Mae Malee's pork leg rice at Kamphaeng Phet Shopping Center Market features meat so tender it falls off the bone, with skin as soft and shiny as jelly like.
At the Kamphaeng Phet Shopping Center Market, Mae Malee’s pork leg rice and chicken rice shop opens two shifts daily. The first runs from morning until noon, with Mae Malee herself serving customers. The second shift, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., is managed by her daughter. Evenings are the busiest times, with motorcycles lined up waiting for takeout, all tables occupied, and many customers buying multiple boxes to share with family at home.
What sets this pork leg shop apart is the cooking method: the pork leg is simmered slowly all day, so by serving time the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone. The pork skin is glossy and so soft it barely needs chewing. Once sliced onto a plate and topped with sauce, accompanied by kale boiled in the pork broth, the dish looks especially appetizing. The table offers fresh garlic, bird’s eye chilies, and a tangy, spicy dipping sauce. A mild-flavored broth is served on the side to cleanse the palate.
The chicken rice is not a secondary option. The shop selects thigh and drumstick meat, the softest parts of the chicken. Customers can choose boiled or fried chicken, or a mix of both. The dish is served with cucumber, a fermented soybean dipping sauce, and soup.
Regarding prices, pork leg rice costs between 50 and 60 baht per plate. Boiled chicken rice is priced at 45 to 50 baht, while fried and mixed chicken rice range from 50 to 60 baht. If ordering pork leg chopped as a side dish, it costs 80 baht per plate, and boiled eggs are sold separately at 10 baht each.
Ms. Walayphan Kaisay, the owner's daughter, shared during a busy moment that the pork leg recipe was passed down fromYaowarat,where her mother originally worked in a pork leg rice shop. After moving to Kamphaeng Phet, she started selling the dish here. Initially, it was not widely known, but over time, word of mouth spread, making the shop well known throughout the city.
The best indicator of the shop’s popularity is the amount of ingredients used. The owner stated that just during the evening shift alone, excluding the morning, they use about 50 kilograms of pork leg and roughly 20 kilograms of chicken.