Khao Ka Moo is one of many Thai staple street foods. It consists of braised pork shank, a side of rice splashed with a cinnamony broth and pickled chinese cabbage.

One of our all-time favorite lunch options is the Khao Ka Moo cart at the very beginning of Soi 8. The taste is heavenly and the 60 baht price tag is very attractive.

The other reason why we find it difficult to quit our addiction to this delicacy is that the owners of the cart are truly genuine people. Today, during lunch break, we had a chat with Rachacha, the daughter of the owner of the cart, and heiress to the family’s Khao Ka Moo legacy.

According to Rachacha, her dad Sanae brought his cart to Soi 8 in year 2517 by Thai count (that’s 1974), and since then he has been restlessly working at his recipe, balancing all the elements and getting the spice blends right. To this day, him and his daughter serve up a delicious lunch, always delivered with a smile.

In more than forty years of business, the road to Khao Ka Moo perfection has been crawling with challenges, but today Sanae knows every detail of the delicious braised pork shank recipe, and, thanks to his experience and the dedication of his family members, the business thrives.

  
When asked about the routine of the business, Rachacha said “With my mom and dad, we set up at six in the morning every day, and usually we sell out by two in the afternoon. During those hours we sell between 15-17 pork legs”.

That is approximately 150 portions a day, and when we asked if the big volumes of business were an issue, Rachacha said no, and added “me and my dad really get along, and it makes working together really easy”.

Rachacha, used to work for big brands like Samsung and Starbucks, but she prefers working with her family and being her own boss rather than being an employee. This choice allows her to make better use of her time, and to spend it with her loved ones. The work days are shorter at the Khao Ka Moo cart, and the pay is better. Having spare time means jogging, shopping, and spend time with her friends more often.

When we asked Rachacha what was the most difficult part of her job, she said taking orders from westerners and remembering who wants what is the biggest challenge, since we all look alike. She said this with a huge twinkle in her eye - we both know there’s only one item on the menu, and Rachacha speaks great English!

TOT Recommends: Definitely stop at this cart if you are coming in for a fitting at our townhouse in Sukhumvit Soi 8. The hospitality of the Sripantakun family, their broad smiles and the heavenly taste of their food won't disappoint you.