Breeze Center

[quote=“matthewh”]From TaipeiTimes 19th May about the shops at the 101:
“As of last Friday with have signed contracts with 142 Fashion shops, food, gift and accessory shops. This represents 88 percent of the shop space” then goes on and on about clothes shops, clothes shops and yet more clothes shops. At least now I know I don’t want to go there. I had to actually go to Breeze centre to find out that there isn’t a single interesting or useful shop there.[/quote]

matthewh,

I agree with you about the clothes…

But, Breeze does have a nice grocery store… lots of cheese and stuff…

While Breeze is obviously a Ladies only shopping center the supermarket and cinema appeal to me. Well, and it’s close to my office.
Avoid the (pseudo) German bakery, too, there isn’t much of German bread in there.

Rascal, I can’t find better bread in this neighborhood, and their bread is ok, but a bit Japanese-inspired. Fill me in if you happen to know any better bakeries.

In this neighbourhood it’s indeed difficult to find, but if you are mobile (and I know you are :wink: ) try these German bakeries:

Schwarzwald Cafe, Li Shui Street (off HsinYi). There is a 2nd outlet somewhere in town, too, but you have to ask Iris for the exact location / address.
Furthermore there is Baeckerei Wedel in TienMou, though I haven’t been in there myself. Think it’s on ChungShan Road.

[quote="RascalWhile Breeze is obviously a Ladies only shopping center the supermarket and cinema appeal to me.[/quote]

Are there any malls here that aren’t Ladies Only? I would be really surprised to see one that featured not only clothing but bookstores, electronics, toy stores, gadgets, etc. I’d really like to see something like Hong Kong’s Pacific Place or Times Square here, only not as expensive.

With Mitsukoshi building yet another department store, their third, across from Warner Village, I wonder if they’re going to build another in the remaining empty space, and then enclose the whole thing in a big glass dome or something, and line the resulting interior spaces with shops, like a real mall.

Surely in most shopping complexes, malls or department stores the selection for ladies is far greater than those for men, but Breeze center stands out in this regard, offering virtually no men’s clothing except the Giordano, Hang Ten and A&D outlets on the top floor.
Though in all fairness the Hands Talung is not a ladies only shop (but I never can seem to find the things I need there).
Sogo isn’t too bad, at least the got many many plasma dispays to gaze at. Similar applies to one of the Mitsukoshis in HsinYi and Takashimaya in TienMou.
Department stores are however not the place where I usually would buy electronics.
That said I agree - real malls are very rare, perhaps Living Mall comes closest but except for the cinema hardly any shop can find my interest there.

[quote=“tigerman”]

But, Breeze does have a nice grocery store… lots of cheese and stuff…[/quote]

Yes, it has some good cheeses that are hard to find elsewhere. And best of all, it has a good selection of organic veggies.

Talking of organic food, that new place in the basement of Idee is well worth a visit.

I’m not much of a mallrat but I’m interested in organic veggies. Where’s Idee?

BTW, the deli in the mall at the foot of Tunhua S. Rd. has some good cheese and they seem to know how to keep it properly – I’ve never had that awful “chalky” brie or camembert from them and their gorgonzola is superb, as it their stilton and cloth-wrapped farmhouse cheddar. In general, Breeze seems better for hard cheeses, though.

Idee is at the Chungshan MRT station (Chungshan/Nanking Rd.)

I’m not much of a mallrat but I’m interested in organic veggies. Where’s Idee?

BTW, the deli in the mall at the foot of Dunhua S. Rd. has some good cheese and they seem to know how to keep it properly – I’ve never had that awful “chalky” brie or camembert from them and their gorgonzola is superb, as it their stilton and cloth-wrapped farmhouse cheddar. In general, Breeze seems better for hard cheeses, though.[/quote]

You’re right about the hard cheeses – the cheddar I’ve bought there is the best I’ve had in Taiwan.

Idee, by the way, is conveniently located right next to one of the exits of the Chungshan MRT station. That organic place has lots of other goodies apart from its veggies – including nuts, grains, honey, marmalade, jams, tea, coffee, dates, noodles, flour, bread, and much more (but alas, no cheese). The prices are also surprisingly reasonable – not exactly cheap, but by no means painful. And a visit to Idee has the added bonus of offering one of the best babe-viewing spots in Taipei!

Thanks Rascal, Omni. I’ll need to mount an expedition – any time I have go as far to the northwest as Chungshan/Nanjing is an expedition to this Southside Johnny.

What are you talking about? Prada, Burberry, Polo, Dunhill, Lagerfeld, Givency and Kenneth Cole all have significant men’s departments in their Breeze stores. Now whether my fat ass can slip into a pair of Miu Miu slacks is another story.

When I read that article about 101, I just kept wondering who the hell is buying and wearing all these upmarket brands? Certainly not all the Fashion Disasters I see on the subway each morning.

(Well no, that’s not all I was wondering when I read that article. How many other foreigners have marched into this town like that guy in the story, promising to add some international-level class to this town, only to lose their ass when a couple months later, you’ve got another Tai-style mall? In fact, I hear a major high-class hotel company is so irked with the ‘localized feel’ the management has given its Taipei property, they are gonna pull out purdy quickly.)

Ok, maybe you are right - never been in there since I can’t afford more than Giordano jeans. :wink:
Perhaps I should correct myself and say the department store @ Breeze has no men’s clothes.

Flicka wrote:

Men buying and wearing upmarket clothes tend not to need to ride the MRT, and the women don’t need to work.

That said, Breeze is ridicuously overpriced. And their selection of the good brand clothing is crap. Colors and patterns to match the bad taste of the nouveau-riche in Taipei. Hmm. Maybe you are seeing soem of these people on the MRT but just don’t know that the hideously patterned sweater they are wearing cost $60,000.

My wife told me that her wealthier women friends won’t shop there as they know the mark-up is too high.

Ask a Taiwanese what their favourite clothes label is and they’ll usually reply, “night market”.

Taiwan; the land that style forgot. :unamused:

Sandman, there’s an organic store just across and down the street a bit (south) from the Taipower station. They sell organic vegetables, fruit, grains and so on. Nice looking place. The prices aren’t too high. Oh, and they have these really red, tasty Israeli tomatoes. Yum.

It’s where Iris sent me to look for peanut butter (but they were out when I went there). It’s also a lot closer to your neck of the woods.

Thanks, Mucha Man, I’ll check it out soon.

Spent a whopping NT$1100 there the other day. But the vegetable soup I made using the ingredients I bought was worth every quai.

First off they have 3 hours of free parking if you have a Breeze Center Platinum card. With this card you also get 10% off almost every shop in the mall, INLCUDING the Breeze Center super market, which is THE BEST supermarket in Taiwan by far!

The Breeze center also has one of the best movie theaters in Taiwan, which is on par with the theaters at Warner Village and The Living Mall (Jin Hua Cheng).

Then there is Tokyo Hands. If you have never been to this place, you are in for a treat. Every kind of household gadget from Japan you never realized you needed until you saw it. Not electronics, but very interesting stuff and seems like you are walking right into a real Japanese store in Japan.

I also like Bellini Pasta but they have these in other places. Japanese Italian food was strange to me at first but now I love fish egg seaweed spaghetti.

There is also a Starbucks to hang out in before a movie.

I know you might think this is an upscale store, but I think Kent & Curwen men’s shop has some very good deals at the turn of the seasons. A couple of months ago I got some really good deal on winter suits.

Other than these places sometimes Kenneth Cole has some sales on shoes men’s shoes and clothes.

The food court at the Breeze Center is one of the nicest looking in Taipei as well.

Next time I go to the Breeze Center, I will take some notes and name even more reasons to go.

The Japanese bookstore in the basement has the top ten NYT bestsellers at 15% off.

“baobing” with fresh strawberries at the place across Citizens Blvd on the corner of the street with all the food stalls