Same mate. I've never cooked a phaal or even seen a recipe if I'm honest. But we've tried it a few times in different places. In one we had to scrape the sauce off the meat to eat it.
I like hot food but it's the combination of flavours that make it. You know I've enjoyed a curry when the sweat is coming out of every orifice. But if you can't even eat it what's the point?
By the way. My personal test on how hot my food has been is whether I can pee without burning before I go to bed. When it stings, you know its been a hot one.