RESTAURANTS: Big eaters convene to eat mounds of curry in a hurry

The feats of gut-busting valor exhibited by competitive eaters are always a sight to behold. Since some of the world's greatest competitors hail from the island nation of Japan, it's only natural that Japanese import Go! Go! Curry! should host its own big league eat off. Saturday, May 30 marks the championship round of this inaugural event. Thanks to a very strict set of rules, you can rest assured that no Inspector Gadget-style shennanigans will ensue: standard issue forks will be provided to each competitor pre-chow. With a $500 AmEx gift card and $55 in Go! Go! gift cards on the line, an air-tight code of ethics is a must.

After nine qualifying rounds of herculian curry consumption, it all boils down to five worthy finalists, including hometown heroes Donald Lerman and Paul Arcaria. Each plate contains 2.8 ounces of curry, and the gastronomic gladiators have 15 minutes to down as many servings as their stomach (and gag reflex) will allow. Although the event is already sold out, you'll still be able to catch the nail-biting action via the live feed. So hunker down with your laptop and a big bowl of your favorite Japanese curry, and see if you can polish off even one serving in the time it takes the pros to inhale a bathtub full. Ready! Set! Go! Go!