Sunday, January 28, 2007

G & G Continental Delicatessen



Address: 6-1, Ln 14, Zhongshan N Rd, Sec 7, Taipei
Telephone:(02) 2876 8557
Open: 10am to 9pm
English menu; credit cards accepted

If you've been here awhile (or happen to live in Tianmu), you've probably been to G&G, which is located in Tianmu, back behind Swenson's. It's a bit out-of-the-way, which is probably why I didn't discover this place until last year. Although G&G isn't a place to find cheap stuff, it does carry a good selection of imported products, and I think it has a wider selection of Jello, pudding, and cake mixes than Wellman's. And sometimes you just need to splurge and buy those things you are really craving...like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! :)



G&G usually carries a variety of cakes and frostings.




One nice thing about G&G is that it has a deli inside the store where you can buy lunchmeat and cheese and freshly made sandwiches, and you can sit and read the newspaper while you eat lunch. Sandwiches run from NT$135-155, and you can choose from a variety of homemade breads. Bagels, soups, salads, and homemade yogurt are also on the menu.




And, of course, they have a good selection of cereal...but be prepared to pay the price! It's cheaper to buy cereal in bulk at Costco. If you really need Reeses Puffs, then this is where you'll have to go.


Nutri Grain Bars and Ritz Chips. Both are too expensive for my budget. You can make homemade Nutri Grain Bars...sort-of. And they taste much better---I promise!

Semi-Nutragrain Bars
1 package yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup melted butter
12 ounces jam or other filling
1 T. water
Mix cake mix, oats and butter. Press half of the mix into a 9x13 greased pan. Mix jam and water and spread over the mix. Add the remaining mix on top and bake for 20 minutes at 375. Before cutting, cool completely.
Variations: Use a strawberry cake mix with strawberry jam as the filling, or use a chocolate cake mix with peanut butter and marshmallow cream as the filling.

EEC Elite Express- otherwise known as the Filipino Store



EEC Elite Express is a gold mine! For cheap American (and Filipino) foods, check out this store, located on ZhongShan North Road, near the Yuanshan MRT stop and only one block before Florida Bakery, another gold mine!

EEC- Elite Mart
39, ZhongShan N. Road, sec. 3(02) 2596-2889

Hours: everyday8 am-9 pm


Corn chips are $15 a bag; large containers of Cheez Whiz are only $85 each! Small containers are $45 each.


"No sugar" graham crackers are only $20 for an entire pack! These work great in desserts or trifles.

Tired of Diet Coke? Try Cali Light, a carbonated pinapple drink that only contains 10 calories! It's caffeine free and tastes great! Only $20 a can.

Eden processed cheese is only $35 a box. This melts well and is good with crackers.
Mountain Dew and Root Beer---$20 a can! (compared to $35 a can in Tianmu)
Victoria's Secret Body Sprays and Lotions (so far, I've never seen these products anywhere else)

Other great buys:
CONDENSED MILK---the cheapest in Taipei!
All kinds of tuna...in water or oil (lots of flavors)
SPAM
Knock-off Oreo cookies
MUG ROOT BEER
Thai food
Instant Noodles
Spaghetti sauce---the cheapest in Taipei!

This store has been featured in Taiwan Fun magazine, and the article appears below:

You've probably driven by EEC- Elite Mart many times without stopping. I never stopped in myself until recently, but once inside I realized that this Filipino import store is very cool. Why? Because it carries some of the cheapest imported goods in Taipei. Although the products are shipped from the Philippines, some are American and are probably from the U.S. to begin with. EEC- Elite Mart is one of several Filipino grocery stores on ZhongShan North Road. It's clean, well-organized and staffed by friendly Filipinos. Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Western and Filipino products are available. Everything is cheap, but the best deals are the sodas, fruit juices and canned sauces. Mountain Dew, Root Beer and orange soda are NT$15 a can. Pineapple-flavored diet soda (called Cali 10) is NT$18 a can. Other good deals include spaghetti sauce, canned meats, fruit drink mixes, instant oatmeal packets and Filipino candy. I've even found Victoria's Secret lotions and body splashes for NT$450 each. Jergen's lotion and JOY dish soap are also sold, along with a variety of bath and body products. If you're in the mood to try something distinctly Filipino, I recommend the Cloud-9 candy bars.

http://www.taiwanfun.com/