Doctor suing Thai restaurant over spicy appetizer she said scorched her vocal cords has trial delayed for unique reason

A San Jose doctor suing a Bay Area Thai restaurant over a spicy dish she says was “unfit for human consumption” had her trial delayed so she can attend a wedding overseas.

Neurologist Harjasleen Walia — who filed suit against Coup de Thai in Los Gatos over an appetizer she claims burned her vocal cords — asked a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge to move her trial date from March 23 to Nov. 9 so she can travel to the nuptials in Vietnam, The Mercury News reported.

Walia said she is escorting her octogenarian parents to the wedding and could not start the trial immediately after returning from overseas.

In her lawsuit, Walia alleged that the restaurant’s Dragon Balls appetizer was unsafe to serve and that staff were ill-equipped to handle her severe reaction.

She is suing after claiming the dish — which she ordered mild — left her with chemical burns to her throat, nose and esophagus.

The fiery appetizer is made with Thai chilis that can pack anywhere from 50,000 to 250,000 Scoville heat units, according to SFGATE. For comparison, a humble jalapeño clocks in at just 2,500 to 5,000 units.

The lawsuit alleges that the doctor was left seriously ill and injured after eating at Coup de Thai, requiring medical treatment for burns and other complications.

Her attorneys say the damage is permanent and that she will suffer lifelong physical injury, which they claim stems directly from being served food they described as unsafe to eat.

Walia is seeking broad damages, including compensation for medical bills, lost income and legal fees, according to court filings.

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The complaint also points to the restaurant’s branding, arguing that Coup de Thai openly caters to spice lovers. The eatery promotes itself as delivering a “true revolution of your senses,” boasting online that its dishes bring “fireworks” to diners’ mouths and restore the “true ‘Thai’” experience.

A restaurant supervisor pushed back on those claims, telling Bay Area News Group that the Dragon Balls appetizer does not contain excessive chili and that the restaurant has never received previous complaints of the dish causing medical problems.