Formozza Cheese & Butter

0936-121-338
92, WuQuan W 2nd St, West Dist
Hours: 10 am-6 pm (closed Mon-Tue);
open to 9 pm from late Oct.

Dida Creamery owners Henry Gerard and Brenda Foung have opened Taichung's first mozzarella bar to showcase their handmade artisanal cheeses. Diners can sit at a dining bar, topped with clear boxes of fresh mozzarella made the same morning, including traditional mozzarella balls and sliced rolls of "sfoglia" sheet cheese, filled with chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, basil and other ingredients. About 10 cheese choices include Burrata--pockets of cheese stuffed with cream, mozzarella end pieces, ricotta (burricotta) or meat--and cheese platters with items like Smoked Scamorza, Chupie Aged Goat Cheese, Bel Paese Style Aged Cheese (in three flavors), Crottin de Chavignol white mold cheese, and beer-washed rind cheese. A Butter Bar option also offers Dida's handmade truffle, sea salt and other butters with warm bread, and various pastries and entrees will eventually be available. Wines, beers, sake and cocktails specially selected/created to pair with cheese are served, and various gourmet take-home items range from truffle and olive oils to pasta. --By Douglas Habecker, translated by Yinno Yeh