Annam Gourmet Review

Annam Gourmet is a fine grocery store, famous for selling imported products from Europe and America. This store is usually the go-to place for foreigners looking to make home-made traditional food.

But Annam Gourmet is also a place where you can have lunch and also get a catering service for special occasions. In this article, we will find out if this place is on par with the stores you can find abroad and if it’s worth spending your time and money there.

The concept

The concept of Annam Gourmet is simple: to provide western groceries and food for people living in Vietnam, whether they are locals, expats, or tourists.

In the store, you’ll find as many sections as there are types of food and beverage. You have a place for breads, cold-cut meats, patisseries, fish, meats, wine, cheese, etc.

I’ve even found some French Chapoutier wine and some caviar in the store. Everything you can’t find in traditional commerce, you may find here in the Annam Store.

The concept also includes a small area for having lunch or dinner. You can enjoy some of the prepared food and take advantage of their bakery and charcuterie section.

The last piece of the concept is a catering service for you to host a party with western food.

The locations

Annam Gourmet is usually located in areas where the density of foreigners is important but also where the upper Vietnamese middle class, which can enjoy foreign food, is located.

In Hanoi, Annam Gourmet is located in Tay Ho, and two new stores have just opened in Times City and Long Bien. In HCMC, the concept already has three locations: Estella, D1, and D7.

These stores are definitely on the upscale side; everything inside looks nice and expensive. There is much more wood and warm lighting than in a traditionally modern grocery store.

The experience

The shop

Annam Gourmet is generally the place to go when you want to prepare a party like Christmas or simply make home food for westerners.

The experience was really nice and warm. Even though the products are sometimes simple, everything in this store appears to taste great and to be of high quality.

Appetizers for Christmas with my wife bought in Annam Gourmet

The prices are very expensive compared to the real price of the products abroad, but that’s to be expected since they’re, in the end, imported products. You can basically double or triple the price of what you would be used to in your own country.

Even though the quality is very high for Vietnam, I find that some of the selected products are actually not that good. For example, I bought imported foie gras for Christmas, and the quality was terrible. They were actually selling much better home-made foie gras there.

The fresh products

It’s actually often the case that in other countries you’ll find some product supposedly coming from your home country that you’ve never seen yourself. Perhaps brands are created for export with average quality, which is especially true for wine.

Fortunately, perhaps 90% of the products in Annam are well selected. They are not necessarily the finest product you can have, but at least a popular option like President-branded butter or Saint Agur cheese, which is technically a fromage or pate and is cheap in France but still delicious.

I think where the store shines is with its fresh products. The quality of the bakery, fresh cheese, and cold-cut meat is actually very good and decently priced. You can even enjoy them like you would in a restaurant, since the store has some tables for you to sit at and enjoy the food.

The restaurant

My wife and I tried the cold cut meat there, and the portions were very generous for the price. A much better experience than when eating in a restaurant in Vietnam.

Actually, it is very close to what you would experience in Europe for almost the same amount of money, which is more than you can ask for abroad.

The catering service

Catering service from Annam Gourmet

The catering service was decent for the most part. Unfortunately, we ordered a Beef Wellington, and this one was overcooked to the point where the filet mignon, which is the most tender part of the beef, was absolutely uneatable. But I guess this will depend on the location and which employee will cook for you.

The home-made foie gras was excellent but extremely pricy, at 2,000,000 vnd for 500g. It’s fair to say that the catering service is decent, but the quality is hard to predict and the prices are too expensive. You can order your beef Wellington from Rico Steakhouse and get a more consistent experience.

Verdict

8.5 out of 10

Annam Gourmet is simply the only place to go when you miss your home cooking as an expat in Vietnam. There are simply no other places like it. Coming to the store will give you excitement, almost like going back to your country for an hour or so.

My wife and I eating during the Christmas groceries

The selection of products is very good; only 10% are subpar compared to the real products abroad. Where the store shines is in its selection of fresh products such as bakery, cheese, and cold meat.

The store also has a nice and wide selection of spirits. The kind of beer, whisky, or wine you wouldn’t find in a Vietnamese store, for example.

Another day trying some home made food from Annam Gourmet

On top of that, Annam Gourmet also proposes a restaurant for you to enjoy these fresh products of higher quality for a very moderate price compared to the competition. In all, I think this place is a must for any foreigner looking to get a piece of their home on their palate.

Perhaps just avoid the catering service, as the quality can be very inconsistent or too expensive.