where jess ate

For seafood lovers, Aquatic Addiction Development (AAD) is a must-visit in Taipei. With a name like that, I wasn’t surprised to see that it was unlike any other fish market I’ve been to.

Before I get into the details, I have to mention that it isn’t located in the most convenient location if you’re relying on the subway. AAD is located in the Zhongshan district and is about a 15 minute walk to the nearest subway stop (Xingtian Temple Station on the Zhonghe-Xinlu line or Zhongshan Junior High School Station on the Wenhu line).

Owned by the Mitsui Group which owns a number of popular Japanese restaurants around the city, AAD has the feel of an upscale market with its clean and modern décor. It’s so much more than just a fish market. It reminded me of New York’s Eataly – it had a bit of everything.

AAD features 10 different themed areas. Upon entering the building, you’ll walk into the live aquamarine area with temperature controlled tanks filled with live fish from all over the world. This is the only section that really resembles a fish market. Once you leave that part of the building, you’ll enter a foodie’s paradise.

Here, you’ll find an area for “instantly consumed delicacies” (aka where you’ll find the sushi bar), a raw seafood bar, a hot pot area, charcoal grilled seafood, a fresh food supermarket (including veggies and packaged non-perishables), a cooked food area, a fruit area, a flower market and an area selling non-food items such as kitchen utensils, cooking ware, etc.

All the various food eateries are first-come, first-served except for the hot pot eatery which takes reservations. And bring cash as credit/debit cards aren’t accepted.

Mike and I came for the sushi bar, which is located in the middle of the market. It features a 12m long bar and is standing room only. We took a number and waited about half an hour which is pretty long given that we were there for a late lunch close to 3pm on a weekday.

When you get your number, don’t be alarmed. The wait goes by a lot quicker than you’d expect. I don’t recall what number I had pulled versus what number they were calling at the time but I remember thinking it was pretty ridiculous. If it didn’t move as quick as it did, I would’ve just purchased take-out boxes of sushi and sashimi to eat outside like many customers do.

Unfortunately, they don’t have English menus here so we had to get help from a server who spoke a bit of English. To keep it simple, we went with one of their set sushi menus. If you want to order a la carte and aren’t fluent in mandarin…good luck to you!

They offer set sushi menus at several price points: 600 NT$ (~$25 CAD), 520 NT$ (~$21 CAD) and 460 NT$ (~$19). As you can see, eating here won’t break the bank. At these price points, we decided to just go with the most expensive set.

Before the sushi platter arrived, we were served a piping hot bowl of miso soup. It tasted more like a seafood broth and wasn’t as one-note as the ones I’m used to. Each bowl contained chunks of the seafood which had been boiled down into the broth to extract all if its flavour. Delicious albeit a touch oily for my liking.

Up next was the pièce de résistance. It consisted of 10 pieces of nigiri, two gunkan maki (including uni), two pieces of maki and two pieces of tomago. The slices of fish were quite large in comparison to the ball of rice. It was quite a bit of food and after the heavy miso soup, I had trouble finishing everything.

I’m not a sushi connoisseur by any means but we both enjoyed the sushi, especially at this great price point. Such great value!

Overall, we had a great experience at AAD and their sushi bar. The fish is undoubtedly fresh and the prices, while not dirt cheap, are very reasonable. Just be ready to battle the crowds – it’s overrun with tourists!

At a glance:

• Modern fish market (and more!) in Taipei
• 10 different sections including a sushi bar, raw bar, a prepared food section, flower market and fresh food supermarket to name a few
• Located in the Zhongshan district; closest subway stop is a 15 minute walk away
• Cash only
• All the eateries inside are first-come, first-served except for the hot pot restaurant which takes reservations
• Came to eat at the sushi bar (standing room only); known for long waits
• If you don’t want to wait, grab some take-out boxes of sushi and sashimi
• Enjoyed the sushi; very reasonable price points

Ratings (out of 5):

• Food: 3.5 stars
• Service: 2 stars
• Atmosphere: 4 stars