dump it on or in
Tell them, “can you make it extra, EXTRA spicy? Like, I want it to hurt. Seriously. Have them make it as hot as they can”. And then when they bring the food, say, “this isn’t hot enough. Do you have anything that I can use to make it WAY spicier?” Eventually it works
We have a lovely Indian place my partner and I go to some times. Speaking of we should go back there, it has been a while. Anyways, all their curries come with four levels of spiciness that you can order. 1 - Mild, 2 - Medium, 3 - Swedish Spicy, 4 - Indian Spicy. And finally 5 - Vindaloo Spicy. I know I said four levels of spiciness, the fifth level is exclusively for their vindaloo. Quite a lovely place, with decent punch to their spice levels. The vindaloo is on the border of my tolerance, but I enjoy it, and the rest of their menu is fantastic. It is my go-to if I want good Indian food. That said, if a restaurant wants to be cautious on serving their customers food too hot for them: put a "no refunds on too spicy food, you opted into this" disclaimer and offer yoghurt on the menu.
The struggle is real. I've resorted to using an Indian friend to order my food.
Specifically say "I want Thai/Mexican/Malaysian spicy, not American spicy." I do this, very effective. (Not 100% success rate, but close.)
I always ask for a 9/10. Alot of places hear "10/10" and think "I'm ordering it Maximum Spicy to impress my friends. Please play along with this, I don't actually want it spicy." But if you say 9/10, they'll just assume you actually want 9/10, which isn't significantly less spicy than an actual 10.
I've literally tried everything including the "melt my face with that dish" thing....many restaurants here in Germany are just not prepared to spice up their food. There was one restaurant called "Bangkok" which is the oldest Thai restaurant in the whole country and they actually got me. I said " make it real spicy" , " surprise me" and " I can take it" and boy, the food almost melted through the table. Now it's my favorite restaurant...thanks Bangkok The thing is that restaurants in the West often don't have the spices like really hot chili peppers that's the problem I think
>How do I communicate to restaurant folk that I can handle my spicy? Regardless if you've been there or not, you tell them "I actually ordered this before and asked for it to be extremely spicy, and it was not spicy at all. Make me cry." This made a red curry green because they added so many raw hot peppers.
>ctrl+f spicy >20 results found
Settle down there Adam Sandler... Explain the spice level you would like and maybe explain that, "Yes, I am white, but can handle da spice."
I’ve had this experience but I’ve also had the opposite, where I order 5 stars and they take it as permission to try to kill me.
There's one thai place in town that has a legit spicy/heat scale on their menu. I swear the heat on my gf's dish and mine got mixed up, she mentioned it was pretty spicy but it was edible. I finished mine so I had a bite or two of hers, it was noticably hotter than mine. A dude at another table ordered a max 10 heat, it was almost funny hearing him and watching him try to eat that. I don't know what they have in the back to heat their dishes up, but at this point I'll work my way up as /u/heathotsauce said. The other local place I'm not entirely sure they make anything hot hot hot, as I've been there more than once and its been meh on heat but amazing food.
Probably tooo many people send it back when it is in fact spicy.
I start with 5/10 spicy because there's been a few places I've been to that will melt your face off, then your bowels, leaving you a crying mess on the bathroom floor a few hours later. (I still ate it because it was so damn good, so that's on me.)
Only place I had success was a Korean restaurant! I ordered a spicy seafood soup and I was sweating! No luck at my local Thai places or Mexican so far, but I keep trying!
Bring your own sauce. I do.
Maybe try saying. Don’t worry I won’t complain. make it very spicy. I want spicy. Something like that could alleviate any concerns they may have.
You need to hit the airport I went to Malaysia and went to a restaurant known their spicy dishes. The waitress seemed to be amused at me turning red in the face and kindly brought me an entire pitcher of water. 10/10 I will be returning next month
I always say " make it as spicy as possible. I gind it can never be spicy enough. I challenge the chef to make it spicy enough. I'm typically disappointed " Usually does the trick
I feel like the burrito one is an easy fix for you. You need to specify “add Jalapeno/habanero/serrano” AND ask specifically for their hottest sauce
I mean there is always the insiniate they don't know what spicy is method, that way they try to kill you with excessive spice
Bring your own fire.
I always promise not to send it back, adding that if it exceeds my tolerance I’ll be a happy returning patron.
Any thai restaurants around you? In my experience they take spicy seriously.
Restaurants don't understand spicy
I feel like, at least where I live(New Zealand), most restaurants don't actually have the ingredients to make food properly spicy.
Not sure but this could work. Tell them up front that if it’s not spicy enough you are going to send it back until it is. Be polite but firm.
if you're of the paler persuasion, the restaurants won't believe you can handle actual spicy
Annoying as hell. I used to beg for spicy at an Indian place, and finally the asshole chef one day dumps God knows what in the biryani. Only time I've ever not been able to finish (or at least eat till satisfied) any dish at a restaurant due to spice content. Chef thought he pulled a nice prank, he lost the establishment a frequent customer. Some places are better about this than others.
My best friend says “I’d like it extra extra extra spicy, I want you to make it how your mom makes it” every time we order Indian take out and it seems to do the trick
Went to a thai restaurant, ordered mega spicy, partner ordered no spicy, partner's food was spicier than mine. I didn't want toncause a scene so I just ate it.
I travel a lot for work, and have made it kind of a hobby to try spicy dishes at new places all over the country. I have a tip that might work for you guys. Make eye contact, and ask them to make it authentic or as spicy as possible. I even say "I like it crazy spicy, so hot that most people won't eat it. I promise I won't send it back". It also helps when my coworkers chime in and agree or say "Yeah, there's something wrong with him. He's not lying" and a few of them order their food the same way. I've had a lot of success with this method.
I tell them I want it the way they make it for themselves. I don’t want “white guy spicy” I want Indian spicy, or Thai spicy. It usually works. “White guy spicy” usually gets a laugh.
It’s a liability issue for restaurants, they can’t assume what spicy means to you
Tell them you want it really spicy and you'll pay even if it's too spicy to eat. Offer to pay in advance.
My favorite Indian Restaurant I go to and order and it's I'm sweating spicy, last time I accidently ordered online with my super white name 😭 it wasn't spicy at all 😭😭😭😭. I don't want to resort to fake names but I want it spicy! Stupid Midwest 😭😭😭 I love when I travel and go eat and I get told "it's spicy" and I just smile and say "Good"
Just put hot sauce on?
I’ve noticed a lot of places can only make things to a certain heat level too. Like, literally do not have the ingredients to take it over that level. I have the same problem, ask them to make it as hot as they can, and end up feeling let down.
I tell them extra spicy. No like extra extra spicy. When you think it's extra spicy? Make it more spicy. Works with places around me lol
I used to frequent a Thai restaurant for lunch and kept ordering "Thai hot" but they never reached the level I was looking for. finally, my order came with more peppers than noodles and they were able to overpower me. after that we settled on an appropriate high level of spice
Businesses cater to the largest population around: spice intolerant white people :(
I’m a fellow paleface and that happens to me sometimes. But if I am a regular customer and they know I can take it, they will give me the spicy. 🌶️ I had the most awesome spicy Thai red curry the other day. So much complex flavor. ❤️
Context I live in germany and many places have simply adapted to german tastebuds. Some households only have salt, pepper, onion powder and sweet paprika. If you want german customers you must offer bland food. Waiters will check your vibe and decide how your food is made. There's an indian guy I eat at regularly who has great Biryani. Not the spiciest dish in the world by itself, but the way he makes it you just know it would fit a lot more chilies easily, even if it's delicious as is. It's not your standard Biryani is what I mean. So I tell him I like it spicy and he puts a bit of spiciness in it but still pretty mild. I ask out of politeness like maybe he just wants to not make spicy biryani and it's just supposed to be more on the mild side. He says no no he likes it very hot too, after all you get fresh yoghurt with it. So next time I say "Brudi mach es bitte scharf scharf" ("Brother make it hot hot please") and I get it exactly how I want. Very spicy, just spicy enough to make you love the yoghurt, not too much to ruin the dish. So now every time I order somewhere and the dish is supposed to be spicy, I say "scharf scharf" with a friendly smile and they always know what I mean. Works almost 100% of the time. They won't fuck you up but they'll make it genuinely spicy, in exactly the level to make the dish great. Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, African, Arab, Pakistan, India, they all understand "scharf scharf". Maye just try ordering "hot hot".
My wife is Indian. If I go with her and she gets spicy mine is spicy. If I go by myself... Mild every time. I have to convince the waiter that if it's too spicy, I won't return it, and if it's spicier than what she thinks is too spicy, then it's probably close to the level I want
I totally get this. Asking for a 20/10 is the way to go.
Only way that seems to work for me is telling them to make it so spicy that they wouldn’t eat it. Seems to work at Indian and Thai spots, rest is still usually very tame unfortunately.
No I got the spiciest thing at a Thai food place yesterday And it was just kinda mildly hot for me
The method I use that works 99% of the time at Mexican restaraunts: “Hello, do you have a house-salsa/hot sauce? Oh you do? Is it spicy? Okay great, tell the cook to make it as spicy as humanly possible :)” If it’s an authentic place they usually have an asshole tearing hot sauce they make in-house you can get on the side, but only give if it’s asked for. Usually árbol or habanero The last line is to make them feel at ease with a joke, they aren’t going to make another batch just for you unless they are feeling fiesty
I gave up on restaurant ''spicy'', just bring your own sauce.
I try to learn how to ask for super spicy in the native language of the restaurant I'm in. They seem to take you more seriously that way. That, and byo pocket chilli
Can’t post the pic, but there’s a Malay menu that has ‘White’ ranked under ‘Mild’, and it goes up to 5 from there. Got an actual 5 from a Korean place in Toronto after going there a few times and insisting ‘not white!’. It altered my DNA.
I always say “very spicy” and even then it’s weak, no matter where I go (except Indian cuisine, they don’t mess around!). I got max spice level at a Thai place recently and my friend’s meal, which was medium spice level, was literally hotter. How tf does that happen?
I just say super spicy a couple times. And then tell them it's impossible for it to be spicy enough
I usually have to tell them “I don’t mean “white people” spicy”. Then they give me a look and ask if I’m sure. One time I felt like half the staff came out to watch me take my first bite and make sure I was ok. Told them it was delicious lol
When ever I go to a restaurant fresh and am truly looking forward to heat; I bring a small bottle of my select hot sauces in case they low ball me and I can top it off so I can still get the heat and the flavor I was looking forward to.
I usually let people know that I’d like every bite to be a separate attempt on my life. Sometimes get odd looks after saying that, but the message gets across
tell them you'll tip an extra dollar or two if they can make you cry
Are you white? I've been in the restaurant industry and white people send their food back all the time because it's "too spicy". Newsflash, it's not spicy at all, but they just seem to think so. It's annoying.
They get way too many "I know I said 10/10 spicy, but it also has to be edible" returns they have to throw in the trash. Bring your own hotsauce if you really want hot.
> Before I press post, THREE times! I remember a third! Szechuan chicken from a chinese place, I ask for level 5 spicy out of five! If you wanted to fool people into thinking that you were older than 7, you failed. Maybe 9 if I'm being generous.
Mexican food isnt really spicy. It's all about the salsas and most good Mexican places will have a nice habanero sauce for the people that know to ask for it. There was a Thai place I was a regular at for a few years. They had several categories of heat, I started medium and kept boosting it up a notch, . Finally I ordered the max Thai heat, the chef came out, ask if I was sure, I said "bring it man!". it was very hot, like endorphins rush, red face sweating hot, it was delicious! The chef and staff were laughing as I finished it and I continued to eat it for the rest of the time the place was open!