8 Spicy Dishes That Are Sure To Make You Feel The Heat
Put your spice tolerance to the test with these tongue-scorching foods
By Rachel Eva Lim -
16 January, 2022 is International Hot & Spicy Food Day! And what better way to celebrate the occasion than by indulging in one of Singaporeans’ favourite pastimes: feasting on foods that are as tongue-scorching as they are tasty.
Be it chilli padis, Sichuan peppercorns, ghost peppers or red chilli flakes, you’ll find these small-but-mighty ingredients livening up all manner of foods – including flaming-hot bowls of ramen, fiery chicken wings and flavourful mala broth. And while the city-state certainly has no shortage of spicy nosh to go around, we’ve rounded up some dishes that will seriously put your spice skills to the test.
Make no mistake, this isn’t your regular ayam penyet. Rather, Fangko serves their mouth-watering smashed chicken at a whopping fourteen different spice options – from zero up to 12, plus a token “baby” tier for those who totally can’t take the heat. Besides the latter, everything else packs a significant punch. Level three already gave us a serious case of the sweats, and had us frantically reaching for our water glass between bites. You can choose to accompany your chicken with blue-pea rice or fried noodles, and the dish also comes with cucumber, crackers and a fried egg.
20 Hongkong Street, #01-03, Singapore 059663, +65 9231 8849
Not all mala soup bases are made the same. If you’re in the mood for something that’ll definitely set your mouth on fire, make a beeline for one of Xiao Long Kan Hotpot’s many outlets. The restaurant specialises in Sichuan-style hotpot, and offers a signature tongue-tingling mala broth that’s packed with plenty of Sichuan peppercorns, dried chillies and other aromatic spices. Daredevils can opt for the highest of the three spice levels offered – just be sure to have a glass of cooling Chinese tea on hand to chug between mouthfuls.
20 Smith Street, Singapore 058934, +65 6635 8789
321 Orchard Road, #02-08, Singapore 238866, +65 6366 8885
200 Victoria Street, #02-54, Singapore 188021, +65 6909 6458
208D New Upper Changi Road, #01-02/03, Singapore 464208, +65 6280 0688
For American-style hot wings with a view, head to Overeasy at One Fullerton, which overlooks the picturesque Marina Bay. The Spicy Buffalo Wings are served in a batch of six and are available in three spice levels: wimp, hot stuff and crazy mofo. Go for the latter and beat the heat by dunking your wings into the accompanying creamy blue-cheese sauce and nibbling on some celery and carrot sticks. Legend has it that there’s a secret menu, where you can request for a knockout level-10 version of the dish. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
1 Fullerton Road, #01-06, Singapore 049213, +65 9129 8484
You can indulge in mala xiang guo – assorted ingredients stir-fried in a numbing mala sauce – at a myriad of hawker stalls and coffee shops all around Singapore. But our go-to spot is Ri Ri Hong at People’s Park Food Centre in Chinatown. Not only is this arguably one of the tastiest places to get your fill of the dish, complete with a wide range of items at wallet-friendly prices, it’s also one of the spiciest. Ask the staff for the “da la” spice option, and prepare for a flaming-hot experience. It burns so bad, but tastes so good.
32 New Market Road, #01-1036 & #01-1152, Singapore 050032
Ramen aficionados can test their spice tolerance at Ramen Nagi. It’s where you can get the Red King Ramen: a fiery, umami-rich bowl that features springy noodles, tender pork slices and a large ball of miso-infused minced pork swimming in a sumptuous broth that includes garlic, chilli oil, cayenne pepper and other special ingredients. The spice scale officially goes up to 10, though you can request for a higher level if you wish. Add a ramen egg for good measure, and don’t forget to cue up some icy cold green tea or Japanese beer.
2 Orchard Turn, #B4-54, Singapore 238801, +65 8163 2185
9 Temasek Boulevard, #01-512/513, Singapore 038989, +65 9144 7482
Ayam geprek – a scrumptious Indonesian dish of crispy fried chicken mixed with hot sambal – is what you’ll discover at Papa Ayam. And boy is it spicy. We suggest going for the original Ayam Geprek – smashed chicken served with homemade garlic sambal, fluffy white rice, refreshing cucumber slices and crackers. If you feel like taking on the ultimate test, you can request for the most extreme spice tier: a sky-high level 15. Judging from the amount of chilli seeds in the vivid-red sauce, you’ll be in for one hell of a challenge.
313 Orchard Road, #B3-49, Singapore 238895, +65 8698 3921
30 Paya Lebar Road, #B2-K3, Singapore 409006, +65 9726 1300
Thailand has some of the spiciest foods in the world, so it should come as no surprise that something from a Thai restaurant made it onto this list. At Thailicious Boat Noodles, you can customise the spice intensity of the crowd-favourite Tom Yam Egg Noodles, which runs all the way up to a sweltering level 10. As for the ingredients, the scorching dish features springy noodles, minced pork, a runny egg and fresh beansprouts enveloped in a fragrant broth. Be sure to wash everything down with some iced milk tea or a lemongrass drink.
8 Liang Seah Street, #01-01, Singapore 189029, +65 6917 9857
Given that it claims to serve the “hottest and spiciest curry” in town, Lagnaa Barefoot Dining isn’t playing around when it comes to spicy dishes. Our favourite here is the classic Chicken Tikka Masala, and you can select your preferred spice tier – which goes up to a maximum of six. Those who are bold can opt for level six: finishing even a half portion earns you a place on their Wall of Flame. But if you’re not quite sure what you can handle, start with some Curry Shots: six shooters of curry sauce that span levels one to six.
6 Upper Dickson Road, Singapore 207466, +65 6296 1215