Khao kha moo
Photo: Amin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Braised pork leg stewed soft in a dark, five-spice and soy broth, sliced over rice with pickled greens, chilli-garlic vinegar and a soft-boiled egg.

Khao kha moo is a Thai-Chinese street staple that found its most famous home at Chiang Mai's Chang Phueak gate, where the goggle-and-cowboy-hat-wearing vendor known nationwide as the Cowboy Hat Lady turned a pork-leg cart into a pilgrimage. The pork leg is simmered for hours in a dark broth of soy, palm sugar, star anise and five spice until the meat and skin fall apart, then chopped over rice with pickled mustard greens, a sharp chilli-garlic vinegar and often a stewed egg. Cheap, rich and comforting, it is the classic Chiang Mai night-market dinner.

1 editor pick for Khao kha moo in Chiang Mai, ranked by editorial score. All Chiang Mai signature dishes · Khao kha moo across every city.

Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4

฿Northern ThaiChang Phueak

The Cowboy Hat Lady's stall at the Chang Phueak gate ladles fall-apart braised pork leg over rice with a soft egg, a Bourdain-blessed 60-baht dinner.

OrderKhao kha moo (braised pork leg)

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Khao kha moo makes more sense with someone from Chiang Mai explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

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