A bowl of grilled pork vermicelli costs nearly half a million VND in Ho Chi Minh City: Worth a try or too expensive?

A bowl of grilled pork vermicelli costs nearly half a million dong and arouses curiosity.

Recently, many videos of people trying grilled pork vermicelli for 450,000 VND have attracted hundreds of thousands of views and comments.

This dish, which is familiar on the sidewalks of Ho Chi Minh City streets, now appears in a luxurious space with a price of 450,000 VND (excluding VAT), making many people curious.

Therefore, the online community quickly divided into two opinions. One side thinks that this is an interesting "upgraded version", worth trying at least once for a change of pace, especially when enjoyed in a luxurious space with a panoramic view of the city.

On the other hand, many people believe that the dish is not really different in terms of ingredients and flavor, the value lies mainly in the service and setting. This contrasting viewpoint makes the noodle bowl become the center of discussion, constantly appearing in culinary debates online.

Dan Tri reporters went to this restaurant to experience the popular grilled pork noodle dish. The restaurant is located on the 66th floor of Landmark 81 building. From here, the city appears in miniature, the Saigon River meanders, and the buildings loom below, making the meal even more special.

The restaurant has a modern space, neat tables and chairs. The atmosphere is quiet, completely different from the familiar grilled meat noodle shops on the sidewalk or the popular restaurants.

When ordering, customers will be served enthusiastically by staff, sharing details about the ingredients, to avoid customers having allergies when eating the dish. It only takes a short time for the dish to be brought to the diners.

Experience a bowl of grilled pork noodle soup for half a million on the tallest building in Vietnam (Video: Cam Tien - Thanh Nhat).

Grilled pork vermicelli is presented in a large ceramic bowl, eye-catchingly decorated with familiar ingredients. The pork belly is evenly sliced and lightly marinated. The meat is tender, has a slightly charred edge, fragrant but not burnt.

In addition to grilled meat, there are also spring rolls, enriching the meal. The noodles are thin, served with lettuce, bean sprouts, roasted peanuts, thinly sliced green onions and a few slices of fresh chili. The fish sauce served with the noodles is pre-mixed, with a harmonious sweet and salty taste, not too harsh. The entire meal is prepared neatly and cleanly.

Expensive in experience rather than taste

The ingredients that make up the dish are not too special, including pork, vermicelli, vegetables, fish sauce - all are common. In terms of flavor, this bowl of grilled pork vermicelli on the 66th floor still retains the familiarity such as the fatty sweetness from the meat, the slight sourness and spiciness from the fish sauce and the fresh vegetables of all kinds. The main difference lies in the presentation and the level of care in the preparation.

However, despite the beautiful presentation and professional service, the taste of the dish still has some limitations.

The bowl of noodles was quite big, but the amount of grilled meat was not really outstanding. The meat was soft and fragrant but the marinade did not create a strong impression, not too different from grilled meat in regular restaurants.

On the contrary, the 3 spring rolls are quite large in size, making diners quickly feel full if they finish the whole portion. This makes the balance in the dish not really harmonious, when the spring rolls overwhelm the "main character" role of grilled meat.

If only considering the taste, the dish does not bring much difference compared to the street food. Many people commented that the majority of the value of a bowl of grilled pork noodle soup comes from the location and service.

Diners can enjoy the view of the city from the top floor while eating. The cost of space, service and service tax has contributed to raising the price of the dish to nearly half a million VND.

On social media, under the videos recording the experience of eating this grilled pork noodle dish, many people also discussed it enthusiastically. Some people expressed their interest, saying that this is a "popular dish in a luxurious version", worth trying once to change the atmosphere.

However, many people are concerned that 450,000 VND for a bowl of grilled pork noodle soup is too expensive compared to the quality of the dish, especially when the ingredients are not much different from those in a regular restaurant. Some people even jokingly commented that "the money for a bowl of noodles is to pay for the city view", rather than for the taste of the dish.

In fact, this is not the first time familiar dishes have been brought to a high-end restaurant at an expensive price. The combination of rustic dishes and luxurious space often makes customers curious, both to enjoy the familiar taste and to experience a different atmosphere.

Also at Landmark 81, the 550,000 VND rib rice dish once "made waves", causing many people to argue. Before that, egg coffee, bread, pho... appeared on the menu of the high-end restaurant with prices many times higher than normal.

Another group of opinions believes that the price of a high-rise restaurant with a special space and attentive service must be very different from that of a regular restaurant.

"The dish is not too special, but the experience of eating grilled pork vermicelli in a luxury restaurant, with attentive service staff, is also a different way to enjoy it than usual," commented one account.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/to-bun-thit-nuong-gia-gan-nua-trieu-dong-o-tphcm-dang-thu-hay-qua-dat-20251001181306539.htm