Every couple of months, I like to go to Thai Krathong and get myself a plate of Drunken Noodles. Typically I'm not a person who likes to suffer for any reason. Give me an easy way out and I will gladly take it. But every couple of months, Drunken Noodles call, and, despite everything I know about them and what they're capable of, I answer.

If you've never had Drunken Noodles, let me explain. Drunken Noodles gets its name from that fact that after you eat one or two bites of it, you will immediately drink every type of liquid on the table while waiving your hands in the air, summoning the waiter for more. Water, soda, beer, vodka ... hell, if your table has one of those liquid paraffin candles, you'll drink that as well. Because Drunken Noodles is the spiciest thing you've ever tasted. And it's so fricken good that you can't stop eating it.

Normally, I'm skeptical of most ultra-spicy food. Don't get me wrong. I like spice. I love spice. But usually, there's a point at which the spice completely takes over, and all you can taste is the fire. This isn't the case with Drunken Noodles. Not only do you taste the fire, but there's a whole spectrum of flavors underneath the fire. The combination is incredible.

Last week as I was eating Drunken Noodles, a bit of it got on my chin, and I guess because I'd shaved an hour or so before, it burned my effing skin. Meanwhile, my lips were numb. The inside of my mouth was in pain. My stomach was already beginning to make noises that sounded like someone pulling rusty nails out of a board. While I ate, I kept wondering out loud why I was doing this to myself. But I knew why. It was pure bliss.

I think the waiter filled my water glass about 15 times, and I tried to stretch out my Thai iced coffee throughout the whole meal, but that was futile. I left happy, though feeling as if I'd been gargling with lit kerosene while someone slapped my lips with a wet leather belt.

Of course, the next day, you get to experience the mirror image of the whole experience, only with none of the pleasure whatsoever. That's OK. The pain is the kind of pain you forget. Like childbirth.

I'll be back in a few months.