(Editor’s Note; Recently our staffer, Phantom Foodie, did a review on Boa Thong Thai Restaurant. In reviewing the review, my editor in chief thought that Foodie might have been wimping out a bit in the spice department and declared a spice challenge. Here are the results;)

After writing my review from Boa Thong I was challenged to go back and try another meal but I was also dared to bump up the level of hotness from a level 2 to a level 5...I love a challenge! This trip I tried the Gang Pak Ruammit (#35) and it was so delicious! The curry sauce with coconut milk should be sold in jars because I could put it on everything!

Now for those who are not accustomed to spicy food I would suggest to stay away from anything higher than a level 1...but I took the level 5 like a champ and it was the perfect mouth burn without jeopardizing the taste of the food...as for my challenger, she didn't fare so well, needing more napkins to wipe the sweat from her face and more water to wash the burn down...I hope she learned her lesson, I never turn down a challenge and I always win!!

And now the challengers take;

So while the first visit to Boa Thong Thai Food Restaurant was undoubtedly inspiring, I felt Foodie had copped out on us and taken the “safe road” by choosing a heat level two with the last visit to Boa Thong. I felt that Phantom needed a little help venturing into the “spicy” department of the visit, so I set out to do just that.

Actually, that’s a blatant lie.

The true test, Foodie and I waged, was a no-holds-barred, fight-to-the-finish bet.
My wager was that Foodie couldn’t handle the Boa Thong Level 5 spice injection.

So we ventured to Boa Thong, I with sufficient deodorant should the spice level send my central nervous system into overdrive, in consideration of a worst case scenario.  Foodie looked at me with disdain at my supposed declaration of early defeat.

Nonsense, I said, this was all in the preparation!

I ordered the Pad Thai with a heat level 5, to which the young male server cocked an eyebrow and gained a coy smile followed by a mischievous grin. This guy knows we mean business, I thought.

We’d just gained street cred from the Thai culture.

I smiled back as Foodie echoed “Level five? Well then I’ll have a level five too.”
Server didn’t flinch.

The food was delivered quickly and sufficiently heated. I was a little disappointed in the amount of prawns that were mixed in the dish because there was only three, but the noodles, tofu and bean sprouts all mixed together with a red sauce were fantastic. At least until the third bite!

That’s when my taste buds went into overdrive and I failed to taste much except the realization that a tingling sensation had filled every crevice of my mouth, hijacked my nasal cavities and made me cautiously aware that drool might escape from curiously numb lips that had rendered themselves virtually useless. 

I will admit that I thought the tofu was ham, but it’s necessary to point out that at this point I was having trouble seeing because my eyes were watering from all the spice. Idle chit-chat became non-existent as Foodie and I recognized that slowing down and breathing lead to a higher heat sensation and was counter productive to a level 5 win.

My reputation was at stake here.

New servers we hadn’t seen before appeared with jugs of ice water, a young lady server appeared from out of nowhere, undoubtedly poised in the trenches waiting to unload limitless ice water into empty glasses. At that point, it seemed appropriate to tilt my head back and have her pour it over me, but I came to my senses.

Having inhaled the dish and flushed it down with what looked like green tea, I have to say the serving size was just right, although it didn’t look like enough to fill me.  I left our lunch date with that satisfying sense of “just right”, and all for seven bucks plus a little H.s.s.s.s.t.

All said, the food was good and I will return, but next time I might reduce the level of heat to a level three so I can at least taste the food.

Speaking of senses, the only one I was left with was the primal fight or flight sense, which, in the end, served me well. All said, Foodie took my bet and raised her glass to a Level Five, and for that I am proud.