Locals shared mixed views about the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand award recently earned by Cơm tấm Ba Ghiền, which serves broken rice dishes in Ho Chi Minh City.

Some said the quality and prices it offers seemed not to meet the value-for-money criterion.

Having served cơm tấm (broken rice topped with grilled pork) for nearly three decades, Cơm tấm Ba Ghiền, located in Phu Nhuan District, is commonly known as a cơm tấm eatery selling the biggest grilled pork chops in the southern metropolis.

Vo Trang, a 22-year-old city dweller, decided to visit the eatery after seeing many people talking about it on social media.

“It’s my first time sampling such an expensive dish of cơm tấm," Trang said.

“I think only rich people will visit this eatery frequently.”

Commenting on the quality of the dish, she said the big grilled pork had a strong flavor but it was not juicy, adding that there were no side dishes such as a soup bowl in order to make the dish less oily tasting.

“Overall, it was a moderate dish, with the large grilled pork being the highlight,” Trang elaborated.

Trang said she would not return to the eatery as it offered bigger portions than her usual daily meals.

Except for the large grilled pork chops as the signature it offers, the flavor of the dish was not special enough to retain customers, Trang continued.

Echoing Trang’s views, Nguyet Nhi, 23, residing in the city, remarked that the price of the dish was not affordable, but the eatery serves a large portion of food.

“The grilled pork and sauce taste delicious,” Nhi said. “The eatery in the morning looks cleaner than in the afternoon."

Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, said the Bib Gourmand distinction highlights the eateries that offer value-for-money, well-cooked dishes and use quality ingredients.

Tran Ha Thanh, who last visited Cơm tấm Ba Ghiền one month ago, said that each dish of broken rice topped with grilled pork, shredded pork skin, steamed egg meatloaf costs VND120,000 (US$5.12).

Thanh described each portion of the grilled pork chop at the eatery as big as two palms, adding that it was tasty.

“A single dish of broken rice there can make me and my two kids stuffed," Thanh said.

“I think the eatery serve delicious dishes at affordable prices."

Duong The Phong, 43, residing in Tan Binh District, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that he has been a regular at the eatery since the 2000s, during which time the eatery already sold its dishes at higher prices than other establishments.

According to him, what makes the place special are it sells big portions and the price is thus reasonable. 

“This place serves delicious grilled pork marinated in a secret sauce,” Phong said.

Therefore, Phong said he opted for Cơm tấm Ba Ghiền, although there are many establishments offering broken rice out there. 

Given the public’s mixed responses to the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand award, Cơm tấm Ba Ghiền's current owner Truong Vinh Thuy, 41, said those yet to visit the eatery should give it a try so as to make a fair comment.

“I’m sure that no broken rice eateries in Saigon offer such a large grilled pork chop with the same price as mine," Thuy said.

“Each piece of grilled pork served at my stall weighs 450-500 grams.

“I buy fresh pork every day."

He recalled that his mother, Nguyen Ngoc Diep, started serving broken rice topped with such extremely large grilled pork chops when she opened the eatery in 1995.

After that, Thuy upsized to larger grilled pork to make it the signature of the diner.

It is not easy for a customer with normal eating capability to consume the whole dish of broken rice there.

Many customers said they were already full after eating one piece of grilled pork chop.

A number of customers failed to clear their plates, with some taking almost half of their dishes home.

A special dish topped with grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin, steamed egg meatloaf, meatball, sunny-side up egg, and fried Chinese sausage at the eatery sells for VND149,000 ($6.35).

The cheapest dish is priced at VND81,000 ($3.45).

Eat-in customers will get a VND5,000 ($0.21) reduction per dish.

Aside from the quality and price, the old- and unclean-looking interior of the eatery aroused public opinion.

Commenting on this issue, Thuy told Tuoi Tre that he wanted to keep the original state of the place unchanged and would not adjust the prices, regardless of the Michelin Guide recognition.

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