Despite the hot weather and my vegetarian diet, my taste for spicy food still stands strong. Born into a Singaporean family, I have eaten all kinds of spicy dishes since I was a kid—I practically bleed spices. Needless to say, I have a high tolerance for heat intensity and I enjoy the occasional kick in the mouth sensation. If you share a similar knack for spicy food, try these great places around the area.
Bull Demon King
On the corner of Woodruff Avenue and Temple City Boulevard, Bull Demon King is known for its house special spicy beef soup noodles as well as its noodle challenge, in which its bowl of noodles with the highest level of spice must be finished by the contestant within 30 minutes. I brought a trusted, spicy-eating friend, Senior Dorene Zhou, with me to give its house beef soup noodles a try. Declining the noodle challenge respectfully, Zhou ordered the normal house spicy beef soup noodles.
The soup was laced with traces of red chili oil that hugged the fat, chewy noodles. Upon tasting, Zhou noted that the broth was tasteful and easy to eat with the spicy flavors coating the back of her throat instead of burning her mouth. Zhou’s choice is great for those who want an extra kick at the end of every spoonful but still be able to enjoy the flavors in the broth, as chili can often blanket the other ingredients. If you want to kick up the intensity, I would recommend trying the BDK Hell Noodles which I had tried once before I became a vegetarian.
Why Thirsty
If you are looking for a spicy snack or appetizer, Why Thirsty is the perfect place. Snuggled next to Trader Joe’s on Rosemead Boulevard, Why Thirsty is a small Taiwanese café that offers the typical teas and entreés. The appetizers range from fries to tofu tots. Most of these dishes will have a spicy level of mild, medium or spicy. Due to my vegetarian preferences, I ordered the tofu tots and requested to have them made spicy. My tofu tots came back to me maroon-colored and coated in chili powder.
Although they looked a little intimidating, every bite burst with spicy goodness. The flavor was amazing; the hot spices filled my mouth with a satisfying burn. However, eating more than half of the maroon-colored tofu dish broke me out in a sweat and I even found myself tearing up a little. I’d say the level of Why Thirsty’s spice is extremely high and if you aren’t up for this intensity, try their medium spiced snacks which are still spicy but also comfortably edible.
Boiling Point
Already a popular individual hot pot restaurant with several locations, I decided to try the San Gabriel Boiling Point on Valley Boulevard. I instantly chose the tomato veggie option which accommodated my dietary specifications. Boiling Point offers a wide range of heat intensity: none, tiny, mild, medium, very and flaming for every palate. Noting the nearly 90 degree weather and my growling stomach, I opted for the very spicy level, one notch down from flaming, so I could still feel a little kick on my taste buds while enjoying my lunch comfortably.
The heat from the boiling broth and the spicy chili paste together created that satisfying burn every spicy-eater loves. The broth was savory, but the chili paste was the main ingredient that came through with every bite of my tofu or slurp of noodles. If you want something comfortable but still hot, go for BoiliPoint’s very spicy, but if you want to amp it up a little, try their flaming spicy option the next time you visit.\
