Let's talk about Spicy
Some Q&A about spiciness that we often hear at MTK
I'm worried that Thai Food is a cuisine that's too spicy for me to enjoy?
This is a very good question and one that can be easily misunderstood regarding this cuisine. So the quick answer is no, not all of it is spicy. For a Thai food restauranteur, it can be quite challenging in educating potential customers that this is not always the case. We are always searching for ways to encourage someone to give Thai cuisine a try. Our mission at MTK has always been to introduce someone to this amazing county's fabled foods. To show them that there is so much more for them to be discovered and that they would probably enjoy it if they tried it. It is understandable that Western food lovers may be reluctant to give it a try. A cheeseburger or a pizza seems safer than a plate of Pad Thai, right? :)
Like so many other Asian foods, Thai cuisine can be very diverse. Here at MTK many of the appetizers and meals that are made are actually non-spicy. For example our amazing appetizers. These items are typically brought to your table with side condiments for you to enjoy. This can be our delicious homemade peanut sauce and our sweet / lightly spicy sauce. On the other hand, if you order curry, it is inherently spicy. And with that said, when a customer is ordering any of our menu items and they are concerned about spiciness, they should ask their server for more information.
We have a scale from 0 to 4 but ...
When customers are ordering at MTK we offer them a choice for their preferred degree that they would like for their meal. It ranges from zero (non-spicy) to level 4 (Thai spicy). This spicy scale is frustratingly a potential failure and these are some of the reasons why.
Out there in the world there really is no definitive benchmark of any level of spiciness that we are aware of. Any level of spiciness that we perceive is something that is completely subjective. The real definition of a level of spicy resides within that person who at that moment is tasting that food. And since this obviously varies from person to person, it’s impossible to give it a number. For example, when someone is tasting something spicy, they may rate this perceived spicy scale a one and yet when someone else samples the food they may interpret it as being a four. And vice versa. There is no standard way to define a spicy scale. It is completely subjective to that individual’s’ taste perception.
To meet the desired spicy level that the customer chooses may be difficult for the chef to fulfill. This has always been and always will be a challenge for a restaurant offering this kind of food. When our chefs are making a customer’s meal and there is a requested level of spicy, the chef will use their best guess when they are adding in spoonful’s of chilis. That is all that anyone can do. Even more difficult for the chef is that not all chilis at their disposal may not be the same in terms of how spicy they are. It’s not that uncommon that some may be more spicy than others.
Customers often times say this ...
While we strive here at MTK are able to make a customer's meal to their their desired level of spicy, we sometimes hear "last time I ordered a two and this time it's a four and too spicy" or "I ordered a four and today it's a one, I don't understand?", etc. This is frustrating for everyone.
So what is the answer for a perfect spicy experience?
For those customers who desire a spicy meal please consider the following. We urge you to initially order a low level of spicy for your meal. This is because you can always increase this level later, but you cannot decrease it if it is too much. (The meal likely will need to be remade.) Then ask your server for the condiment tray to be brought to your table .
When it arrives, you now have several choices to add heat as you desire. One example would be chili flakes and many people like them! Whatever you choose, only try on a small portion of your meal to see if you have the right heat. If you find that you do, then you can slowly add more as you now have the perfect level of spice you prefer. Is there a number for this? We don't know what it is. We hope tho that It's a level that makes you happy!
Note: If you order something like a curry meal and it’s too spicy for you, please let your server know right away! They can take your meal back to the kitchen and make it right. This is easy to do and doesn’t take a lot of time. (Curry spiciness can be decreased by adding more coconut milk to it.)
We hope this helps customers new and old to understand spicy and encourage everyone to give Thai food a try. Thank you
