Spicy places in Chicago?

Hello all, I hate to be "that guy" who registers and the first thing he does is ask a question, but... I'm moving to Streeterville in a month from San Francisco, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good spicy restaurants in Chicago. There's one restaurant here in SF that satisfied me quite well, but I worry that when I move to Chicago I'll suffer from withdrawal. I posted this on yelp.com, and someone suggested this site, so I thought I'd post here as well. Browsing through the past posts, I can already find a few places I'll definitely try!

And I'm talking...*SPICY*. Dave's Ultimate Insanity Sauce spicy. Stomach-ache-in-the-morning spicy. (Anyone see that Simpsons episode where Homer uses the pepper spray on his food? That kind of spicy. mmmm....incapacitating...) Asian preferably (Chinese especially!), but for now anything would do... Anyone got anything good?

Oh, and decently close to a subway stop would be bonus too!

Heaven on Seaven in the Garland Bldg ?(111 N Wabash) is a good place to start. This place is a former greek style coffee shop with an owner who fell in love with New Orleans and its food. As a former New Orleanian I can safely say that the Gumbo is as good as most mammas make it (ask anyone in new orleans who makes the best gumbo and they will invariably say "my mama" same with red beans, jambalaya, etc) There are plenty of spicy dishes on the menu some new orleans authentic and some bastardizations of cajun/creole flavors. The pasta angry or pasta shrimp voodoo is a good bet for spicy flavors these are not authentic dishes but they are pretty good neverhteless. They also have lots and lots of hot sauces available, for the spectacularly hot you have to ask for an eye dropper of whatever they have recently uncovered as the new hottest sauce.

I am sure there are people on this board who disagree on the authenticity of this restaurant, but i feel confident about its comparative quality. Heaven on Seaven is only open for lunch at this location. They have several other locations but none compare to the original imho.

hello

Heaven on Seven, tho' it has it's relative inauthentic merits, ain't spicy.

you might enjoy Lao Sze Chuan(Chinatown...right off the el)

search the board for more *praise for LSC*

Hi,

Thai restaurants like TAC, Spoon Thai, Thai Avenue for example can amp the heat quite a bit.

This initial report on Caliente, happens to be near TAC and an el station, reported really hot food by yourpalwill who has a high tolerance for heat. A second Caliente location was not considered as hot. What is not known is whether the Sheridan location softened its heat, though I am sure you could cajole them to meet your needs.

Lao Sze Chuan in Chinatown, as well as locations in the western and northwest suburbs, prepares some steamy stuff.

Devon Avenue is loaded with Indo-Pak restaurants whose food is quite heated.

People have been known to bring their own habanero's to pizza restaurants.

To get what you want you may need to cultivate a relationship with the restaurant. The first round they may not believe you are a true chilihead serving food tepid by your standards. Charm them to death with your sincerity for amped up heat.

It is not unusual in some small ethnic restaurants to have the waiter assure you won't like something and not take your order for it. Some small restaurants have had negative experiences with people who ordered heat, couldn't tolerate it and returned the food expecting not to pay. I have asked for concessions that later I didn't particularly like, though I paid for it with a smile. I didn't want to make life harder for the next person who wanted the same.

Enjoy your life here in Chicago. You will find the heat you like either in the weather and/or in the pot.

Regards,

Christopher Gordon wrote:hello

Heaven on Seven, tho' it has it's relative inauthentic merits, ain't spicy.

you might enjoy Lao Sze Chuan(Chinatown...right off the el)

search the board for more *praise for LSC*

I agree on both counts. Heaven on Seven is pretty good food, in my opinion, but hardly "spicy" to somebody who wants Dave's Insanity Sauce heat. Lao Sze Chuan can get pretty hot, especially the three chile appetizer, which is one of the spicier dishes in town. I also find that any of the typical Thai places (Sticky Rice, Spoon Thai, Elephant Thai, etc.) will cook it up to your heat level if you ask confidently for "Thai spicy" and make sure the wait staff understand you know what you're getting into. I don't like every dish blazingly hot, but gai pad gaprao (Thai holy basil chicken) I insist to be made as hot as possible. The spiciest place I've had it served, Bahn Thai, has unfortunately closed down a few months ago but most places will make it pretty hot if you inisist on "Thai spicy." And feel free to ask for fresh green chiles on the side just in case.

Cathy2 wrote:It is not unusual in some small ethnic restaurants to have the waiter assure you won't like something and not take your order for it.

Yep. This has happened to me before. It's also happened that they took down my order and then kicked it down a spice level or three. At one restauratant, the owner comes up to me after I ordered something extra spicy and asks me, "Spicy for you?" I answer, "no, not really." And then he says, "Oh, I made it less spicy than you asked for just to see. Next time I make it spicy for you."

Well, guess what? There is no next time. When I insist I know what I'm getting into and you refuse to serve me what I want then, sorry, I'm not going back. It also didn't help that the food was less than spectacular to begin with. That's one of the reasons I fell in love with Bahn Thai, when it was around. The first time I was in there, the owner asked me if I wanted a dish hot or Thai hot. I said "Thai hot." He said "are you sure?" with a "white boy, you don't know what you're getting yourself into" smirk. I said "yes." "OK..." When the dish came back, it was perfectly as hot as I can handle it and still eat the whole dish. My favorite Thai holy basil chicken in the city. But, alas, the place is now gone.

Much as I adore Lao Sze Chuan (and I do adore Lao Sze Chuan), someone looking for abuse will have to special order, I think. Though I consider my tolerance high, I'm by no means a heat freak and I've never had anything at Lao that kicked my ass.

I'm sure they're capable of it, though

Glad you were able to find your way over here. In addition to my previously mentioned places, you might be interested in checking Xni Pec (pronounced "schnee peck") on 25th Place. The place is named after an incredibly tasty habanero salsa that they serve over a marinated slow cooked pork.

Searches here will slao yield you lots of information on this place though it is not public transportation friendly.

YourPalWill wrote:Glad you were able to find your way over here. In addition to my previously mentioned places, you might be interested in checking Xni Pec (pronounced "schnee peck") on 25th Place. The place is named after an incredibly tasty habanero salsa that they serve over a marinated slow cooked pork..

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was always under the impression that the xni-pec was the pico-de-gallo-ish salsa served with the chips at the beginning of the meal. The habanero salsa, if I recall correctly, is just pureed roasted habaneros and lime juice. That sauce can get pretty hot, depending on the batch of habaneros.

I'm surprised some say that Lao Sze Chuan isn't that hot. The three chiles kicked my ass and I've been known to eat whole habaneros at a sitting. Those long roasted Szechuan red peppers can be mighty hot if you stuff your face full of 'em.

Hi all, thanks for all the responses! I'll be in Chicago for at least 5 years, so I'll definitely have to try all of those places. I was recommended Andhra Buffet, as well as all the other Indian restaurants on Devon Ave. But so far, TAC, Lao sze chuan, Spoon Thai, and Caliente are all on the list. Xni pec...looks to be a bit far out there. All I know about Cicero is that I think they sang about it in the movie "Chicago".

Oh, and if you guys ever visit SF, you gotta try Spices on Clement. http://www.yelp.com/biz/ggDsw02wh56ZORCF49lgXQ I'm gonna eat at this place as many times as humanly possible before I leave.

Heh...I also finally get to try White Castle...those places don't exist out here.

White Castle, in my opinion, is best eaten when in an extremely intoxicated state. Otherwise, you would never get me near the place.

I felt the same way about Jack-in-the Box tacos in my younger and stupider days.

Suzy

Khan BBQ on Western and Devon has many very spicy dishes. Pakistani food that never fails to make your eyes water and your upper lip sweat.

Khan BBQ
2401 W. Devon, Chicago
773-274-8600

jbambuti wrote:Khan BBQ on Western and Devon has many very spicy dishes. Pakistani food that never fails to make your eyes water and your upper lip sweat.

Jbambuti,

I have a fairly high tolerance to spicy hot, not in the category of Zim or my cousin The Goat King, but enough that I'm often looking for a bit of extra heat. Trick at Khan is to ask for, in addition to the sliced onion and cucumber served, green pepper. Green pepper at Khan is jalapeno which, of course, is a pepper and green, though not the green bell pepper most of us think of when we hear the term.

Far as the original poster getting hot/hot/hot food for simply the sake of hot, aside from the suggestion of the original Heaven on 7 in the Garland Building, or any place that offers what Chile Heads refer to as "burnt cat hair" style hot sauce such as Dave's Insanity or Endorphin Rush, is to build a relationship with a Thai restaurant.

No matter how you phrase it, how you implore, how you quote your bonifides, how you smile, scream or do the hot/hot/hot dance there is not a chance in hell you are going to get a really amped up version of a dish the first time out. My advice is pick one Thai restaurant and build a relationship, maybe the 3rd or 4th time there you will be rewarded with blow your socks off heat.

It should be noted that Thai is not all about the heat, it's a multi layered subtle far ranging cuisine where spicy hot, at least to most American palates, is but one complimentary component.

Enjoy,
Gary

I have found that many of the neighborhood Mexican restaurants in town utilize authentic spicing that doesn't skimp on the heat. Sometimes even the garnish will clear your sinuses.

Roasted Jalapeño Flower at Cuetzala Gro.


dave

G Wiv wrote:No matter how you phrase it, how you implore, how you quote your bonifides, how you smile, scream or do the hot/hot/hot dance there is not a chance in hell you are going to get a really amped up version of a dish the first time out.

While this is generally true, I've been to at least three places that did it up for me the way I liked it the first time. (Not any of the popular LTH Thai places, though). At one place (the cheap little joint on Broadway just south of Argyle) the waitress even came up to me and asked "Are you okay? There are some Thai people who won't eat it that hot." Not that it's a macho contest of any sort, I just really enjoy holy basil chicken blistering hot. The place I already mentioned, Bahn Thai, was run by an ornery owner who I think liked to be a little sadistic with his patrons, sometimes. It was obvious he meant business when he asked "are you sure?" in my response to request for Thai hot. Never even tried to talk me out of it.

Opart Thai House (Western and Leland) will make very spicy food for you if you ask. Especially if you go there wed. night thru saturday night. Spoon Thai tends to be pretty mild, in my opinion. Maybe it's a northern-thai thing, because Sticky Rice strikes me the same way.

I'll reinforce the general advice already given:
mexican (especially the little hole-in-the-wall taquerias in latino-dominated neighborhoods),
indian and pakistani,
chinese (look up board recommendations on chinese: there is much bad chinese to be had in chicago. my favorite is - big surprise - Lao Sze Chuan.) also, most asian places will have table condiments of chili oil, chili paste or chili-steeped soy sauce.
You might also check out some Korean places. There is a vegetarian Korean place called Amitabul (6207 N Milwaukee Ave). I had a wonderful and spectacularly hot, spicy noodle soup dish at Amitabul back when they were still located on southport.
I think I remember having had some hot stuff at Ras Dashen, an Ethiopian place on Broadway (5844 N Broadway St).

I also disagree with the assertion that Heaven on 7 is very spicy. I think it's tasty, just not super-spicy.

what hot, spicy food did you like back in SF? I just returned from there and enjoyed a great deal of wonderful food, though none of it was very spicy.

Binko wrote:

YourPalWill wrote:Glad you were able to find your way over here. In addition to my previously mentioned places, you might be interested in checking Xni Pec (pronounced "schnee peck") on 25th Place. The place is named after an incredibly tasty habanero salsa that they serve over a marinated slow cooked pork..

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was always under the impression that the xni-pec was the pico-de-gallo-ish salsa served with the chips at the beginning of the meal. The habanero salsa, if I recall correctly, is just pureed roasted habaneros and lime juice. That sauce can get pretty hot, depending on the batch of habaneros.

I'm surprised some say that Lao Sze Chuan isn't that hot. The three chiles kicked my ass and I've been known to eat whole habaneros at a sitting. Those long roasted Szechuan red peppers can be mighty hot if you stuff your face full of 'em.

Binko, I actaully made some xni pec for the Cinco De Mayo holiday. Most of the recipes I found online consisted of habaneros and lime and onion- no tomato. Assuming those were authentic recipes, I was referring to that particular variation as xni pec.

Binko wrote:

G Wiv wrote:No matter how you phrase it, how you implore, how you quote your bonifides, how you smile, scream or do the hot/hot/hot dance there is not a chance in hell you are going to get a really amped up version of a dish the first time out.

While this is generally true, I've been to at least three places that did it up for me the way I liked it the first time. (Not any of the popular LTH Thai places, though).

Spoon Thai gave me a blisteringly hot papaya salad on my first visit (ordered "thai spicy"). I have a very high heat tolerance -- dry chili chicken barely fazes me -- but this was truly overwhelmingly hot.

I think it's really a fluke. If you really want to prove your worth, pack a habanero or two and demonstrate your heat tolerance to the waitress when you ask for that extra-hot dish.

One of the hottest things I have eaten in the past year has to be the Nigerian pepper soup we had at Qaato resataurant during the North-Clark-a-Thon I.

pepper soup and water glass - photo by GWiv

IIRC, the takeout-only Wings Around the World was featured as offering the hottest food in Chicago in a Chicago Tribune article a couple of months back. I don't recall the details - does anyone else?

Wings Around the World
321 E. 35th St., Chicago

YourPalWill wrote:Binko, I actaully made some xni pec for the Cinco De Mayo holiday. Most of the recipes I found online consisted of habaneros and lime and onion- no tomato. Assuming those were authentic recipes, I was referring to that particular variation as xni pec.

OK. Because I believe Antonio refers to the table salsa as xni pec. I looked online and most of the recipes I found contain tomatoes and are not blended (like the habanero sauce), but rather more like salsa cruda or pico de gallo. Is it possible both are called xni pec?

nr706 wrote:IIRC, the takeout-only Wings Around the World was featured as offering the hottest food in Chicago in a Chicago Tribune article a couple of months back. I don't recall the details - does anyone else?

Wings Around the World
321 E. 35th St., Chicago

The Kamikaze wings are quite hot and tasty, flavored primarily with habaneros. GWiv, Mike Sula and myself were therelong before the Tribune. I've linked to our thread.

Some specific dishes at Lao Sze Chuan that can kill small Australian mammals with their heat:

- La La La Spicy Chicken Pot (called something like "Lalalaspic.Ch.pt" on the menu)*

- Ma Po Tofu specifically ordered "Szechuan hot"

- Lamb with cumin when you eat all of the dried chiles on the plate like you're supposed to

* on fark.com, there is a famous thread called "UTOHYA," an acronym for "until the oil hits your [internal posterior]." The original poster was wondering what would happen if he brewed and drank tea from poison ivy, something he had heard Native Americans had once done to clean their systems or induce visions. A replier said "everything will be fine, UTOHYA." I never really understood this until LaLaLa, but believe me, it's worth it.

I understand that "La" means hot, so the "La La La" Chicken is probably right up your alley.

Boy...this forum's great. Three times the responses in half the time compared to Yelp.com. And this is the restaurant I mentioned earlier that I'll be leaving, and what I'm probably going to be basing the spiciness in Chicago off of.

Shrimp w/ Explosive Chili Pepper


Chicken wings w/ Explosive Chili Pepper

Sichuan Shredded Pork

Spices
291 6th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 752-8885

banpei wrote:Chicken wings w/ Explosive Chili Pepper

For something similar to this, and with enough heat to blow your head off, visit Great Seas on Lawrence Ave. IMO, this restaurant is a one trick pony. Order only the chicken wings. Being a lover of heat, I'll say that this is one of the hottest dishes you can order in Chicago.

Great Sea Chinese/Korean Restaurant
3254 W. Lawrence Ave.
Chicago, IL
773-478-9129

stevez wrote:For something similar to this, and with enough heat to blow your head off, visit Great Seas on Lawrence Ave. IMO, this restaurant is a one trick pony. Order only the chicken wings. Being a lover of heat, I'll say that this is one of the hottest dishes you can order in Chicago.

Great Sea Chinese/Korean Restaurant
3254 W. Lawrence Ave.
Chicago, IL
773-478-9129

Now, I can handle more heat than a lot of people, so I do understand that my internal spicy sensor is a bit out of wack compared to the normal population. I was last at Great Seas a few weeks ago and didn't find the wings spicy at all. And this isn't a macho claim or anything, just found them more sweet and tangy than hot.

Now as far as spicy chinese dishes, I'd have to put Lao Sze Chuan's "Boiled Beef" at the top of my list.

Jamie

I have to agree... The "saucy" wings have never sent me reaching for a beer or milk. I have a jar of the wing sauce they sell at home and I have never found it particulary hot. I typically add some fresh ground "faceing heaven" chiles when using the sauce.

With LSC, I think it all depends on the night. The first time I had the "dry chile chicken" it blew my head off. The second time, not so much. I will say that it looks pretty much exactly like the second dish in the pics above (and I'm bummed I didn't know about that place when I was in SF last week...even if I try not to eat anything with "explosive" in the name for ovbious reasons, esp. when I have to get on a plane )

i may have to make a special trip to s.f. for that Shrimp w/ Explosive Chili Pepper. looks from the pic like the shrimp are but a mere platform for those wonderful peppers.

banpei, the pics from SF look great and I'm quite sure you can get your fix at LSC among other places suggested.

Dmnkly wrote:Much as I adore Lao Sze Chuan (and I do adore Lao Sze Chuan), someone looking for abuse will have to special order, I think. Though I consider my tolerance high, I'm by no means a heat freak and I've never had anything at Lao that kicked my ass.

Really? Not even the boiled beef (in spicy Szechaun sauce)? (#530 on the menu (online here; for some reason it's under dinner and poultry). I'm no heat freak but have good tolerance, but that had me panting (and I couldn't stop eating it).

I recall the papaya salad (with pickled crab; som tam puu) at Thai Avenue was another excellent fiery dish - better than versions at other places.

I'll just note here that I've found tolerance to fresh chiles is different than to dried chile (powder, incorporated fried). I seem to find dishes with fresh chiles (like many Thai dishes) less hot than my wife, and she finds dishes with (fried) red chiles (like Chinese or Mexican) less hot than I do.


Thai Avenue
4949 N. Broadway
773.878.2222