Addiction Aquatic Development is a seafood paradise in the heart of Taipei. Referred to by some as a modern fish market, it is, without a doubt, the premium location to buy fresh seafood or enjoy a leisurely meal of oysters, lobster, crab, prawns, sushi and sashimi.
The Mitsui Group which owns many prestigious Japanese restaurants around Taipei, including Kyoku, Mitsui, and Cuisine M, decided to take on the challenge of revitalizing part of the city’s old fish market. That’s how the new aquatic development came to be.
Addiction Aquatic Development combines the convenience and freshness of buying at the fish market with the pleasantries of shopping and eating at a gourmet store. Any Japanophile will be instantly taken. It’s as if Tsukiji market and a depachika (Japanese department store food hall) were rolled into one and placed in a convenient, central location.
Addiction Aquatic Development is divided into different areas: fish market, with fishmongers working, tanks filled with gigantic live crabs and lobsters, and some freshly sliced large cuts of fish on a cold display for immediate purchase.
The second area of this concept store is the pre-packed foods section. There are hundreds of choices, bento-style options with sashimi, sushi, salads, and rolls for take-away. There’s also a hot food display serving grilled fish, roasted meats, and noodle dishes.
Past the enticing aisles of bento boxes, there’s a standing seafood and sushi bar, a seating area where one can order grilled food, and an open air section which becomes a beer garden at night. Getting a table is hard, as queues at Aquatic Development have not ceased since the establishment opened its doors mid-2012. However, the wait might be worthwhile, especially on a cold day when the hotpot becomes even more tempting, and the sizzle of grilled seafood takes over the space.
There are also home wares on sale, several refrigerators and cold displays filled with sake, shochu and umeshu from around Japan, and finally, there’s the quaint wine bar. If I were heading back, I’d go straight to the wine area. Tawainese culture is still slowly embracing wine drinking, hence the wine area is not as busy, and the ambience in that corner of the store is more pleasant, less rushed.
The concept, location, structure, décor, variety, quality, and price all make Addiction Aquatic Development a winning place. It’s becoming a tourist hot spot and it’s increasingly turning into a local favourite, and rightfully so. So when you visit this gourmet seafood market and concept store, take your time, explore the space, enjoy the food and surroundings, but remember to stop at an ATM prior, as they only take cash.
Addiction Aquatic Development 上引水產
No. 18, Aly. 2, Lane 410, Mínzú East Rd
Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Tel +886 2 2508 1268
www.addiction.com.tw
About Janice Espa
Janice is a girl from Lima, Peru who loves a good cebiche and a glass of dry Riesling. She travels the world (often for food or to check out new restaurants) and lives in Australia. Janice tries to learn about different countries through cuisine, and takes advantage of Sydney’s multiculturalism by exploring gastronomy in all of its forms. Grower’s markets, wine tastings, restaurant openings, cooking classes, shopping for specialty spices; she’s keen to do it all.
