Sean Corbett photo

Bombay Bar & Grill - Chicken Phaal

Bangalore Restaurant
1342 Kings Hwy. Cutoff, Fairfield
(203) 319-0100
Chicken Vindaloo, $15.95

I've always been fascinated by spicy foods, whether it's Mexican or Korean, but Indian curries are on a different level. In an effort to find the hottest chicken curry in my area, I first ordered the chicken vindaloo (take-out) at Bangalore Restaurant. The heat was so intense my face turned red and I started to sweat. With strong Indian food heat, not even bread, milk, water or beer can help cool your mouth down. While a vindaloo dish typically has more vinegar than other curries, the layered flavor here offered more than just a sour taste. It was a delicious meal with an elaborate heat that left a lasting impression.

Bombay Bar & Grill
616 Post Rd. E., Westport
(203) 226-0211
Chicken Phaal, $16.95

Friends who knew about my quest for heat recommended I try chicken madras, which I couldn't find locally, or phaal, which I first found at Bombay. Their phaal (again take-out) is the kind of dish that makes you cough when you smell it. The bright red sauce is tangy, rich, flavorful and intensely hot. The phaal includes chopped green hot peppers, a tomato paste and many spices. The flavorful yellow rice with chopped carrots was soft and added a good balance to the heat, but my mouth didn't cool down for almost 30 minutes. For lunch the next day, it was just as hot and just as delicious.

Bonani Indian Kitchen
2090 Black Rock Tpke., Fairfield
(203) 334-2104
Chicken Phaal, $10.95

I enjoyed my last choice so much I picked it up again at Bonani. The man on the phone warned me twice, saying, "It is really, really hot," and then asking, "Are you sure?" right before I paid him. His warning was completely appropriate. I'm not saying the chicken wasn't perfect, or that the sauce wasn't colorful and fresh. I'm saying, since I'm more Irish than the Potato Famine, I couldn't handle the heat. It was warm in my apartment that night and I chose to eat outside on our porch too cool down. The green peppers were brutal, and for almost an hour, nothing could cool me down. I should've listened to the man on the phone.

Zaha Tandoori Kitchen
222 Post Rd., Fairfield
(203) 255-1970
Chicken Vindaloo, $13.99

Perhaps the most mystifying thing about Indian curries is the delicate nature of the heat. It's multi-faceted, with many ins and many outs, and I've heard the average curry includes over 40 different spices. For my final meal, I backed down from the phaal and returned to the safety of the vindaloo at Zaha, which recently replaced Spice N Ice and is more of a Pakistani restaurant now. They made me the vindaloo even though it wasn't on the menu (I thought I was calling the old place). It was delicious despite more vinegar flavor than I usually enjoy. Put it on the menu, boys!