Can I only eat it in Ayutthaya?
No. It is a dish eaten in other cities too. In Ayutthaya, it is a good choice for a meal between sights.
Boat noodles (kuai tiao ruea)
Kuai Tiao Ruea · ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ
If you want a bowl of noodles while touring the ruins in Ayutthaya, try boat noodles. Noodles and meat are served in broth, and the dish is famous in Ayutthaya along with grilled river prawns. Choose your noodles and meat from the menu and enjoy them with the broth while it is hot. It is eaten in other cities too, but it is a good meal to choose on an Ayutthaya trip.
Boat noodles · Flickr user Alpha · CC BY-SA 2.0
Resized for display · Photo provided under CC BY-SA 2.0
What does it taste like?
It is a dish where you enjoy broth, noodles and meat together. The taste of the broth can change with the meat and the seasoning. Try it first without adding anything, then add chili or other seasonings a little at a time.
Order after you check the type of noodle, the meat and the bowl size.
Dish basics
- Dish name
- Boat noodles (kuai tiao ruea) · Kuai Tiao Ruea
- Thai name
- ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ
- Type
- Rice and noodles
- Regional link
- Central Thailand · Famous in Ayutthaya
- Main ingredients
- Noodles and meat are served in broth. How meat, offal and seasonings are used differs from menu to menu.
The dish and its region
On a food trip in Ayutthaya you can meet boat noodles, grilled river prawns and roti sai mai together. A day with noodles for lunch and roti sai mai as a snack would be nice. Still, boat noodles are not something you can eat only in Ayutthaya.
How to order and eat it
- Choose the noodles and meat you want and place your order. If you avoid meat, offal or certain seasonings, ask what goes into the broth too.
- Look at the bowl size and decide how many bowls to eat. Not every shop serves the same size.
- Taste the broth first, then add extra seasoning a little at a time. You do not need to add a lot of chili from the start.
Frequently asked questions
Are the ingredients in the broth all the same?
No. The meat, offal, seasonings and broth differ by menu. If there is an ingredient you avoid, ask whether the broth uses it, rather than just asking for the meat to be left out.
More dishes and cities to explore
Official sources
If you want to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are a good next step. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one place to the next.
View official sources · 1
Sharing image credit: Flickr user Alpha · CC BY-SA 2.0