Muslim lamb chop ($21.95), braised until fall-off-the-bone tender, fried until crisp, and jacketed with an intensely flavored coating of cumin? Yes Virginia, we're still in China.
Jungle curry at AyadaThere’s no creamy coconut milk to temper the flames of this tear-jerking Thai dish, the spiciest in the country’s anthology of curries.
Soft-shell crab with mango salad at Chao ThaiThe crab salad at this tiny Elmhurst spot doesn’t look too intimidating— But one bite in and your mouth explodes from the hefty dose of fresh bird’s-ey...
Kimchi jigae at Hahm Ji BachNext time you’re craving a sinus assault at 4am, head to Queens for the kimchi jigae at 24-hour Korean restaurant Hahm Ji Bach. This traditional stew arrives in a bubbl...
Seppuku wings at Buffalo CantinaWe could manage only three of these diabolical off-the-menu chicken wings, by far the spiciest we’ve encountered in NYC. The lava-red, chili-seed-speckled sauce fe...
Spicy frog at Hunan HouseArriving at the table on a sizzling-hot plate, this chowhound-courting dish announces its potency with a thick dusting of cumin and a glut of bright red peppers. The delic...
Extreme spicy ramen at Totto RamenJapanese food isn’t known for climbing the Scoville scale, but noodle fanatics can flirt with some serious heat at Bobby Munekata’s midtown ramen shop. The burn h...
Buffalo chicken wings at Bonnie’s GrillOrder the wings to their max spice level at this Park Slope diner and you’ll get the third degree. “Have you had them here before?” quiz wary servers, who’ve...
Braised beef at Lan Sheng Chili-heads can skip the mapo tofu and go straight for the unassumingly named braised beef: It’s the spiciest item on the menu at this midtown Szechuan spot. Even the rest...
Braised sliced fish in spicy soup base at Little PepperTimid tongues should know from the instant this bowl reaches the table to steer clear—the broth itself is dyed a brilliant red with chili oil...
Hot chicken at Peaches HotHouseThis cayenne-laced, sweat-inducing take on the Southern-fried classic comes to Brooklyn by way of Nashville. The all-natural, cage-free poultry is spiced with a well...
Pancita at El Maguey y La TunaThis Lower East Side stalwart calls its spicy tripe soup the ultimate hangover cure, and we wouldn’t disagree—a few sips of the peppery, brick-red broth would shock a...
Pepper shrimp at Maima’s Liberian BistroIntrepid heat-seekers can ride the E to the end of the line for this lip-singeing plate. This Liberian bistro is the city’s only spot specializing in the...
Pad cha at Nusara Thai KitchenThe palate-spanking seafood stir-fry at this family-run Thai joint lives up to its nickname: “hell sauce.” A pile of fresh bird’s-eye chilies—the tiny, but seriously...
Pork black curry at SigiriThis narrow Sri Lankan eatery has no shortage of incendiary dishes, including a section of the menu devoted to “deviled” specialties—your choice of meat or seafood mixed...
Xijiang beef at Northeast TasteThe spice in the Xijiang beef from Flushing’s Northeast Taste—specializing in, as the name implies, northeast Chinese cuisine—doesn’t beat you over the head with the...
Buka sauce at BukaA spicy feast at this West African spot should start with the traditional goat pepper soup ($10), which gets its eye-popping kick from habaneros, and its purported healing qualit...
Piri-piri shrimp at JunoonChef Vikas Khanna channels the Portuguese-influenced cuisine of Goa, India, in this taste-bud–singeing starter. A conflagrant paste of dried piri-piri chilies, ginger and...
Barbacoa tacos at El AguilaOn Saturdays and Sundays, this outpost of a New Jersey tortilleria slow-cooks its goat special with dried chile de árbol peppers, then heaps the tender, gamey meat onto...
