Bang Wa Pig Leg Restaurant, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

I have visited Thailand many times but often my stays were limited to Bangkok (which has tons of great tasting food in her own right!). This time round, I found myself in Nakhon Pathom, a little historic city (perhaps the oldest in Thailand) about an hour's drive North, away from the hustle of Bangkok. So what was I doing in Thailand this time round? A very good mate of mine recently got hitched to a wonderful Thai lady and they were having their ceremonial wedding in her home city. The newly acquired father-in-law brought us to Bang Wa Pig Leg Restaurant for a hearty breakfast of braised pig leg. How good is this place? Apparently it won the annual Thailand Braised Pig Leg Competition! Whoa, how's that for a real sport?

Who said open style concept kitchens have to be restricted to upmarket wannabe restaurants?

We started with some herbal soup; each with a whole maryland duck leg in it. This was pretty tasty, especially the use of some preserved vegetable which gave it a nice tang but I was here for something porcine and couldn't wait to get some.

The next soup was definitely something more like it. A savory soup of mixed pig organs and innards. The heart in particular was deliciously firm and crunchy.

The star of the show; braised pig leg cooked to tender perfection. The meat was still firm and succulent enough for a good bite whilst the skin tender and soft for a the perfect contrast in texture. This was definitely good stuff. A special mention for the preserved vegetables served with it which were fragrant and tasty without being too salty.

Pig trotters were up next. Not much meat on these but the skin and cartilaginous bits were a nice chew.

We also had a sideplate of hardboiled egs which weren't really braised in the sauce but soaked in it (more like cold braising). A generous amount of the braising sauce was doused in it making this a simple but yet utterly delicious dish.

Cold iced Thai tea to end off a hearty meal to start the day. I know this little getaway is going to be good.

D