Places to Eat in Phetchaburi
Dining out in Phetchaburi will definitely require a bit of experimentation since the majority of the restaurants do not have an English menu and almost nobody will speak enough English to explain to you what you are going to eat.
Street food and markets
This is another good reason along with the cheap prices and the quality of the food to spend at least one evening at the night market on Ratchawithi road (open every day from 5.00pm to 9.00pm). It’s quite a big covered market with countless stalls of food where you can have a look at what they’re cooking before you decide what to eat. Differently from many other night markets around Thailand, many tables are available for you to comfortably seat and enjoy your meal. You can grab any of the classic Thai dishes like fried rice, pad thai, pad krap pao (stir fried pork or chicken with basil leaves), chicken barbecue, noodles soups, several curries plus some seafood choices. The majority of the dishes will come for just THB30/THB40.
Dishes to try in Phetchaburi
The western side of the river where the majority of the guesthouses are is packed with street vendors and small restaurants with no English signs where you can experiment some of the local specialties.
A must try is khao chae, a popular dish originating from the Mon ethnic group tradition, which was once considered ‘’royal cuisine’’ and forbidden outside the royal palace. It’s simple rice served with jasmine water and ice with different options of meat or fish on the side; one of the most common versions in Phetchaburi is fish balls. It’s meant to be consumed in the hot season but even if you’re travelling in Thailand in December you’re not going to have any problem to find it. In case you’re wondering how to eat it, put few spoons of rice in the bowl, cover it with jasmine water and add just enough ice to cool it down. Don’t mix the fish/meat with everything else; keep it on the side, have a bite of it and then take a spoonful of rice.
Another popular dish originating from the Mon tradition which you’ll find everywhere in town is khanom jeen thot man, simple thin rice noodles with fish balls.
But what Phetchaburi is famous for all over Thailand is sweets, which are mainly made of palm sugar. Among the others make sure you don’t miss khanom mo kaen; it’s similar to custard and is made of eggs, coconut milk, palm sugar and shallots and filled with taro beans, red beans or lotus seeds.
Local Food
A short walk south of the night market, Rabieng Rimnam (1 Chisa-In Rd) is a decent guesthouse with a fantastic restaurant overlooking the river. It occupies an old teak house that as soon as you get in will make you feel like going back a hundred years, with few tables and spectacular big windows from where it’s easy to spot giant monitor lizards in the river.
The owners are super friendly and speak a really good English and do their best to create a special atmosphere that makes a visit worth it at any time of the day, even just for a beer and a good chat. The menu offers Thai dishes, some of which are cooked in an unusual and unexpected way. Prices are slightly higher than in other restaurants in Phetchaburi but still affordable (THB60/THB100 for a main course). If you need it they offer motorbikes for rent and they also organize tours to Kaeng Krachan National Park. The restaurant is open every day and it usually closes quite late at night making it a good spot to hangout for an after dinner drink. Try their laap pla, spicy fish salad, which is definitely the best version of fish laap we have ever tried.
A similar experience with similar menu and even live music is offered by Mon Dee restaurant sitting in the same street. It is more spacious and less atmospheric than Rabiang and we were unlucky to be served by rather a moody waitress, but otherwise it is a great place to check out.
