I already wrote a review about this fish vermicelli place, which I thought was the best.
But that was until today.
I found another spot, and I feel like I need to write a new comparison review.
📍 Location & First Impression
This new place is called Thành Béo, about 2km away from the one I reviewed before.
Honestly, the space only gets 5 out of 10. Lately, I’ve been eating at nicer, cooler restaurants with decent prices, so it’s been a while since I stepped into a place that looks... kind of ugly 😅
But people say this ugly little shop serves the best fish vermicelli in the area.
That was enough reason for me to go and try it.
Now I have to compare these two places.
🍜 What I Ordered & How It Tasted
I ordered 2 bowls of fish vermicelli with crispy pork fat (tóp mỡ).
And honestly? It was amazing.
- The fried tilapia was crispy.
- The fried tofu was soft inside and soaked with broth—so good.
- The vermicelli was fresh.
- The crispy pork fat was insanely good, not greasy at all.
I even ordered an extra bowl of pork fat just to eat with the broth.
The broth here is better than the previous place.
It has a richer golden color, looks better, and tastes better.
To me, the broth is the soul of fish vermicelli.
If the broth wins, the dish wins.
And this place wins.
🧂 Toppings & Price
This shop only sells fish vermicelli—nothing else.
But they focus 100% on making it great.
If you want to add toppings like:
- round crab cakes
- peppered pork rolls
- braised tilapia with ginger
…you need to pay an extra $0.20 to $0.60.
So:
- A basic bowl like mine = $1.50
- A full bowl with all toppings = $2.00
I’m not complaining about the food quality—because it’s great.
But the price is too high for this kind of place.
The restaurant looks old and worn-down.
In my opinion, it should sell a full bowl for $1.50 max.
Also, the area is filled with factory workers and low-income locals,
so this pricing doesn’t really make sense.
🛍️ Takeaway? Extra Charge.
Yes, they do takeaway.
But if you want a paper bowl, you have to pay $0.20 extra.
I think this is unreasonable.
They should offer the paper bowl for free,
or at least reduce the food amount slightly if they want to cut costs.
Charging more just for a container doesn’t feel good as a customer.
🧊 Free Iced Tea = Smart Move
They give free iced tea, unlimited refill.
That’s a good idea, especially after eating fish—it helps clean your mouth.
🆚 Comparison Table
| Category | Thành Béo (Today’s Shop) | Previous Shop |
|---|---|---|
| Broth | Rich, golden color, deeper taste | Lighter |
| Fried Tilapia | Crispy, fresh | Decent |
| Tofu | Soft inside, tasty | Tasty |
| Crispy Pork Fat | Not greasy, delicious, addictive | okay |
| Environment | Cramped, ugly, hot – 5/10 | Better space |
| Price | Expensive for the setting ($1.5–$2.0) | More reasonable |
| Free Iced Tea | Yes, unlimited | Free too |
| Takeaway Bowl | +$0.20 extra | Unknown |
📝 Final Thoughts
The food at Thành Béo is truly better, especially the broth.
I think it beats the other place in taste.
But the space is worse, and the price doesn’t match the location.
If they improve the environment or lower the price a bit, this place could easily become the top fish vermicelli spot around here.
🔥