Some like it hot — but others can’t handle the heat. During their date at Obao — a Vietnamese and Thai eatery in Hell’s Kitchen — Chelsea, a 26-year-old visual artist, issued a challenge to Joshua, a registered nurse who’s also 26: Eat one of the peppers that came in her cocktail, and she would do the same. Josh gladly obliged — but did that keep the sparks flying between the two?
She said:
As I was escorted to our table, I was a little superficially underwhelmed, to be honest.
Josh and I jumped right into personality and background questions, but unfortunately, that didn’t help — we didn’t seem to have a lot in common. I also felt as though there were prolonged silences every time I stopped talking.
We had fun with our photo shoot — it helped break the ice. I ordered a cocktail called the Sunray, which had a few hot peppers in it. I convinced Josh we should both eat one. He started coughing and chugging water. Whoops! I, for one, barely felt the heat. Overall, the food and service at Obao was fantastic.
I gave Josh my number. I had a good time, but if we were to stay in touch, it would have to be platonic.
He said:
When I saw Chelsea I wasn’t attracted to her at first. She was also late, which was a little annoying. But once we started talking, I became attracted to her personality.
I like how she loves to have a good time. We were constantly laughing, and the conversation was smooth.
Obao is a wonderful spot for a date. Chelsea ordered a spicy drink with chilis in it, and she challenged me to eat one. My mouth and stomach were on fire, but we both shared a good laugh about it.
During the date, Chelsea showed me a list she keeps on her phone of everything she wants to do in NYC. I will reach out to see if she would like to go out again. I’m not sure if I am interested in her romantically, but she was fun.