What's the Best Value Fish Sauce?

Megachef

“Value”, Red Boat.

There are better, but more $

Squid brand is very good and less expensive than Red Boat. Check Asian stores; they often have the best prices.

My advice - buy a good one, because your gonna be using it due a long time.

Red Boat is the one I've used, sparingly.

I use it often in various recipes, but a small dash in your rice is one of the best uses that I've found.

If I'm making a kimchee, I'm going with the lower cost Squid. If I'm making some sort of salad where the fish sauce is star, I'm going with Red Boat, but Red Boat isn't cheap. Don't purchase at your grocery store ($$$) but find an Asian grocer instead.

Not a fan of Three Crabs.

Fish sauce nut here
I've been known to drink fish sauce on the rocks.
Megachef, I know the name sounds a bit cheesy, but it is a highly respected Thai fish sauce and the favorite of many southest asian chefs.
It's a premium naturally fermented aged(2 years) fish sauce without any chemicals or preservatives.
And its very affordable and found at most any asian market.
Red Boat is good and fine for a finishing or dipping sauce but a complete waste of money if its added to a cooked dish.
Tiparos is another one of my go-to fish sauces.

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Why no Red Boat in a cooked dish?

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For the same reasons that you would never mix Pappy Van Winkle bourbon with Coca-Cola.
When cooking with fish sauce you're wanting a sauce with a more "Fishy" or "Umami" punch and more salt. If I'm trying to make a curry that tastes like it came from my local Thai or Vietnamese restaurants I reach for Tiparos.
If I'm adding fish sauce to a salad dressing or a fresh spring roll dipping sauce I go for a more premium refined sauce like the Thai Megachef or another great premium first pressing Vietnamese sauce is "Son"
If you like Red Boat you will appreciate Son. It's not cheap but not nearly as expensive as Red Boat.