RouteAyutthaya

Ayutthaya Food & Canal Market Walk

Eat through Ayutthaya — the central Thai province has its own regional food traditions, including the boat noodle that originated on the city's historical canals, the roasted river prawn, and the fresh produce from the orchards that cover the island's agricultural land.

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1
Boat Noodle Alley
The boat noodle alley (soi kuay tiew ruea) near the Chao Phraya river pier is the most celebrated single food destination in Ayutthaya — the concentrated row of restaurants specialising in the kuay tiew ruea (the small-portion noodle in dark pork or beef broth, garnished with the fried garlic, the morning glory, and the blood tofu that distinguish it from other Thai noodle varieties) is the most direct expression of the dish's origin in the canal-boat food vending tradition that was a feature of the waterway life of central Thailand from the Ayutthaya period through the mid-20th century. Each bowl is small (4-5 noodle portions per regular meal), and the social eating tradition of the boat noodle (ordering successive small bowls from the various stalls and keeping count of the bowls consumed) is the most characteristically Ayutthaya food experience.
2
Roasted River Prawn
The roasted river prawn (kung phao maenam) is the most specifically Ayutthayan food product available in the city — the large freshwater prawns from the Chao Phraya and Pa Sak rivers roasted over charcoal and served with the nam jim seafood sauce are the premier fresh food product of the Ayutthaya area's river system. The prawn restaurants near the river pier (setting up in the afternoon when the day's catch arrives from the river fishermen) serve the prawns at their freshest and most dramatic: the large prawns (sometimes reaching 40cm in length) grilled over charcoal until the shell chars and crisps, revealing the sweet, meaty flesh inside. The Ayutthaya roasted prawn is priced significantly higher than other Thai river foods, reflecting the premium that the size and quality of the Chao Phraya prawn commands.
3
Ayutthaya Fruit Orchards
The fruit orchards of the Ayutthaya island (the mango, pomelo, durian, and the various seasonal tropical fruits grown in the agricultural land between the temple ruins) are the most important agricultural product of the province accessible at the market stalls and fruit vendors throughout the city — the Ayutthaya pomelo (khrong khao, literally 'white cage') with its thick white pith and sweet, mild flesh is the most famous agricultural product of the province and is sold at the roadside stalls throughout the island during the November-January harvest season. The mango orchards (producing the nam dok mai mango variety that is the most prized dessert mango in Thailand) are most productive from March to May and supply the Bangkok mango and sticky rice dessert trade as well as the local market.
4
Roti Sai Mai Sweet
Roti sai mai (cotton candy roti) is the most distinctive food souvenir of Ayutthaya — the sweet made from the thin roti flatbread wrapped around strands of Thai cotton candy (the sugar spun into threads by a traditional technique and dyed in the characteristic pastel colours of the Ayutthaya version) is sold at the market stalls and at the specialist roti sai mai shops that have operated in the city for generations. The roti sai mai is specifically associated with Ayutthaya (the dish is produced in this form only in the city and its immediate surroundings) and is the most identifiable take-home food product from the historical city — the boxes of packaged roti sai mai at the tourist shops are the most commonly purchased food souvenir of the Ayutthaya visit.
5
Chao Phom Market Morning
The Chao Phom Market (the main fresh produce and food market serving Ayutthaya's residential community) operates from 5am and serves the most authentic and most affordable Thai food accessible in the city — the morning market's fresh produce (the vegetables, the fresh herbs, the central Thai chilli varieties, and the river fish from the overnight catch), the prepared food vendors selling the jok (rice porridge breakfast), the fresh-made kanom jeen noodles, and the various curry and stir-fry preparations provide the most complete encounter with central Thai market food culture available in Ayutthaya. The market closes by 10am and is visited almost entirely by Thai residents rather than tourists, providing the most genuine encounter with the daily food culture of the provincial community.
6
Riverside Restaurant Scene
The riverside restaurant strip along the Chao Phraya in Ayutthaya serves the tourist market with a range of Thai food (the full central Thai menu of stir fries, curries, and fresh fish dishes) and the specifically Ayutthayan specialties in a setting that provides the most atmospheric dining environment accessible in the historical park area. The evening restaurant scene (the tables set at the water edge, the illuminated temple ruins visible across the river at Wat Chaiwatthanaram, and the boat traffic on the river providing the animated backdrop) is the most consistently praised dining experience accessible in the Ayutthaya area, combining the quality of the fresh river produce with the historical backdrop that gives the city its unique character.