Tips on making vermicelli bowls (specifically Nuoc Cham)

Vermicelli Noodle Bowl Recipe
Followed this recipe and I think the dish is pretty easy to make because its relatively simple ingredients and theyre just tossed in a bowl. About the only cooking you need to do is shrimp/pork/etc that you put on top of the dish.

Two problems.

1. The rice noodles are not the same as the places i get vermicelli around town. They seem too clear and small. I used these noodles



Any suggestions on other noodles to use? These cook in three minutes but the guy on the video the linked recipe says to cook vermicelli for 12 minutes. I did one batch 3 minutes and another 6 minutes. The 6 minute batch was better but I couldnt bring myself to boil 12 minutes for a 3 minute noodle.

2. The Nuoc Cham sauce just tastes a little off

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

I followed this recipe exactly as stated. It was not bad by any means but wasnt the same as what you get in the restaurants. I tried lowering the amount of fish sauce and I think it actually made it worse. I did not use plain white vinegar. Used rice wine vinegar. Any other variations of this recipe worth trying?

Thanks