Thai Golden Bowl - Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series
Hat tip to u/reeve11 and u/WatchOut4Sharks for this one.
Dayou believe in magic? Not traditional magic like pulling a rabbit out of a card, but the magic of spice. The tingle of capsaicin as it glides around your mouth, clacking off your teeth and careening into the guttural depths in a warm two-handed handshake that says, “everything’s going to be fine.”
That’s Thai Golden Bowl’s Drunken Noodles Spiciness Level 5. Grasping the bowl with both hands, I gazed upon the vegetables, the wide noodles, hot basil, and the chicken. I also beheld the vast redness of Thai chiles (SHU ~50k-100k) that began to blur the strains of a tough week. I once told a college roommate, “it’s been a long day,” to which he replied, “all days are the same length.” The intense rage that flooded back from the memory of that comment was quickly washed away by the spiciness of the Drunken Noodles. The Thai red chiles creeping up from time to time to say hello, but now overwhelming. The linger doesn’t cause panic, but its enough to tune out the world for a few minutes.
The spice and I shared stories, told jokes, and laughed together, much to the dismay of other patrons in the food court. “It’s okay!” I yelled, tiny sniffles interrupting my very coherent, very non-suspicious speech. “We’re old friends.” I laughed casually, the Thai hot basil calling me back.
It’s a cozy spicy. Spozy? Cpicy? No idea the best word blend, but that’s this dish. It’s one you can consume at lunch, letting go of the existential crisis caused by those around you, then go back to work knowing everything’s going to be okay, even your stomach.
There are 6 total levels of spice ranging from 0 to 5, and honestly, if you’ve ever wanted to experience well-prepared heat, this level 5 is a great gauge. I can see myself getting this one over and over. That in mind, Thai Golden Bowl’s Drunken Noodles Spiciness 5 is a middling heat, taking the #52 spot, just ahead of the same dish from Thai Grille in Westerville.
Pleased to find a non-death defying heat after last week, I looked up from my empty bowl. That’s when I saw it. Signs to the left of the cash register. People in those pictures smiling, holding empty bowls. The text read: “Thai Golden Bowl Spicy Challenge.” My jaw dropped. “Spiciness Level 15!!” My jaw dropped further. I was on the warm-up. There appear to be deeper depths of dread at Thai Golden Bowl and I must return.
You can find Thai Golden Bowl inside Dayou Market at 875 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH 43220.
Thai Golden Bowl site: https://www.thaigoldenbowloh.com/
Full Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series here: https://sawce.app/blog/spiciest-dish-in-columbus-oh