Thai that fries

JaJa's River Kwai Restaurant - Collierville, TN
http://www.jajasthaifood.com

In my world's travels, I spent about a month in Thailand. It was an experience that is unforgettable. One of my memories is how the Thais would put crushed Thai reds in just about everything they ate. Everywhere we went to eat, there was at least a chili sauce bottle on the table, if not jars of crushed peppers. That combined with and endless supply of cheap Singha to drink, I enjoyed my eating experience in Thailand.

Fast forward 10 years and my desire continues. I have been to a lot of Thai restaurants around the country and the best since my visit to Thailand are in LA. Anywhere else, they have not been able to crank up the heat well enough for me to consider them authentic. Well, I recently heard about a local establishment that was small on the map but off the charts with great food. Hot, Thai food using fresh veggies growing out of their own garden. This, I had to explore. As I met my friends inside, I was instantly greeted by their friendly staff and ordered a Singha. For my meal, I told the waiter to burn my mouth. He said no problem, simple as that. I didn't have any idea what dish was coming, but I had a good feeling that it would be amazing. For starters, we each had an order of their awesome egg rolls. They served them with a bottle of "Ja Ja's Own Hot Sauce". The authentic Thai chili sauce was now in arm's reach again! As we enjoyed these awesome egg rolls, our dishes were quickly delivered and I was given my fair warning that it was Mother JaJa's "Hot as Hell" special dish. Nervous? Never! I dove in without a care and enjoyed an amazing mix of beef, shrimp, bell peppers, onions, green beans and a very, very spicy Thai chili sauce that was perfectly sweet enough to go with the spice. I was sweating real good about 4 or 5 bites into it and it continued throughout. I was blown away by the flavor. I mixed a lot of the sauce with the side of Jasmine rice which continued the burn. After finishing every bite, I was very full and had to wipe my entire head dry. It was later explained to me that Mother JaJa's random mixes are just that, random, and she can easily raise the level if you dare. Their peppers are more potent in the peak of summer so I was challenged to test her out around then. I was then introduced to the very kind Mother JaJa and thanked her for their hospitality and my burnt mouth. They have hot wings that are served with a very similar sauce in which the level can be risen to your liking as well. I will be trying these next time I go, which won't be long from now! Another post will be a must.