If you’re politically correct about food, or have a queasy stomach, you might want to skip the next two pages. Because this week we’re highlighting the opposite of comfort food: uncomfortable food. So get your stomach and gut ready, hold your nose, close your eyes and join us as we explore some of the city’s most extreme eating. Sperm, anyone?

Pow Tiem Heng

The Fare: Whether you call this dish rocky mountain oysters, Montana tendergroin, swinging sirloin, cowboy caviar or simply, bull testicles, that’s the specialty here! In America, the precious private parts are usually coated in flour and deep-fried, but at Pong Tiem Heng, it comes kao lao style. Stewed with Chinese herbs, the balls come in their original spherical form and are served in a terracotta pot (starting from B60).

The Scene: Located in MBK’s noisy food court, opposite Ie Sae. Expect to fight for seats with university students.

The Site: 6/F, MBK, Rama 1 Rd. Open daily ­­11am-10pm.

Kwang Sawasdee

The Fare: Isn’t Bambi cute? He’s yummy, too. If deer is what your dear stomach is rumbling for, make your way to Kwang Sawasdee. Located near Bangkok Center Hotel, the restaurant whips up venison specialties cooked in Thai, Chinese and Western styles. The livestock is raised on a farm in Saraburi, and the extensive menu offers a variety of venison dishes from sausage to steak to soup. Don’t miss the stir-fried venison with black pepper (B180), noodles with braised Chinese-herbal deer (B75) and the “Than Ong” soup, which takes over eight hours to prepare. Again, “balls” are also available, at B100 each.

The Scene: No-frills, street-side shophouse eatery with friendly service and both open-air and air-con seating.

The Site: 336/3 Rama 4 Rd., 02-236-1773. Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm

Kubpo Hanako

The Fare: Kubpo Hanako may seem like a typical izakaya, but during November to January, it offers cod milt—better known as cod sperm. Don’t make a sour face, yet. In Japanese, the word is shirako, which translates as “white children” and it is considered a rare delicacy. At first glance, the white scrambled blob looks unsightly and unappetizing. But when the cod milt is cooked with the tangy ponzu sauce (and after you’ve had a steady stream of sake), its texture becomes more creamy and custard-like. After all, like shark fin or fugu, shirako is less about taste and more about texture and novelty.

The Scene: A cool late-night spot with a dark interior and flirtatious service. Choose from the teppanyaki bar or private tatami rooms.

The Site: 113/1 Thonglor Soi 13, 02-712-6371/2. Open daily 5:30pm-midnight.

Samong Moo Thai Tham

The Fare: It’s not just Hannibal who enjoys brains, as Samon Moo Thai Tham’s famous pig brain soup (B70) is a favorite of various celebrities and food critics. Their Shell-Chuan-Chim-certified kao lao is prepared with pig brain, entrails, deep-fried fish skin, Chinese sausages and deep-fried taro balls in peppery clear broth.

The Scene: Time-tested hole-in-the-wall with old-timer clientele to match.

The Site: 28/1 Phraeng Phuton Rd., 02-221-7612. Open Mon-Sat 7am-2pm.

Uomasa

The Fare: In addition to a range of standard izakaya fare, Uomasa also serves nicely-marbled horse meat, sashimi-style. Before, various parts and cuts of horse were on offer. However, due to a shortage of stallions, there are now only tategami (neck, B290) and shimofuri sashi (fatty, marbled parts, B490) available on the menu. You can eat whale there, too.

The Scene: A casual and bustling two-story establishment in Nihonmura complex, where Japanese is the predominant language.

The Site: Thonglor Soi 13, 02-185-2700. Open daily 11am-11pm.