Is that City Super, or another one? I don’t know that area well, but I’ve been to the City Super in a basement around there once or twice - is it that?
Yes
Huh, I didn’t know there was a City Super in one of those other buildings. City Super is a different chain: Google Maps tells me City Super is in the basement of the Far Eastern Department Store, which I think is the same one with the Lego store.
Breeze is different, in the big newish Nanshan Tower - the supermarket is just called Breeze Super. There’s a bizarre array of products in there, including tons of European imports that I don’t really know how to use: can after can and jar after jar of different types of fish and vegetables, none of which are the roasted red peppers I want.
There’s also a very big deli counter with a wide array of cheeses near the entrance to the supermarket area. Once again, it leaves me confused with a range of names I don’t know. I’m dull. I mostly want big blocks of good cheddar and pepper jack, smaller blocks of feta, and mozzarella in both block and ball form. And a predictable supply of ricotta.
Breeze Super is the only place I’ve seen “western” (bigger) shallots. It’s also one of the standard places on imported ingredient hunts.
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Weird, I was quite sure the place I went a couple of times was City Super, but it sounds like your description with the deli counter. Like I said though, I don’t know the area well. 
Anyway, generally in those places I just wander around a bit, look aghast at the prices, buy the second least extortionately priced cheese (and maybe sliced ham) and a couple of packs of salt and vinegar crisps, then eat the latter within several days and feel guilty until the next time I go five months later.
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There’s loads of places you can get good cheese here now, loads! (OK a bit less than before due to supply chain problems but still…)
This post reads like newb to Asia for me. 
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There was a stretch when I thought Breeze Super and City Super were the same chain (something to do with Breeze Super just using “Super” labels, I think, and maybe similar color schemes or fonts) - the stock does overlap a lot, but Breeze Super usually has more imports of the “Huh, haven’t seen this before, and I have no idea what to do with it” variety.
I don’t think I’ve been to the City Super in Xinyi, but if I recall the building correctly, it’s probably a fairly small supermarket. The Breeze Super in the Nanshan Building is huge, with shockingly wide (and free of consumers) aisles for Taipei.
Well the original poster does say they just arrived a week ago, so yeah!
But do you know anywhere that regularly has blocks of vintage / extra-aged cheddar available? Yes, it’s sometimes in Carrefour, but it’s unreliable. And, I mean, it’s cheddar. Shouldn’t be that hard to find.
It’d be nice to have a good pepper jack around again too. I haven’t seen the Tillamook at Costco in quite a few years. The American Heritage that’s available at most Carrefours & international supermarkets is serviceable as an ingredient.
God I’m nervous about what shopping may become when/if Carrefour leaves.
As discussed, City Super (in the basement of Sogo, and in Sogo affiliates like FE 21) and Breeze Super (in the basement of Breeze shopping centers, including the brilliant store in Xinyi Nanshan) are separate outfits. I think they have different strengths—City Super, at least the good ones, have excellent if also pricey fruits; Breeze Super has some very interesting obscure coffee imports, often from Japan, which I have enjoyed a lot over the past couple of years (Sawai Coffee among them).
Cheese is of course available at both. Bring sacks of money. 
Guy
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Very much so!
The last time I was in Asia, it was Japan, and only for a holiday. I didn’t have time to miss cheese then, but I have been lying awake in quarantine thinking about tomato soup and a cheese sandwich. 
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I used to buy extra sharp tillamook cheddar in black blocks at costco when i went to the city. Havent been to a costco in maybe a year, not sure if they still have it. Was decent. I think 350ish?
One kind of Gouda at Carrefour is pretty OK, almost good. The brands at PX and the one other at Carrefour are bland and can’t be called Gouda really.
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Carrefour does have some nice (for me) imported French cheeses (photo is in Southern Taiwan Carrefour). Also the not so good local ones too.
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Cheese and bread… Yep, Taiwan is not the best country in the world for neither of them.
I only buy bread from Carrefour and some selected “boulangeries” that do European bread.
Costco is a good source for some very specific types of cheese at a reasonable price. They had Manchego at a good price, but like the Coastal Cheddar, it seems that they are not carrying them anymore.
Carrefour was nice before, with French cheeses from their own brand in the refrigerator area. But, at least in Zhishan, this selection is almost gone now. They have some cuts in the deli (strange word you English speakers chose) area, but they’re expensive.
Everywhere else, real cheese is crazy expensive.
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Also EU pantry has more choices
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In the home country I would buy like 5-6 different specialty cheeses a week, some aged Gouda too, and it would be affordable, here not so. Just buy what’s reasonable.
Most prepacked Gouda, Edam and others taste and (mouth)feel like processed cheeses.
Ironically, taiwan wins a decent amount of international competitions. Bread, coffee, whiskey etc.
Basically, as far as food goes, if want good (meaning quality+yummy) it is actually a very expensive country to eat in. There are AMAZING cheeses made locally. I love them. But the reality on cow farming here makes them far more expensive than most north americans or europeans would accept. Probably for the better though…they will be eaten not wasted.
Plastic cheese is still cheap here and tastes the same as in the west 
What? Where?
Guy
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Agreeing with some comments above I guess … Carrefour-brand sliced cheddar cheese is pretty good. Also, I’ve been buying Tillamook sliced cheddar (my first choice here) at the Costco in Beitou (Guandu) for over a year. It’s been there every time I went except once. When I’m trying to be nice to myself, I spring for a bag of Babybels at Costco! All of that is good cheese, unless you’re a conny-sewer or whatever.
Btw, the President vintage cheddar was on discount at Ximen Carrefour last weekend. I think it was NT$149 per block, but can’t be ersed looking for the receipt. I bought four. 
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Ditto! But in Tianmu.
I haven’t seen it in Danshui for a while.
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