Must-try dinner in Ayutthaya
Green curry
Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province
A curry paste of fresh green bird's eye chillies, galangal, lemongrass and coriander root, cooked out in coconut cream with chicken or fish balls, pea aubergines and sweet basil.
Taste
Sweet-hot, coconut-rich, aromatic with basil and lime leaf
Spice level
Hot
Best time to eat
Dinner, over rice, from a curry shop rather than a restaurant
Price range
ΰΈΏ60β180
Food type & tags
Best paired with
Masala chai
The dish
What is Green curry?
Expect it to be sweet-hot, coconut-rich, aromatic with basil and lime leaf, with a hot kick.
The story
Why is Green curry famous in Ayutthaya?
Central Thai cooking at its most characteristic, and much hotter in Thailand than the version exported abroad β the green comes from fresh chillies rather than herbs, and the sweetness is there to carry the heat rather than to replace it. It is an everyday curry rather than a special one, which is why every rice-and-curry shop in the province has a pot of it.
When to go
Best time to eat it
Green curry is best enjoyed at dinner, over rice, from a curry shop rather than a restaurant, ideally with a hot cup of masala chai or filter coffee to balance the sweetness. Many spots make fresh batches through the day, so itβs easy to fit into your plan.
Where to eat
Best places to try Green curry
Trusted Ayutthaya spots β hours and directions.
Open Morning until the trays are empty, usually early afternoon
Green curry available here
DirectionsOpen Lunch and dinner; busiest on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes with Bangkok families
Green curry available here
DirectionsOpen Late afternoon into the evening; the wet market runs early morning
DirectionsPerfect pairing
What to eat with Green curry
Green curry pairs best with a hot cup of masala chai or filter coffee to balance the sweetness. Itβs a non-vegetarian dinner, so keep the rest of the plate light and let the dish be the star.
Make a morning of it
Pair it with a photo spot
Eat well, then shoot nearby in Ayutthaya.
Chao Sam Phraya National Museum
Midday, and mostly as a break from the sun rather than for photographs β the gold is behind glass and photography in the treasure room is restricted
Fuel up on Green curry, then shoot Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
See photo spotHua Ro Market
Late afternoon, when the food stalls set up and the light comes in under the awnings from the river side
Fuel up on Green curry, then shoot Hua Ro Market.
See photo spot
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Sunset from the far bank of the river, and then the hour after dark when the whole complex is floodlit β it is the only ruin here that is lit at night and it is the best photograph in the city
Fuel up on Green curry, then shoot Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
See photo spotWant something else?
Search Ayutthaya food by craving
Green curry in Ayutthaya
On the dinner table in Ayutthaya, Green curry holds its place - sweet-hot, coconut-rich, aromatic with basil and lime leaf, non-vegetarian, and exactly the kind of thing worth crossing town for.
The short version: A curry paste of fresh green bird's eye chillies, galangal, lemongrass and coriander root, cooked out in coconut cream with chicken or fish balls, pea aubergines and sweet basil
π What it is
A curry paste of fresh green bird's eye chillies, galangal, lemongrass and coriander root, cooked out in coconut cream with chicken or fish balls, pea aubergines and sweet basil - that is the whole idea of it, and everything else on this page follows from there.
The category tells you most of the practical story: a evening meal, which in Ayutthaya means a proper plate, portions sized to the moment rather than to a menu photograph.
Locally it is filed under: thailand, central, curry - which is the vocabulary to use when asking for it.
π Where it comes from
In Ayutthaya, central Thai cooking at its most characteristic, and much hotter in Thailand than the version exported abroad β the green comes from fresh chillies rather than herbs, and the sweetness is there to carry the heat rather than to replace it. It is an everyday curry rather than a special one, which is why every rice-and-curry shop in the province has a pot of it.
This is food with an address: Green curry as Ayutthaya makes it, for the people who have eaten it longest.
π The taste, honestly
Ask what it tastes like and the answer is sweet-hot, coconut-rich, aromatic with basil and lime leaf; anything more specific you should taste rather than read.
It is genuinely hot - order accordingly, and do not treat the description lightly - and in Ayutthaya, that is a feature rather than a warning.
The shape of the eating: it leads the plate. Plan the rest of the meal around that.
π When to eat it
The local answer to when is simple: dinner, over rice, from a curry shop rather than a restaurant. Follow it and you get the dish at its best; ignore it and you may not get it at all.
For a proper meal dish, the meal-time rhythm applies: the kitchen is at its sharpest in the run-up to the peak, and the plate you get at the height of service is the plate to judge.
π₯£ Ordering it well
In Thailand, the stall with the queue is the stall to join - locals eat standing at the good ones, and the line is the entire ranking system.
π° What it costs
The local range is ΰΈΏ60β180 in Ayutthaya - within it you are paying the local price; far above it, you are paying for something else.
It is a budget-friendly item - kind to every wallet, and no less authentic for it.
π€ Eating it like a local
The Thai table runs on shared dishes and the fork-and-spoon pair - the fork loads, the spoon eats - and a dish like this arrives in the middle of the table for everyone.
And the pairing instinct: keep the rest of the order simple and let one dish carry the meal.
Questions
Green curry β FAQ
What is Green curry?
A curry paste of fresh green bird's eye chillies, galangal, lemongrass and coriander root, cooked out in coconut cream with chicken or fish balls, pea aubergines and sweet basil.
Is Green curry veg or non-veg?
Green curry is non-vegetarian. Spice level: hot.
Where can I try the best Green curry in Ayutthaya?
Try The rice-and-curry shops and The riverside prawn restaurants. See the "Best places to try it" section above for hours and directions.
What should I eat with Green curry?
Pair it with a hot cup of masala chai or filter coffee to balance the sweetness.
When is the best time to eat Green curry?
Green curry is usually eaten at dinner, over rice, from a curry shop rather than a restaurant.