ยำถั่วพู :: อยุธยา

Luckily the friends indulged me. We went in search of my favorite style of winged bean salad (ยำถั่วพู, yum tua plu) all the way three hours out in Ayutthaya at Baan Watcharachai (บ้านวัชราชัย). It's the Buddhist Lent after all, so once we're in Ayuthaya, a temple stop was made before dinner for the friends to light candles.

Spotted ma haw (ม้าห้อ) on the menu and ordered that too. I like the appetizer very much. It's not exactly sweet. It's sour, spicy and delightful altogether. The name literally means 'galloping horse'. Dunno why. It's an appetizer made of a thick sautéed paste of ground pork and shrimp (with toasted peanuts, red pepper, cilantro roots, garlic, shallots, white peppercorn, palm sugar and fish sauce) on a base of pineapple. This restaurant did it nicely piquant.

P wanted steamed prawns, and none of us had any objections. Figured one prawn for each should do since river prawns are rather big here. I had the idea that it would be the usual river prawns. When the plate arrived, we gasped. The critters were huge! Bigger than the usual! I've clearly forgotten how big river prawns get up north. The flesh was sweet, firm and crunchy.

Baan Watcharachai serves up good food, but somehow, its winged bean salad is stuck in my head. I haven't quite found a more convenient rendition that can replace it. So tonight, I'm so pleased that I got my winged bean salad cravings out of the way for the year. :P

บ้านวัชราชัย
เลขที่ 9 หมู่ 7 ถนน เสนา-สุพรรณบุรี ต. บ้านป้อม อ.พระนครศรีอยุธยา 13000

Baan Watcharachai
9 Moo 7, Baan Pom, Phra Nakon, Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
T: 035-801333
Hours: 10am till 9pm.