Cowboy Lady In Chiang Mai Review

The Cowboy Lady’s Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak stall was busy with hungry customers at Chiang Mai’s north gate.

Intro: After stumbling upon an article about the Cowboy Lady and her famous Khao Kha Moo pork leg stew, I knew that it had to be at the top of our “where to eat” list while in Chiang Mai.

While I was researching our Thailand trip and the best places to eat in the night markets, I stumbled upon an article about the “Cowboy Lady” – a woman who cooked up pork leg stew in Chiang Mai and had become somewhat of a celebrity. The story goes that she was cooking her Khao Kha Moo pork leg stew one day in the sweltering heat, and grabbed a hat to wear, which happened to be a cowboy hat.

Little did she know that it would become her signature look and her pork leg stew would gain an excellent reputation, particularly with visiting Chinese tourists. I also discovered that Anthony Bourdain had visited her food stall during the filming of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” which aired on CNN, making me that much more excited to see what all the fuss was about for myself.

A stereo blasting from the roof of our tuk tuk as we drove from the Twin Peak Condominium to Chiang Mai’s north gate.

So we flagged down a tuk tuk and headed towards the Chang Phueak north gate where her food stall was located. She has become so famous that you can just tell the tuk tuk driver that you want to go to the “Cowboy Lady” and he will know exactly where to drop you. Our tuk tuk ride was a bit of an experience in itself, with a giant speaker on the roof pumping out music, which made it kind of like a nightclub on wheels!

The Cowboy Lady of Chiang Mai’s Chang Phueak north gate has become somewhat of a celebrity.

When we arrived, it was kind of like a celebrity sighting for me, with the Cowboy Lady all dressed up in her signature hat, with some nice jewelry as well – she’s an attraction and she knows it! I had really high expectations of the food, and after sitting down, one of her staff members came to take our order. There’s only one thing on the menu – her famous Khao Kha Moo pork leg stew – but you can order it in different sizes.

A close-up shot of the Khao Kha Moo pork leg stew for which the Cowboy Lady is renowned.

Knowing that we wanted to sample a few other dishes at the north gate food stands later, we only ordered a standard size to share. Honestly, I wish we had ordered a much bigger one, as it was really delicious. Something about it reminded me of my dad’s cooking, with pork leg in sauce and a hard boiled egg over rice. There were also condiments on the table that you could add yourself, including a spicy chili sauce and pickled green vegetables, and bottled water that was charged at the end.

Pork leg and egg – the two main ingredients of the Cowboy Lady’s famed Khao Kha Moo pork leg stew.

It really was comfort food at its finest and lived up to all my expectations. So much so that we actually came back again, something that we NEVER do when traveling since we want to try as many different eateries as possible. Needless to say, if you like pork, don’t miss a visit to Chiang Mai’s Cowboy Lady for a celebrity dining experience.

A close-up shot of our delicious Khao Kha Moo pork leg stew at Chiang Mai’s famous Cowboy Lady.

TOP THREE TIPS

• 1: This food stall is open for business starting at 5PM so arrive early to avoid the crowded rush.
• 2: If you intend to eat there, sit at one of the designated tables right next to her stall. Her staff members will direct you and take your order. You won’t need to worry about paying until you finish your meal.
• 3: If you intend to take the food home with you, then wait in the line in front of the food stall.