Baan Khaek Moo Tod serves popular & affordable street food
When you think of Thai food, you think of the flashy som tam, the classic pad thai, or tom yam goong. Recently, even pad krapao has earned its 5 minutes of fame. For many, their real daily driver is Thai-style fried pork and Baan Khaek Moo Tod (หมูทอดบ้านแขก) serves some of the best in Bangkok.
Here’s why this shop is so popular it’s expanded to multiple branches and is the go-to for office workers.
Thai-style fried pork with condiments
Image credit: @dontrie513 via Instagram
You might be surprised to learn that the pad krapao has a distant cousin who also works as a daily driver of Thai stomachs. Thai-style fried pork, or moo tod (หมูทอด), is as popular among locals as its now internationally-renowned cousin.
If you know Thai food, you might expect some complex flavours or exotic herbs, but no. Moo tod is simply just fried pork on a bed of rice. That blatant simplicity makes the dish easy to make, but incredibly hard to do well. You’ll notice straight away if someone’s moo tod is not up to par – whether it’s too dry, too bland, or even too oily.
Image credit: @suvit9022 via Instagram
Much like other shops, at Baan Khaek, you can pick your cut of pork – the fatty belly or the lean loin. You’ve even got your choice of condiments including hard-boiled eggs and Vietnamese pork sausage moo yor (หมูยอ). Unlike most places, you can even get some fresh vegetables with a spicy sauce here for a healthier side dish.
Affordable food that is popular with office workers
Image credit: @dontrie513 via Instagram
Apart from how quick it is to serve and how simple it is, another reason why it’s so popular is that it’s way easier on your wallet than it is on your stomach.
The dish is just under ฿60, which is a steal for the quantity of food you’re given. It’s a far cry from its hay day when it was just a measly ฿20, but inflation has hit us hard.
That budget-friendly price point has made Baan Khaek a household staple for office workers near Wongwian Yai. They’re so popular that they’ve expanded their original branch so that the old shopfront is a takeaway-only spot with a huge dine-in space a few doors down.
Delivers to your door
Image credit: @chehexs via Instagram
As mentioned, they converted their old shop into a takeaway spot, so if you’re drowning in work, you can get them to deliver straight to your door.
Being Thai-style fast food, you can expect the driver to knock on your door within half an hour of ordering.
Eat like a true local with Baan Khaek
Although you should never miss the big hits of Thai food, if you’re curious about the Thai daily drivers then give Baan Khaek’s fried pork a try. Fried pork with rice is to Thailand what bagels are to New York.
But if you’re looking for travel spots that’ll make you feel like a local instead, check out this guide to Southern Thailand experiences. Or if you want to get a bit close to nature, then check out Rayong Botanic Garden where you can kayak through a forest, or Ban Huai Thon where you can camp near a hidden village.
Cover image adapted from: @chehexs via Instagram and @dontrie513 via Instagram