A woman suing a California eatery over food she claims was way too spicy will see her case head to a jury next summer. SiliconValley.com reports that Harjasleen Walia, a neurologist in San Jose, filed her complaint last July after dining in July 2021 at Coup de Thai in Los Gatos and consuming an appetizer called "Dragon Balls," described on the restaurant's website as "spicy chicken ball[s] fried with mint, shallot, green onion, cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, chili, and rice powder, served hot." Walia says in her suit that once she saw the word "spicy," she asked servers at the restaurant—which the New York Post notes "appears to cater to foodies who love spice, billing ... itself as a 'true revolution of your senses'"—if chefs could prepare the Dragon Balls to be a bit milder.
The server reportedly agreed to her request, but when the dish came out and Walia consumed it, she "felt her entire mouth, the roof of her mouth, her tongue, her throat, and her nose burn like fire," according to her suit. She says in her complaint that her "eyes and nose watered, and she began coughing," and that she and the friend she was dining with asked for a dairy drink or yogurt to help ease the burning. "No milk, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, or other dairy product was provided or offered," Walia's suit alleges, adding that instead, Walia "drank an entire glass of coconut water and more water, but the burning did not subside."
Luck Pryer—a supervisor for the restaurant who says she was working the night that Walia dined there, and who says Walia came in the next day and complained she'd had to seek medical attention for throat burn—told the Mercury News last year that the Dragon Balls appetizer can't be made in a mild version, as the Thai chili spice used to make it is inside the balls. Pryer said at the time that if a customer indicates they don't love spicy foods, they're usually steered to another, less-spicy dish. Pryer adds that until Walia, no one else had ever made a similar complaint. Now, a jury trial for the case has been set for August 25, with proceedings expected to last up to a week. Walia is seeking $35,000 from her suit, for damages, medical expenses, and lost income. (More lawsuit stories.)
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