Chili pepper daredevils may be interested in trying out the Ema Datshi, a chili-cheese stew that's absolutely packed with peppers. Prepared by Lasola's Bhutanese chef, it's one of the spiciest dishes we've found in Tokyo. Although it's very tasty and quite manageable in small bites, we needed a lot of extra rice to get through a bowl. (Fortunately free rice refills are provided upon request.)

The chef prepares a couple of other, less extreme Datshi variations, also built around chili peppers and cheese but with additional ingredients like potatoes, mushrooms and seasonal vegetables. Meat-centered dishes - stir-fried pork with daikon and stir-fried chicken with cabbage - incorporate chili peppers as a vegetable ingredient but in less sweat-inducing quantities.

Momo dumplings - regular and with cheese - make a nice side dish. These are relatively mild in flavor, though a tiny dish of chili paste is served alongside as an optional condiment. Budget around Y1,200 for lunch and Y2,500-3,500 for dinner with drinks.