I’ve heard a lot of good things about this place. My better half wanted to come here for lunch – she’s been here before and thought it was delicious. We had just arrived in Hat Yai and checked into the hotel before taking a short walk to this place.
Braised pork leg with rice is called khao kha moo in Thai. Obviously, my Thai is limited so I don’t actually know the name of the stall but it’s located on Prachatipat Road. It’s very close to Lee Garden Plaza Hotel – turn left after you walk out and it’s two blocks down, at a very conspicuous corner lot that’s always *packed* with customers.
There’s a really funny life sized cast of a pig dressed in a bikini sitting on her own chair beside the stall. You won’t miss it, it has a way of catching your eye. 
The meat served here is braised pig’s trotters, one of the best parts of the pig! They only have one cut of meat but that’s a good thing coz they do it so well.
It was a hot day and we ordered a big bottle of nam oi (fresh sugarcane juice) to share. It comes in a recycled 640 ml beer bottle and costs 100 baht (RM 10). It’s worth it though, the chilled raw sugarcane juice here is undiluted and comes complete with sediments. I asked for ice cubes so it made it all the more refreshing (and it boosts energy from the sugar too).
You have the choice of a plate of pork leg rice with egg for 60 baht (about RM 6) or platters for two starting from 140 baht, excluding rice. There’s also the option of having the pig trotter meat on top of your rice or served separately – we went for the former.
It didn’t look like much when it came – there were a few slices of choice pork from the trotters, braised pig’s skin, egg, pickled vegetables on top of a plate of rice with the gravy poured over it. However, when I ate the first bite, I was instantly converted. It’s crazy good!
The Thai style salted vegetables are slightly sweet (unlike our local salty pickled vegetable) and goes very well as an acidic component on the plate. The smattering of fresh coriander (whole stalks, not just the leaves) adds a great dimension of flavor and the star of the show, the braised pork leg is absolutely fabulous – fork tender, melt-in-your-mouth porcine goodness.
I told my dear that I wasn’t very hungry then but I polished off my plate faster than she did! Even the humble braised egg adds a lot to the dish. The khao kha moo here is delicious and everything on the plate belongs there, including the Thai style chilli sauce. I like how they’re generous with the gravy too.
I could eat here everyday and not get sick but since we’re on holiday, I had to limit myself to just that once so we could eat other things. The bill came up to THB 222 for two. I’m thinking fondly of this pig trotter rice now, I would certainly go back again next time we’re in Hat Yai! 🙂
heheh, that pig mascot is uber-cute! 🙂
the sugarcane juice sounds like the classic fresh sort that we used to be able to get at roadside stalls … it’s been awhile since i’ve seen those around!
but the piece de resistance … the pork leg rice … gosh, i think i could eat three plates of that 😀
Yeah, I thought it was adorable too! 🙂
It tastes exactly like our sugarcane juice, just not diluted.
I know right, the pork leg rice is so delicious, the secret is in the right mix of lean meat to fatty meat to skin and the sweet Thai style pickled vegetables goes very well in cutting down the fattiness of the pork trotters.
Oooo…now I’m craving for pork trotters. Slurpsssss!!!!
Yeah, me too! 🙂
It’s soooo delicious, I wish I can cook as good as this stall.
My favorite!
Mine too! 🙂
Either meat with egg and rice, or platter for two, excluding rice.. Hmm, none of the above.. I would go for: one WHOLE pork leg, with some sides maybe, but without rice, that’s all.. That’s how I love pork leg.. I can really polish the whole thing by myself.. Full of collagen goodness and a sticky mouth after that.. Haha..
Yup, me too! 🙂
I can eat a whole pork leg by myself too, but I think it would be quite expensive here since they only have 3 pork legs for sale.
Oh I meant the pork leg rice with egg is 60 baht but if you want a platter for two it’s 140 baht and above – rice is charged separately. I think they’ll give you more meat too from what I’ve seen.
This reminds of the babi guling from Bali. Seems like our neighbors in the region have some of the best porky dishes around.
Indeed! 🙂
The babi guling I had in Denpasar is delicious:
http://sixthseal.com/2012/01/babi-guling-in-bali/
You have to go to where the locals eat though, I’ve been to the commercialized joints like Ibu Oka near the beaches and it’s not as good.
So this is an authentic Thai meal because I (or rather my spouse) ate exactly the same meal in a Thai eatery in Kuchai Entrepreneur park and it tastes really good! The way they cook the pork leg really melts in the mouth and the pork skin’s fat has all melted away so eating the skin is like eating squid (yau yu), not fatty at all.
Yeah, it’s so good eh Mun! 🙂
I love the way they cook their pork leg – it’s so tender it melts in your mouth. Hey, that’s a good description – it is rather like eating squid. Haha. I never thought of it that way before.
I’ve never been to the Kuchai one but the Thais love their pork leg rice, it’s always good. My better half told me of another one in the outskirts too, it’s dirty (as in the stall is not cleaned at all) but delicious.
Wow, i thought you just recovered from dengue? Anyway take care and have fun travelling 🙂
It’s been over two weeks dy! 🙂
Dengue fever is like flu, that’s about the time you need to recover, generally. Thanks mate!
I would love to try that….minus the birdseye chili.
That plate of rice really looks very delicious
I didn’t eat the birdseye chilli! 🙂
Neither did my better half, it was just there as a condiment. I thought it was strange that the Thais put out the smaller bulbs of raw garlic as a condiment too!
The chilli sauce is good though, not too spicy and a little vinegar-ish.
Oooh. ..The pork leg really looks good.
Yup, it was delicious! 🙂
I would love to have it again.