Spicy Hot!

Spices at a Bangkok market

There is a small Thai restaurant in Paris called Ban Som Tam that offers their dishes at different levels of hot. 1-chili was for babies, most of the French chose 2. 3-chillies was exciting, 4 was for risk-takers. I always ordered the steam fish at 5-chilies: suicidal. They did it well, sour and spicy with the pungency of fish sauce - thoroughly satisfying with some glutinous rice.

I'd mentioned this restaurant to Le Monsieur when we were still dating in Paris. As a bet, we decided on a challenge to see who could take more chillies. At the restaurant, he told the bemused owner of our plans and ordered all the dishes at Level Suicide 5. Mango salad, steamed fish, green curry chicken, beef laap and tomyam soup.

The rule: the first to drink water or eat the rice, loses.

The dishes arrived, steaming hot and looking potent.

We taunted each other in the beginning but our smiles melted away quickly enough. Soon he had tears running down his cheeks while I, I had a fiercely running nose. We would have asked for more paper napkins but we could't. Talking was impossible - our tongues were numb. And still we persisted in eating, and putting up the charade that all was well.

How did it end?

My version: Finally I took a look at his sweaty teary face and took pity on him. I conceded with a mouthful of rice.

His version: Ha! I won!

Now, who would you believe? A Singaporean brought up on chili padis? Or a Frenchman who wouldn't give in?

Well, we were both winners in a way. We had a very hot, spicy, sweaty and fun date that night. Who could have said the same thing that evening?