This South Portland Chinese restaurant is where various Sichuan hot pot dishes and soups come to life. The Chongqing chicken, however, stands alone at the top of the heat hierarchy. This dish, also known as laziji, is essentially bits of crispy chicken utterly buried in red chilies and Sichuan peppercorn, balancing tingling mala with the sheer heat of the peppers. The restaurant is open seven days a week for takeout only.

This cozy and brightly colored Hillsdale restaurant prides itself on bringing together vibrant cuisines from around the world to fill out its menu. But there’s only one item on this menu that will secure patrons a spot on the “Wall of Flame” if eaten. The habanero cheese balls are crispy and gooey fritters that come standing in a small pool of habanero relish. Finish all five along with the sauce — the dish comes with a spoon to help — for a spot on the wall. It is currently open for delivery and takeout only, Tuesday through Sunday.

Ask any Portlander who's had this dish how it was, and they're likely to give an immediate and energetic description of the heat level. Though the bird’s eye chili isn’t visible in the dish, its presence becomes obvious after the first bite. Acidity from lime and lemongrass join in to add brightness to this searing heat. This dish offers a slow burn that continues to build; for relief from the spice, Hat Yai’s coconut mango horchata, made with or without rum, is a worthy salve. It is currently open seven days a week for patio service, as well as for takeout and delivery.

This dish, with historical ties to Portugal and India, has changed over time from a more traditionally tangy sauce to the famous face-melting curry found in restaurants today. This rich and spicy sauce relies on generous doses of red chilies, vinegar, ginger, and cumin, which permeate hearty and moist chunks of lamb and potato. Dil Se is open seven days a week for takeout and delivery, but is not currently offering dine-in service.

The Diablo Burrito almost speaks for itself. Protruding from the top of this two-pound behemoth are two serrano pepper horns, while beneath the wet blanket of bright red guajillo chili sauce lies a burrito filled with sliced New York strip steak, rice, pinto beans, and a legion of peppers: jalapeno, serrano, powdered morita and pequin, habanero, and ghost peppers. A quick YouTube search will reveal a handful of people daring enough to attempt to tackle this beast. Over 3,000 folks have stepped up to the plate, but only a handful were able to complete the challenge. Allan’s is open 7 days a week for takeout, delivery, and dine-in.

As noted in Eater’s ramen map, the Mala Ramen at Kayo’s is a force to be reckoned with. Kayo’s uses its signature miso pastes in concert with mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, chilis, and garlic for a bowl of ramen that’s as punchy as can be. It also serves pints of Kirin Ichiban to help cool the burn. Kayo’s is currently open Monday through Saturday for dine-in, and has delivery and curbside options as well.

Like many Thai restaurants in this Thai-loaded town, Zaap offers a range of spice levels for its assortment of curries, stir-fries, and noodle dishes. The range at Zaap, which serves Northeastern Thai cuisine, starts at 1 and tops out at 5. The Evil Jungle Recipe stir fry combines veggies and a house red curry, along with basil and cooling coconut milk, to make the spiciest vegetarian dish on this list. Order the dish at a five for takeout or in-house delivery.

Though Portlanders might be well-versed in traditional Thai dishes such as som tum, also known as papaya salad, it’s less likely that they’re familiar with it’s more funky, fermented Lao counterpart. Khao Niew makes this green papaya salad in a large mortar and pestle called a cloke and sok in Laotian. Freshly ground bird’s eye chilies play with the funky and briny flavors brought by fermented fish sauce and shrimp paste. Khao Niew, located at Cully Central, offers this dish “Lao style” for maximum heat — eat it onsite, or take it to-go.