This is a PSA for anyone who might be interested in trying the "monster hell challenge." When I saw the announcement that Strings was opening in Madison and read about their hell challenge on the Chicago website, I knew I would need to pay a visit sometime soon. However, I couldn't find much information about people's past experiences on Yelp/Reddit, other than that it was insanely spicy.
My dining compatriot and I chatted with the server while we were waiting for the food to come. When she mentioned that only three people had ever successfully completed the challenge -- even across all the Chicago locations -- a wave of dread washed over me. The first surprise when the food arrived was that the bowl for the ramen challenge was about 50% bigger than a regular portion. The second surprise was that the "broth" was basically a bowl of opaque chili oil.
I have an affinity for extremely spicy food and regularly challenge myself by ordering the spiciest items on the menu (I once survived going to a Szechuan restaurant in Singapore and accidentally ordering spice level "5" because it momentarily slipped my mind that I was in Singapore -- bad idea!). Even for me, digging into this dish felt like eating pure fire, and there was no way I would have been able to drink all the oil. The rules state that you have to finish the entire bowl, and also that you're only allowed to drink a single glass of water.
I declared defeat after eating about 1/3 of the (non-chili-oil) contents and drinking my glass of water. I would liken my condition at that point to the time I took a bite of a raw Carolina Reaper at the DCFM as part of a chili-eating challenge. As I recovered by drinking more water over the next 10 minutes, I had the enjoyment of watching the reactions of my partner and a diner at the next table as they sampled some of my leftover ramen.
So there you have it. If you like spice-eating contests, this is probably worth a try, but you should be prepared to drink lots of chili oil! Strings has probably usurped KJ's Curry Bowl as the restaurant offering the spiciest food in Madison.
P.S. I can't comment on the taste of the food, because my mouth was burning -- but my partner told me he thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of the spicy clam & pork ramen! The wait staff were also extremely friendly.