Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2012

Breathe fire like the dragon at Picante (3-6-13 Shimbashi, Minato-ku; www.meturl.com/picante), a newly-opened restaurant serving spicy fare from Italy, China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and Mexico. Tongue burners in order of intensity include stuffed raw habanero (¥780), killer karaage (¥680), murderous mapo dofu (¥780), grisly green curry (¥1,890 for a whole chicken), and tandoori chicken in flames—literally (¥680). Ask for group hotpot courses (from ¥2,980) to keep warm this winter.