Costco Taipei – Review of Available Foods and Drink

Costco’s decision to open branches in Taipei a few years back was a major breakthrough in terms of getting access to Western food that we missed or had to specially order from abroad. If you are new to Taipei or are thinking about getting a membership at Costco, below is a short list of food and drink you can get access to that we think is unique in that it is hard to find in other stores in Taipei.

Almond Butter

Yes, this finally available in Taipei, at least at the Neihu store near the peanut butter section in front.

Greek Yogurt

Located near the other yogurt section, you will see big blue boxes of yogurt, which happen to be Greek yogurt. These types of yogurts are high in protein and make for a great workout meal in between bigger meals.

Chia seeds

Nutiva black chia seeds are available now at Costco. These are usually in stock but have a very limited area in regards to where they are displayed so you need to keep an eye open.

Mixed berries

Frozen mixed berries are almost impossible to find in Taipei and they arrive in Taiwan during limited periods. These berry bags contain three types of berries – black berries, blueberries and raspberries, and are just under NT$500 a bag. There are also separate bags of frozen strawberries and blueberries but this differs depending on supply.

Reese’s Peanut Butter cups

You cannot find the big Reese’s cups but there are big bags of the miniature ones sold throughout most of the year. We also noticed bags of assorted chocolate featuring krackel and Mr. Goodbar, which is unique to Taiwan’s candy scene.

Bagels

Taiwanese seem to really enjoy bagels, and why wouldn’t they? However, for some reason most bakeries do not sell them. We are not sure if that is because a bagel is particularly hard to make or what, but Costco always has them in stock in addition to a wide assortment of breads, cakes, pies and cupcakes.

Caesar chicken wraps

Located near the meats section in the refrigerated portion, you can find these along with burritos and shrimp rice.

Almond milk

We forgot to mention beforehand that there is now also almond milk being sold in the milk section for all those craving an alternative to milk.

Turkey

Turkey breasts are available for sale in the processed meats section, which is indeed a rarity in Taiwan.

Juice assortments

Typically in stores such as 7/11 you can only buy orange juice and grape juice, and sometimes if you are lucky Apple juice. However, Costco sells pomegranate juice, mango juice and other mixed juices for you juice lovers.

Mountain Dew and some decent pizza

You can’t actually buy Mt. Dew in the store but you can at the pizza shop set up once you exit the cashier lane. This is one of the few places where you can drink Mt. Dew on tap, and is also one of the few places where you can buy the soft drink anymore in Taiwan since it seems to come and disappear often from Sogo.

Mixed nuts

Get nutty with mixed cashews, almonds and peanuts from a variety of different mixed nut packages you can buy. This makes for great snack food and the pricing is reasonable, with a large container priced around $400.

Frozen scallops

You can purchase a big bag of frozen scallops for NT$1300. It is not the cheapest thing in Costco but neither are scallops in general. There are also seafood alternatives such as frozen shrimp and squid for about half of the price.

About Costco

Like its American counterparts, Taiwan-based stores require a membership, which can be used at all stores across the world. In NTD it costs around NT$1500 and needs to be renewed every year.

Most Costco locations open at 10am and last call to enter the store are at 9pm, as they aim to wind things down at 9:30pm. We typically take taxis to and from, as there are no MRT stations nearby, and highly recommend this over a scooter. We have braved the trip a few times with a scooter and while it is possible, we have regretted it each time due to items falling off or sudden rain showers occurring.