In the Mood / Fiery Foods

Sometimes the only way to beat the heat is to fight fire with fire.

* Border Grill: At dinner, the sea bass Veracruzano, with chiles, olives and spices in a white wine fish broth, has a friendly, insinuating, deepening heat. And lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday features a downright smoldering roast chicken that’s finished with a smoky chipotle jus and served with rice and beans. To staunch the flames, try a licuado, a blended drink of fresh fruit, ice and milk. (Sea bass, market price, about $17.50; chipotle chicken, $10.75.) Border Grill, 1445 4th St., Santa Monica, (310) 451-1655.

* Cinco Puntos: The hottest garnishes in the city are its deceptively pretty bright orange and yellow haban~eros, boiled and marinated in vinegar and spices. Guaranteed to transform any taco into a Molotov cocktail. (Marinated haban~eros, $5 a pint.) Cinco Puntos, 3300 Cesar Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 261-4084.

* Saladang: The menu at this upscale Thai cafe has a whole section of “Hot Stuff,” which includes a popular green curry with eggplant and the estimable spicy crab fried rice, made with fresh crab and a searing Thai crab paste. (Green curry with meat, $5.95; with shrimp or scallops, $8.95; spicy crab fried rice, $12.95.) Saladang, 363 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, (818) 793-8123.

* Cafe N’Awlins: Chef Marc Antoine Foster’s fabulous, rich gumbo of shrimp, crab meat and spicy sausage is notorious for its sneaky, mounting heat. (Gumbo, $4.) Cafe N’Awlins, 122 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank, (818) 563-3569.

* Prado: The customer shooting smoke from his ears is no doubt eating the shrimp in Jamaican black pepper sauce, a form of liquid fire that is made on the premises from 22 ingredients. (Shrimp in Jamaican black pepper sauce, $17.75; Louisiana crab cakes, $18.75.) Prado, 244 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 467-3871.

* Chao Krung: Try the sweet, tangy, devilishly hot Thai hot wings, which are deep-fried and recooked in sugar, vinegar and a heady Sriracha sauce. (Thai hot wings, $4.95; seafood salad, $8.95.) Chao Krung, 111 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 939-8361.

* Kingston Cafe: At this cozy Pasadena Jamaican cafe, the jerk chicken gets its fierce firepower from haban~ero’s cousin, the famously incendiary Scotch bonnet chiles. (Jerk chicken dinner, $10.95.) Kingston Cafe, 333 S. Fair Oaks, Suite 100, Pasadena (626) 405-8080.

* Philippe’s: Watch out! Those cute little tubs of freshly made mustard contain more firepower than a box of matches. Apply with caution to your French dipped lamb or beef sandwich or take home a jar; your sinuses will never be the same again. (Philippe’s mustard, $2.25 a jar.) Philippe the Original, 1001 S. Alameda St., Los Angeles, (213) 628-3781.