On Monday, January 30, Food Network stars Aarón Sánchez and Roger Mooking share some of San Diego’s spiciest dishes on Heat Seekers, a show dedicated to tracking down the spiciest, hottest dishes around the country. With just one episode in San Diego, the chefs of course can’t cover everything, so here are our picks for San Diego’s top 5 spiciest creations for those who can’t get enough of the hot stuff:
- Yakisoba at Stone World Bistro & Gardens: Another entry of Japanese noodles, this stir fry packs some serious flavor with dark sesame oil, soy, ginger, pepper flakes, and cashews. It can be ordered mild or spicy, and the chefs have been known to take “spicy” requests as a challenge. Also try the Spicy Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry with the Thai chiles added for an adventure way up in the Scoville Scale.
- Ghost Chili Sauce at UnderBelly: This ramen-centric hot spot has been packing in visitors since opening in November, but their spicy secret weapon isn’t listed on the menu. If you want some extra kick to your noodles, ask for their ghost chili sauce. But be warned – use it sparingly!
- Deer Hunter Wings at Hamilton’s Tavern: The tavern known for its extensive craft beer selection has also built a legend around its mouth-numbing wings. Their Volcano wings are made with habanero and Thai chiles, as well as the fearsome bhut joloka pepper. The Deer Hunter amps it up a notch by turning wing eating into a game of Russian roulette, with each order comprising 9 Volcano wings and one extra hot wing that they guarantee will ruin your day.
- The Butt BomberTM at Analog: If you can get past the name, you’ll get 4 layers of “totchos” (those would be tater tots, served nacho-style) topped with hot chilaquiles sauce, sour cream, 4 fried eggs, jalapeño relish, sliced tomatoes and 3 whole habanero peppers.
- Chipotle Brews from San Diego’s craft brewers: Have you noticed how well beer pairs with spicy food? And in a city known for being one of the country’s best craft beer destinations, you just know our local brewers have been experimenting with pepper-infused creations. Stone Brewing Co., Manzanita Brewing Company, Ballast Point and AleSmith have all released chipotle brews in the past, so stop in to one of San Diego’s many brewpubs to see what’s on tap these days. (You can sometimes find Manzainta’s “Where’s the Smoke” spicy craft brew in a bomber at local stores)
Have we missed any of your favorite spicy San Diego favorites? Tune in to the Food Network at 8:00 pm on January 30 to see what Aarón Sánchez and Roger Mooking had to say!