Bold simple flavours can make a great dish, but it takes a symphony of delicate flavours to make an exceptional dish.
And chilli can just drown everything else out.
I've eaten plenty of hot thai food but in a curry house won't go hotter than a 'Madras'.
I just prefer more flavour over heat, or at most a balance.
I wonder if flavour and heat perception differ from person to person. All of my life I've not been able to bear whisky, ouzo, grappa, peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, baked beans, and many other flavours. Could it be that some of us are hyper tasters, and the chilli lovers are hypo tasters?