The first time I ever ate this was years ago in a dive around West 14th Street in Manhattan, where the food was literally so hot that it raised a blister or 2 in my mouth (I was very young at the time and was attending some sort of Marxist meeting in the area with a friend; maybe the horrible meal was God's punishment). Needless to say, that one experience turned me off to this cuisine for years afterward. About a decade ago, a Thai place opened not far from me, and I used to bring my then-girlfriend there, as she seemed to enjoy this kind of food (matter of fact, we went there on our first date at my suggestion; I didn't want her to think I was just another meat-and-potatoes type of guy). Either it was a far better restaurant than that torture-pit on West 14th Street, or my tastes had matured with the passing years, because I found eating there a reasonably pleasurable experience, although Thai cuisine will never be on my top-10 list of favorites. A lot of chicken, coconut, and peanut sauce, it seems. You have the option of requesting that the dishes you order be made very VERY hot and spicy, or milder. I remember my long-ago blisters and tell the waiter to make mine as mild as possible. Although I'm not wildly enthusiastic about Thai food, I do love some of their desserts, particularly the sticky rice with mango, which is absolutely delicious. Bottom line? Not something I'd order as my last meal, but a nice change of pace on occasion.