I’m JB, and I’m an addict. It was our first and only time here at Addiction Aquatic Development in Taipei, but as it turns out, once is all it takes to get you hooked. No wonder “Addiction” is in the title. just a few days before our trip. I thought it would be like any other sushi bar but it wasn’t. Greeted by gorgeous images of sushi and live seafood, I was blown away by their website. It was so effing beautiful. Being the seafood lover that I am, a visit to AAD instantly became the most anticipated stop on our trip. Encompassing 1,983 square meters of space, Addiction Aquatic Development is a live seafood market, gourmet grocery, sushi bar, and restaurant all rolled into a clean and contemporary urban package. Think Dean & Deluca meets Pike Place Market. Fresh and fashionable but still affordable, it’s the best-looking seafood market that we’ve ever been to and an absolute MUST-DO for any seafood lover traveling to Taiwan. Don’t believe the hype? Just keep scrolling and see for yourself.

AAD is comprised of ten sections, the first of which houses these tanks filled with live seafood. jiro dreams of sushi documentary streamMy eyes lit up when I saw this. sushi grade tuna las vegasIt’s the first thing you see when you walk in to the space.jiro dreams of sushi quote I’m not sure how often the tank contents change, but most today were filled with humungous crabs and scallops.sushi grade salmon tampaI had never seen live abalone before.sushi west hampstead london

These things were MASSIVE. About half the tanks were overflowing with these monsters today.sushi eel sauce caloriesGet a sense of how big they are yet? sushi bento box nutritionIf not, keep scrolling… Ready to be served, you can’t get abalone any fresher than this.I told you they were massive. Most of them were bigger than Ren’s head! Equally impressive was the supermarket which sold not just seafood, but also fruits, vegetables, wines and spirits, and meats of the highest quality. Reneelicious was going nuts looking at all the stuff! Salmon fillets and heads Different cuts of meatThese two chunks went for NT$ 345. Wait until you see the next picture though… Two measly pieces not enough for ya? How about kilogram bags of frozen duck foie gras? Looking at the label, the 1.09 kg bag was selling for NT$ 2,405.

Check out the balimbing! Not sure what those red thingies are but they look good. Ren proudly showing off her pillow-sized bag of bonito flakes. Just NT$ 278 for that entire bag (600 g)!These 72-pc boxes of French macaroons sold for NT$ 2,160. Scallop and sea urchin as far as the eye can see. Well, maybe not that far. But there was a lot. The only thing I didn’t like seeing today — shark’s fins. I assumed they were shark’s fins from the shape and exorbitant price – NT$ 2,604 for 630 grams. Though there are many dining stations here, you can also buy these pre-packaged meals and eat them outside. Fresh as can be, most were reasonably priced too. Amaebi or sweet shrimp. I LOVE these things. Each box contained ten pieces and sold for just NT$ 240. he ones you see here went for NT$ 460 per box. Not bad at all, especially considering the quality. They go fast, but they’re replenished just as quickly. Uni for NT$ 604 per box. King crab legs for around NT$ 1,450 per pack. I

he only place I’ve ever seen king crab legs in Manila is at S&R. Even the dessert selection was impressive! Not many restaurants in Manila serve amaebi so I made sure I got my fill. So sweet and delicious. For dessert, we had this entire matcha cake with red beans and French macaroons for just NT$ 130! For diners wanting more than the pre-packaged meals, there are several dining stations here. We only ate at the seafood and sushi bars, but there’s also a hot pot station, a charcoal-grilled seafood restaurant, a cooked food section, and a juice bar. Seriosuly, how awesome is this place?! To accommodate the large number of diners, many of the dining stations are standing room only. I love how they’re incorporated into the grocery area as well. Opposite the seafood bar in this picture are chillers showcasing different types of frozen food. Loved the colors and textures here. Everything just looks and feels so well put together. Still can’t get over them king crabs!

Containing different types of crab, shellfish, and sashimi, these seafood trays were super popular. Not surprising, since they were super delicious too. Keep em coming boys! These things were practically flying off the shelves. At the very center of the space is this standing room only sushi bar. Though very popular, lines moved fairly quickly. There’s the LCD display hiding behind the chalkboard. We were number 12. Unfortunately, they don’t have any menus in English so we could only order the most basic things. To communicate what we wanted to the waitress, Ren and my sister went around the bar pointing at other people’s dishes and saying: “We want that!” 😆 The freshest salmon sashimi. Best we’ve had since Osaka. told you I needed to get my fill. 😉 I remember correctly, these four dishes with two beers and a glass of white wine went for around NT$ 1,200. We didn’t eat here but right outside the grocery is this open air dining area serving grilled seafood.

Apart from all the delicious food, there’s also a section here selling cookware, cookbooks, utensils, and flowers. Cla So, are you a believer yet? 😉It’s only been a week since our trip and I’m already jonesing for another taste. Without question, we’ll be going back to AAD on every return visit to Taiwan. If you love seafood and are planning a trip to Taipei, then don’t even think about not coming here. Just I said, it’s THAT good. No.18, Aly. 2, L..twHours of Operation: Mon-Sun, 6AM-12MNExpect to spend: NT$ 750 per person with drinks HOW TO GET THERE:By subway, get off at XingTian Temple MRT station. Though not far, it’s a bit of a walk so it’s best that you take a taxi from here. The fare will run you around NT$ 70. Not many taxi drivers speak English, so it’s best that you print out the place’s Chinese name and address and just show it to him: About Latest Posts Latest posts by JB Macatulad (see all) INFOGRAPHIC:The Day-Tripper’s Travel Guide to Macau (from Hong Kong) INFOGRAPHIC:The Food-Lover’s Travel Guide to Hong Kong What’s in Our Backpack?