Thai Changthong, Thai-Kun, Austin, TX

The more chiles you use, the closer you’ll come to the tear-inducing flavor of the dish as it’s served at Thai-Khun.

Is it hot? Sure, it’s hot. But the bracing pickled cabbage, cooling fresh herbs, and sweet-tasting rice will help keep the flames in check in this incendiary dish from Thai-Kun.

This recipe from Thai-Kun makes a generous amount of sauce, which you may find yourself finishing (we won’t judge). Any leftover would be great on everything from white rice to noodles to…well, more bread.

The key to this dish from Thai-Kun is not letting the noodles stick together. Keep them moving in the pot, drain very well after rinsing, and add the oil to coat right away. If you like, quickly grill a few slices of sirloin steak and toss them in at the end.