d'Annam

d'Annam is a niche house founded by Nick Hoang, whose name means ‘from Annam’ — the old name for Vietnam. It composes fragrances as olfactory love letters to East and Southeast Asian food, culture and memory, turning specific dishes, drinks and rituals into wearable scent.

What separates it from the wider gourmand trend is legibility. Most gourmand perfumery gestures at sweetness in the abstract; d'Annam renders a particular thing and expects you to recognise it — the starchy warmth of a bowl of steaming rice, the tannic edge of pomelo oolong, the milky grain of matcha soft serve, the salted egg yolk in a mooncake. Getting those to work as perfume rather than as food product is genuinely difficult, and the house has been recognised for it, including an honourable mention at the Art & Olfaction Awards.

The Vietnam-inspired collection is composed chiefly by IFF perfumer Anh Ngo, with additional work from Luis Hou. Presentation is deliberately plain — minimalist rounded clear-glass bottles — paired with beautifully illustrated art boxes that carry the storytelling instead.

If you are new to the house, Mango Sticky Rice is the most immediately charming and the best-selling entry point, Bubble Tea the most playful, and Tokyo Nights the most grown-up — umeshu, tobacco and smoke rather than dessert. Each is offered here at Redolia Perfumery as a full bottle. Explore the d'Annam collection below.