Som tam (a.k.a. papaya salad). <br /> When I ordered this, I showed the
woman my chowhound passport, a card that said in Thai "Please bring me the
serious, authentic food . . . not the tourist stuff." She gave me a funny
look like she was confused and didn't understand and called another women
over.  The other woman read the card, nodded, and said something to the
first.  One asked me (in English) whether I wanted it normally spicy (or
something that I took to mean that).  I said yes.  She then shows me a
palm-full of chilies.  I blanch.  They laugh.  I make a motion for them to
give me half that much. <br /> This was good and fairly spicy, yet I've
had spicier papaya salads before so I probably could've handled a bit more
(though undoubtedly not twice as many chilies).