Stir-Fried Basil Beef with Carolina Reaper Chili Pepper in Bangkok, Thailand

Carolina Reaper Basil Beef: the spiciest in the world

by Gapow Tapae, Bangkok, Thailand

This week I came across a post online talking about Gapow Tapae's infamous basil stir fry. Cooked with the Carolina Reaper, the world's spiciest chili pepper with a Scoville unit rating of over 2 million, this dish was something that I knew I had to try. Gapow Tapae, located near the famous Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, Thailand, claims to serve the world's hottest plate of kaprao, or basil stir-fry. I arrived one afternoon around lunchtime to give this infamously spicy dish a try.

The Carolina Reaper is a chili pepper developed by Ed Currie in South Carolina, USA. It currently holds the title of the world's hottest pepper, with an average Scoville rating of around 1.6 million units, though some individual peppers have tested over 2.2 million. For context, a jalapeño has a Scoville rating of around 2,500 to 8,000, making the Carolina Reaper over 200 times hotter, a fiery challenge for even the bravest spice enthusiasts.

stir-fried basil beef with Carolina Reaper in Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand is notorious for having some of the spiciest food in the world, but even though I've been slowly building up my spice tolerance over the past decade, I was still nervous about trying this infamously hot dish.

Minced beef was stir-fried in a hot and oily wok with slivers of garlic, Thai chilies, fish sauce, black pepper, Thai holy basil, and other aromatic ingredients. The beef was served with a scoop of white rice topped with a perfectly runny egg.

I found the Carolina Reaper dish to be excellent! It was spicy, but it was also rich, flavorful, savory, umami, and topped with a fried egg which I always consider to be a plus when it comes to any Thai dish.

the world's spiciest Thai basil stir fry at Gapow Tapae, Bangkok, Thailand

I really enjoyed my lunch, and I was super proud of myself for being able to eat the whole thing! However, at the end of my meal my bottle of water was drained, and I was still feeling the heat from the Reaper in my mouth, tongue, and throat.

I ordered a serving of coconut ice cream for dessert to help quench the heat of the chili. The sweet and creamy ice cream put out the fire of the Reaper and saved my tongue.

a bowl of cooling coconut ice cream

Even if you don't order the hottest dish on the menu, I recommend the ice cream. It's a nice way to end your meal regardless of the spiciness level that you pick.

I have to admit that I'm pretty proud of myself for having been able to eat this dish. Even the Thai staff were surprised that I ordered it and were shocked that I was able to finish it all! They asked me in Thai if it was spicy. I responded and said that it was, but that I liked spicy food. They looked impressed.

Menu and Prices

Gapow Tapae menu and prices

The Carolina Reaper basil stir fry is priced at 319 baht (around $10 USD). While that may seem steep for a kraprao dish, the rarity of the main ingredient justifies the cost, and I'm happy to pay it even if only for the experience.

The rest of the menu offers a mix of familiar options, like basil stir fries with varying levels of spiciness, and more adventurous dishes. These include a special black rice dish served only nine times a day, dry-aged beef kraprao, and the intriguingly named "Super Power Scrambled Egg" which I am yet to have tried. Most dishes fall within the 150-300 baht range, making Gapow Tapae a fairly reasonable restaurant to visit, especially for more adventurous foodies.

Location

Gapao Tapae is located in a small restaurant located at 41/1 Soi Sukhumvit 23, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110. It's just a 3 or 4-minute walk from Sukhumvit MRT Station and Asoke BTS Station.

Though it's a small local shop, there is a surprising amount of seating inside, and you should be able to get a table (perhaps with a short wait if you arrive in the middle of rush hour).

Gapow Tapae near Sukhumvit MRT Station, Bangkok, Thailand