Kaeng khiao wan (แกงเขียวหวาน) is commonly described as a green curry made with coconut milk and green curry paste. The name is useful, but it does not say which protein, vegetables, paste or accompaniments a particular restaurant serves. A visitor needs the shop's actual description; a merchant needs its kitchen's verified recipe before translating the dish.
A recipe example is not every restaurant's formula
Thailand Foundation's green-curry article gives a coconut-milk and curry-paste example with possible protein choices. A Thai SELECT chicken green-curry recipe gives another concrete ingredient list, including eggplant and herbs. These are examples, not a declaration that every restaurant includes each item. Curry paste and packaged seasonings may contain additional ingredients that deserve checking when a customer asks.
Green does not mean sweet or mild
The Thai name includes the word wan, often translated as sweet, but a plain “sweet curry” label can give the wrong impression. The finished dish may be spicy, salty and creamy as well as sweet in some recipes. Heat depends on the paste, amount used and kitchen method, so no single numerical spice score fits all green curries. Ask whether the kitchen can change the heat before cooking; a prepared paste may limit what can be adjusted.
Protein and serving choices belong on the menu
Say whether this is a chicken, beef, fish-ball or another version according to what the shop sells. If the restaurant offers rice or khanom chin rice noodles, show only the choices it really provides and whether they are included or priced separately. The photo should match the protein and serving that the customer receives. For a vegetarian or allergy-related request, staff must review the actual paste, sauce, stock, labels and preparation process rather than assume coconut milk makes the dish suitable for everyone.
Write the dish as served
A shop using these ingredients might start with “Chicken in green coconut curry with eggplant and Thai basil; served with rice.” This is a writing example, not copy ready for every menu. Replace the protein, vegetables, seasoning, serving and price with current shop facts, then update Thai, English and Chinese together. For a wider comparison, see the reviewed Thai curry types guide.