Gungpun Prow — Review by Luke Martin
Ayutthaya, Thailand — Thai seafood
Luke flew to Ayutthaya, Thailand specifically to try the famous giant river prawns at Gungpun Prow restaurant, known for their wild-caught prawns and prized head butter called Ayutthaya Gold. He enjoyed both farmed and wild varieties grilled over charcoal, with the wild-caught prawns offering superior flavor and incredibly rich, creamy head butter that tastes like concentrated prawn essence. The experience left him speechless, declaring it something worth traveling to Thailand just to taste.
What was great: The giant river prawns with rich head butter (Ayutthaya Gold), wild-caught prawns with superior natural flavor, charcoal grilling technique, the prawn butter's creamy and rich texture, pairing with Thai seafood sauce and fried rice, the overall seafood quality in Thailand
What could improve: The farm-raised prawns lack the natural flavor of wild-caught, the experience is messy, farm-raised head butter is less rich and flavorful than wild-caught
The Dishes
The main event at Gungpun Prow is their giant river prawns, available in different sizes. Luke tried both the smaller farmed prawns at 380 baht per kilogram and the massive wild-caught specimens at 500 baht per kilogram, with two giant prawns costing approximately 1,600 baht total. The smaller farmed prawns, though still substantial, primarily offer meat in the tails, while the giant wild prawns showcase the prized head butter or Ayutthaya Gold. This golden substance is actually the male prawn's hepatopancreas, which functions like a liver, and when cooked becomes an incredibly rich, creamy sauce packed with lipids and fat. Luke described tasting it as like having 48 hours of concentrated prawn stock condensed into one bite. A female prawn was also sampled, filled with roe that created another sauce across the meat. The salted catfish on a stick, also grilled over charcoal, was another river specialty offered at the restaurant. Additionally, the fish market features the famous Ayutthaya desserts: almond gau, a caramelized cashew and sesame brittle that resembles glass, and roti simi, a thin crepe wrapped around cotton candy-like strands.
The Experience
The restaurant operates within a bustling fish market in Ayutthaya, about an hour and a half from Bangkok. The cooking process is theatrical and memorable, with live prawns selected directly from tanks and placed onto hot charcoal. The grill masters cover the prawns with lids initially to prevent them from jumping off the coals, then rotate them continuously until they char perfectly. The restaurant was absolutely packed on Saturday with mostly locals and one farang, indicating its authenticity and popularity. The overall experience is admittedly messy, requiring diners to get their hands covered in prawn fat and shell fragments, but Luke embraced this as part of the adventure. The casual, market setting adds to the authentic charm.
Value and Pricing
The giant wild-caught river prawns are expensive due to depleted wild populations in Thailand, but Luke felt the experience justified the cost. The smaller farmed prawns at 380-500 baht per kilogram are more affordable entry points to the experience. The desserts were reasonably priced, with the almond gau box costing 100 baht. Overall, while not budget dining, the quality and uniqueness of the offerings provide good value for such a specialized culinary experience.
Notable Moments
I flew to Thailand just to eat them
This is the lunch of champions here in Aayutaya
It's like if you took all the shells, cooked them down for like 48 hours, and then strain that, and then cook that down for another 48 hours, and you get the final concentrate of the prawn
This is something you must try in Thailand. A Utah is so worth the trip. If it's just for these, it's worth the trip
You got to eat this. It's incredible
The Verdict
Luke's visit to Gungpun Prow was nothing short of transformative. He declared that Thailand, particularly Ayutthaya, offers some of the best seafood in Asia, surpassing even his native Canada. The giant river prawns with their legendary head butter represent a unique culinary experience found nowhere else in the world. He strongly recommends anyone visiting Thailand make the trip to Ayutthaya specifically for these prawns, suggesting visitors allow 2-3 hours for the meal as the richness requires time to digest, potentially inducing the need for a nap afterward. The restaurant is best for adventurous seafood lovers willing to get messy and for those seeking authentic, locally-focused dining experiences. The combination of the prawn feast and Ayutthaya's beautiful temples and desserts makes it a complete destination worth the journey from Bangkok.