If you want to get some steam out of your ears and some sizzle on your tongue, this is the list for you.
Are you seeking the high that comes from some seriously spicy food? Are you looking for a way to warm up as the weather outside gets colder and colder? Well, we’ve rounded up some seriously spicy food for you to try around Melbourne. From the notorious Carolina reaper to the hot flavours of Sichuan, this list has a variety of spices for you to try. Will it be too hot to handle?
1. The Hot As Hell Challenge from The B.East
Legendary Brunswick East burger joint, The B.East has the Hot As Hell Challenge. Enjoy a burger with double beef, double bacon, double cheese and double jalapenos all layered with their beastly hot reaper sauce. Do you think you can do it? Head to the venue and ask the bar staff for details. If you beat this challenge in one minute and 15 seconds, you’ll win a B.East t-shirt, and if you beat the top time, you’ll get a $200 prize.
Find them at 80 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057.
2. Any chicken with the Sex Panther sauce at Belle’s Hot Chicken
Belle’s Hot Chicken mean it when they say hot chicken! There’s different heat levels to choose from but if you want to go all the way, go for the Sex Panther. This sauce is above their next hottest level, Really F*king Hot, so that should tell you everything you need to know. The Sex Panther sauce is made from Carolina Reapers, the hottest pepper in the world right now, as well as other secret spices.
Find them in the CBD at 147 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000.
3. Special Nine Grid Spicy Base at David’s Hot Pot
David’s Hot Pot was born in Chengdu, in the heart of the spicy Sichuan province. To take things up a notch, the team have created the Special Nine Grid Spicy Base as a challenge for true spice lovers. Instead of one or two soup bases for you to try, there are nine different hot flavours for you to sample. This grid combines traditional Sichuan ingredients with premium Australian beef tallow. Can you handle all nine flavours?
David’s Hot Pot can be found at 279 La Trobe St, Melbourne VIC 3000.
4. Anything with the Hazard Sauce at Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde is a Mexican cocktail bar and restaurant on the sixth floor of Curtin House. They dare you to add their homemade Hazard Sauce to any of their dishes. This explosive sauce is made from fresh habaneros and heaps of secret ingredients. They promise that this sauce will “make you see double and feel single”.
Find Mesa Verde on the sixth floor at 252 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000.
5. Hot, Sweet, Sour and Numbing Pork at Spice Temple
Spice Temple is a modern restaurant at Crown that focuses on China’s regional areas, like Sichuan, Yunnan and Hunan. As suggested by their name, Spice Temple uses a lot of dried spices and intense chillies to create exciting dishes. One such dish is the Hot, Sweet, Sour and Numbing Pork. This pork dish is made with Sichuan peppercorns as well as chilli, sugar and black vinegar to create a wide spectrum of flavour. If you’re keen for more spicy food after this, Spice Temple has highlighted all of their hottest dishes in red, so you’ll know exactly what to look for.
Find Spice Temple in Crown at 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006.
6. XXX Wings from Leonard’s House of Love
This retro restaurant inspired by the 70s is a welcoming space in South Yarra. And the stand-out there is definitely their fried chicken. But, you won’t feel Leonard’s love when you try his XXX Wings. These fried chicken wings are tossed in Leonard’s hot XXX sauce. From what we know, the X stands for all the swearing you’ll do with each bite.
Discover Leonard’s House of Love at 3 Wilson St, South Yarra VIC 3141.
7. Bhoot Jolokia Curry at Le Taj
Le Taj in West Melbourne claims to have Melbourne’s hottest curry. This dish, called Bhoot Jolokia Curry, is made out of ghost peppers. Ghost peppers used to be the hottest known chilli pepper in the world, and has the honour of being the first pepper to register over one million on the Scoville scale. So, Le Taj’s claim to the hottest curry in Melbourne is well-grounded. If you dare to try it, you can have it with lamb, beef or chicken.
Find Le Taj at 70-74 Rosslyn St, West Melbourne VIC 3003.
8. The Reaper Burger at YOMG
There’s something intimidating about a burger with two syringes and a warning label sticking out of it. That’s the Reaper Burger from YOMG. Inside, the two syringes are filled with a sauce made from Carolina reapers. If you can handle the heat, the rest of the burger sounds delicious. Inside its black buns are double beef patties, double cheese, maple glazed bacon, onion jalapeno jam and reaper mayo.
This hot burger is available exclusively at Nice Buns by YOMG in Berwick. Find it at Shop 1/260 Clyde Rd, Berwick VIC 3806.
9. Uncle Mary from Uncle
Need a cocktail to wash everything down? Why don’t you try the Uncle Mary from Uncle on Collins Street? In this Asian reinterpretation of a Bloody Mary, this cocktail contains vodka that has been infused with Sichuan pepper and chilli. Just in case you wanted a drink with an extra kick.
Find Uncle at Level 1, 15 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000.