While some people may have palates that prefer mild flavors, others dare to venture to the spicier side. Those who fall into the latter category may want to check out the following restaurants. But take caution: These dishes may be too hot to handle.
BB.Q CHICKEN
Expect the “best of the best quality” at bb.q Chicken (multiple locations) because that is exactly what its name stands for. Customers will fi nd high-quality Korean fried chicken that is known for being crispy, juicy and tender, and is mixed in an array of sauces boasting sensational flavors. Among the hottest of the eatery’s sauces are the hot spicy — a red chile sauce that evokes some serious heat and fl avor — as well as the hot mala, which is inspired by Chinese mala seasoning. It’s the perfect balance between sweet and spicy.
However, those really looking for a challenge can pick up bb.q Chicken’s Wings of Fire — Korea’s hottest wings. (Warning: This has four fi re signs on the website.) The restaurant is also known for its ddeok bokki. The Works ddeok bokki comprises Spam, sausages, two pieces of mandoo, and ramen in the restaurant’s signature spicy sauce. While some may fi nd this hot enough, guests looking to take it to the next level will delight in the Mala ddeok bokki — the restaurant’s spiciest ddeok bokki dish.
Visit bbdotqchickenhawaii.com.
Chengdu Taste
Chengdu Taste (808 Sheridan St. Ste. 209) will satisfy any craving with its traditional Szechuan dishes perfectly spiced to customers’ preferences.
Popular options include its double chile pepper, which is a stir-fry dish comprising red bird’s-eye chile peppers, serrano peppers and Sichuan peppercorn. Guests have their choice of protein with selections such as sliced crisp grass carp, beef, tender chicken and sauteed chicken with pickles. Meanwhile, the eatery’s griddle-cooked (dry pot) dishes pair protein — beef, chicken or frog — with mixed vegetables (wood ear mushrooms, potato slices and cucumber slices) that are stir-fried thoroughly with Sichuan hotpot seasoning, doubanjiang, dried chile pepper and Sichuan peppercorn.
Hottest of all is Chengdu Taste’s boiled sliced fish in hot sauce, which is boiled with Sichuan hotpot seasoning, red chile paste, Sichuan peppercorn powder and peppercorn oil, before being topped with napa cabbage, bean sprouts, celery sticks and boiling hot cooking oil. Diners can substitute the fi sh for beef, chitlins (pork offal) or shrimp.
Call 808-589-1818 or visit chengdutastetogo.com.
Junpuu
Junpuu (1010 S. King St. No. 108) is known for its delicious, spicy ramen, but its spicy tonkotsu and tan tan men are the most popular items on the menu, according to owner Eiji Kato.
He says that the eatery’s regular spice level for its broth is one teaspoon of spice, but it can offer up to 100 times that for customers who are true daredevils. (Customers who want to try the 100-times spice level must sign a waiver.)
Junpuu recommends customers not to exceed the 30-times spice level.
“Some people eat it like nothing, but others who said they can handle spicy can’t handle 20-times (spice level),” says Kato.
Visit junpuuramen.com or call 808-260-1901.
MIAN Honolulu
MIAN Honolulu (808 Sheridan St. Ste. 105), sister restaurant of Chengdu Taste, is known for its housemade tender noodles prepared in the traditional style of China’s Sichuan province. (Fun fact: Mian is the Chinese word for noodle.)
Its signature dish, house beef noodles, has a beef-bone-based broth steeped in beef and Chinese spices — including a Sichuan bean paste chile oil — and is served with Chongqing-style noodles, beef stew and bok choy in a secret housemade sauce before being topped with green onions and coriander.
Also on its spicy list is its Sichuan hot and sour noodles, Chengdu Zhajiang noodles, and, for customers who are really feeling brave, the piquant intestine noodles. Call 808-589-1118 or visit its Instagram (@miantastehi).
Tadka Indian Cuisine
Located in McCully Shopping Center, Tadka Indian Cuisine (1960 Kapiolani Blvd. Ste. 109) has been quickly gaining popularity since it opened in August last year.
The spiciest item on the menu is its vindaloo, which is originally from Goa, India, and is based on the Portuguese dish carne de vinha d’alhos. Although the traditional recipe is made with pork, Tadka offers its vindaloo with chicken, lamb or shrimp. The dish is cooked with vinegar, homemade spices, chile sauce and potatoes, and is always made extra spicy. According to the biz, its vindaloo has become one of the favorite curries for guests of all ages.
For all its other curries, Tadka can match the spice level (mild, medium, spicy or extra spicy) to the customer’s tolerance. The Goan-style coconut shrimp curry and lamb korma are also popular options. The latter is a curry cooked in cashew-and-almond sauce with flavorful pieces of lamb.
Visit its Instagram (@tadkaindiancuisine808) or call 808-941-0414.
Straits Restaurant
Straits Restaurant’s (1060 Auahi St. No. 4) wide array of authentic Southeast Asian dishes will take customer’s taste buds on an unforgettable adventure. Each dish — boasting flavors of China, Malaysia, India, Singapore and Indonesia — is prepared with the highest quality ingredients.
Those looking to indulge in its spicier dishes can pick up Straits’ spicy street noodles, mee goreng, which comprise wok-fried spicy egg noodles, shrimp, cabbage, tofu, tomatoes, potatoes and bean sprouts. Or, try the laksa noodle soup — which was featured on Food Paradise — that includes spicy coconut curry, chicken, egg, bean sprouts and shrimp.
Customers looking for even more spice can take note of menu items with two chile peppers to denote its spiciness level, such as its sambal hamachi kama and spicy basil chicken. The latter is a tender braised chicken accompanied by peas, carrots, fresh chile, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and Thai basil.
Visit straitshawaii.com or call 808-888-0683.
KAMUKURA Ramen
Located at The Lanai food court at Ala Moana Center, KAMUKURA Ramen (1450 Ala Moana Blvd.) is known for its trademark dish, oishi ramen, which translates to delicious ramen. Its unique broth is light in color but rich in flavor and will give customers a taste of nostalgia that will make them want to finish every last drop.
The eatery recently launched a new menu that includes a spicy dish: hot tan tan men. It’s available in both full and half sizes and comprises ground pork, bean sprouts and green onions.
Another new dish is the aburi char siu tan tan men, which boasts thick and tender pieces of char siu and a broth featuring a miso-sesame flavor with a slight kick. Follow the biz on Instagram (@kamukura_ramen) or call 808-400-0705.
Yi Xin Café
Yi Xin Café (2919 Kapiolani Blvd. Ste. 218), located in Market City Shopping Center, features a mix of Hong Kong, Singaporean and Malaysian dishes. Chef JunXi Chen creates a diverse menu filled with his unique take on traditional dishes as well as his own creations.
Customers may enjoy items such as the masala curry-flavored french fries, Hong Kong-style curry beef stew with rice, stir-fried dishes and more.
Guests won’t want to miss the restaurant’s crab tank filled with fresh Dungeness crab, which will make them even more excited to try Yi Xin Café’s spicier dishes, such as its Singapore-style chile crab and its popular curry crab plate. The latter is one of the eatery’s most popular dishes and is served with naan bread and features a homemade curry paste.
Follow its Instagram (@yi_xin_cafe_808) or call 808-738-0818.
