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Addiction Aquatic Development: The Most Amazing Fresh Seafood Market in Taipei, Taiwan

EDITOR’S NOTE (25 September 2022): All prices indicated in this article are from our last visit to Addiction Aquatic Development in 2019.

I still remember the first time we visited Addiction Aquatic Development in Taipei. It was in October of 2014 and I had randomly stumbled upon their website when doing research for our trip. It looked amazing in pictures, but nothing I saw nor read on the internet could possibly prepare me for the awesomeness that is AAD.

Addiction Aquatic Development is a seafood lover’s ultimate wet dream.

It’s hard to describe exactly what it is because AAD is so much more than just a fresh fish market or restaurant. It’s like the IKEA of seafood, the likes of which I have never seen anywhere else. If you’re visiting Taipei and have a love for seafood, then it’s something you need to see for yourself to understand.

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Addiction Aquatic Development in Taipei, Taiwan

WHAT IS ADDICTION AQUATIC DEVELOPMENT?

Addiction Aquatic Development (AAD) is a Disneyland for seafood lovers. Seriously. There’s no better way to describe it than that.

To put it in more concrete terms, it’s an upscale Taipei fish market, gourmet supermarket, standing sushi bar, oyster bar, seafood bar, hot pot restaurant, seafood barbecue restaurant, and flower market all packed into a 1,983 square meter space.

At AAD, you can find everything from live king crabs, hairy crabs, abalone, geoduck, diver scallops, uni, sushi, and fresh sashimi. Think of it as a Taiwanese Tsukiji fish market, but smaller, more stylish, and less expensive. I know it sounds too good to be true, but trust me, this place is real.

One thing to remember, if you plan on dining at AAD, then please be advised that it’s a cash-only facility. They don’t accept credit cards anywhere at Addiction Aquatic Development so make sure to bring enough cash with you. Directions on how to get there at the bottom of this post.

ADDICTION AQUATIC DEVELOPMENT MAP

AAD is comprised of the following ten sections:

  1. Aquamarine
  2. Supermarket
  3. To-Go Bento / Cooked Gourmet
  4. Seafood Bar
  5. Sushi Bar
  6. Oyster Bar
  7. Hot Pot
  8. Charcoaled Grilled
  9. Trésors De La Mer
  10. Lifestyle & Flower Market
Map of AAD in Taipei

1. Aquamarine

This is the first section you see when you enter the facility. It’s comprised of large tanks filled to the brim with live seafood like king crabs, hairy crabs, abalone, and scallops, just to name a few. It’s an impressive sight which really sets the tone of your visit.

Seafood tanks at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

I don’t know how often the tank contents change, but when we went, most were filled with humungous crabs and scallops.

Seafood taks at AAD in Taipei

Saucer-sized scallops

Live scallops at AAD in Taipei

Abalone

Live abalone at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

King crab. These things were MASSIVE. About half the tanks were overflowing with these monsters.

Live king crab at AAD in Taipei

There’s a king crab saying hi to that kid. Can you get a sense of how big it is?

Boy touching king crab at AAD in Taipei

Geoducks

Basket of geoducks at AAD in Taipei

Basket of fresh oysters

Basket of oysters at AAD in Taipei

Abalone doesn’t get any fresher than this. If you like abalone, then Taiwan is a great place to have it. We saw abalone many times throughout the country, both in restaurants and at night markets. It was never too expensive either.

Abalone at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Cooked hairy crab on ice

Hairy crabs at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Cooked king crabs. Wait for it…

King crabs at AAD in Taipei

BOOM! I told you they were massive. Most of them were bigger than Ren’s head!

Ren with king crabs at AAD in Taipei

2. Supermarket

Equally impressive was the supermarket which sold not just seafood, but fruits, vegetables, wines and spirits, and meats of the highest quality.

Operating Hours: 6AM-12MN

Salmon fillets and heads

Salmon fillets at AAD in Taipei

Different cuts of meat

Freezer with meat at AAD in Taipei

Foie gras! These two chunks went for NTD 345.

Ren with foie gras at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

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 NTD 2,405.

Packs of foie gras at AAD in Taipei

Ren proudly showing off her pillow-sized bag of bonito flakes. It cost us just NTD 278 for that 600 gram bag!

Ren with bonito flakes at AAD in Taipei

These 72-pc boxes of French macarons could be had for NTD 2,160.

Ren with macarons at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Scallop and sea urchin as far as the eye can see. Well, maybe not that far. But there was a lot.

Boxes of uni at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Fruit Selections

Do you know what those yellowish orange fruits are? They’re called star fruits, or balimbing in my native Philippines.

Fruit at AAD in Taipei

Not sure what those red thingies are but they look good.

Vegetables at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

3. To-Go Bento / Cooked Gourmet

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. I forgot to take pictures but they offer plenty of cooked food options here as well.

Amaebi or sweet shrimp. I LOVE these things. Each box contained ten pieces and sold for just NTD 240.

Seafood boxes at AAD in Taipei

Fresh sushi selection. The ones you see here went for NTD 460 per box. Not bad at all, especially considering the quality.

Boxes of sushi at AAD in Taipei

They go fast, but they’re replenished just as quickly.

Boxes of sushi at AAD in Taipei

Uni for NTD 604 per box.

Boxes of uni at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

King crab legs for around NTD 1,450 per pack

King crab legs at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Even the dessert selection was impressive!

Desserts at AAD in Taipei

Not many restaurants in Manila serve amaebi so I made sure I got my fill. So sweet and delicious.

Box of amaebi at AAD in Taipei

For dessert, we had this entire matcha cake with red beans and French macarons for just NTD 130!

Matcha cake at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

4. Seafood Bar

This seafood bar is one of many dining stations at AAD. To accommodate the large numbers of diners, many of the dining stations are standing room only. I love how they’re incorporated into the supermarket section as well. Opposite the seafood bar in this picture are chillers showcasing different types of frozen food.

Operating Hours: 10AM-12MN

Seafood bar at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

I loved all the colors and textures here. Everything just looks and feels so well put together.

Seafood bar counter top at AAD in Taipei

I still can’t get over them king crabs! Seriously WOW!

Cooked king crabs at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

These seafood trays were super popular. They contain different types of seafood like crab, shellfish, and fresh sashimi.

Seafood tray at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Keep em coming boys! These things were practically flying off the shelves.

Seafood trays at AAD in Taipei

5. Sushi Bar

At the very center of the space is this standing sushi bar. It’s very popular, perhaps the most popular section at AAD, so be prepared for a wait.

Operating Hours: 9:30AM-12MN

Sushi bar at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Thankfully, lines moved fairly quickly. Let’s eat some sushi!

Ren and BJ at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

The freshest, most buttery salmon sashimi. These slices of salmon practically dissolved in your mouth.

Salmon sashimi on a sushi counter at AAD in Taipei

Grilled abalone. Serious yum!

Abalone at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Amaebi sushi. Spot prawns aren’t as common in the Philippines so I try to have them whenever I can.

Amaebi sushi at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

Hamachi collar. If I remember correctly, these four dishes with two beers and a glass of white wine went for around NTD 1,200.

Hamachi collar at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

We haven’t eaten at the next four sections but I’ll describe them as best I can.

6. Oyster Bar

The Oyster Bar is located inside the AAD facility, in the same large room as the Supermarket. Based on the map, it’s on the opposite side of the Seafood Bar. I believe they serve wine here as well.

7. Hot Pot

I didn’t go upstairs but the hot pot restaurant is located on the second floor of the facility. Along with Trésors de la Mer, it’s the only dining section that takes advanced phone reservations.

Operating Hours: 11AM-12MN

8. Charcoal Grilled

This is the outdoor seating section of AAD where you can get all kinds of grilled seafood.

Operating Hours: 11AM-12MN

Al fresco dining area at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

9. Trésors de la Mer

Trésors de la Mer is the high-end sit down dining section of AAD. Like the hot pot restaurant, it’s the only section that takes advanced phone reservations.

Operating Hours: 11AM-12MN

10. Lifestyle & Flower Market

Apart from all the delicious food, there’s also a section here selling cookware, cookbooks, utensils, and flowers.

Dried flowers at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

 

Dried flowers at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

 

Dried flowers at Addiction Aquatic in Taipei

FINAL THOUGHTS ON ADDICTION AQUATIC DEVELOPMENT

We make it a point to explore new places when we travel so we rarely go back to the same restaurant twice. But AAD is one of those rare exceptions.

We enjoy Addiction Aquatic so much that we’re guaranteed to come back here on every return visit to Taipei. And we aren’t the only ones either. Several of our friends and family whom we’ve introduced to AAD now do the same. This place is THAT good and affordable enough that you can dine here without having to worry about the cost. In fact, it’s surprising how affordable it is, especially considering the quality.

Whether it’s your first or fifth time in Taipei, one thing’s for sure. If you love seafood, then you HAVE to go to Addiction Aquatic Development.

Addiction Aquatic Development

No. 18, Alley 2, Lane 410, Minzu East Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 104
Tel: +886 2 2508 1268
Fax: +886 2 2508 0268
Website: addiction.com.tw
Email: [email protected]
Hours of Operation: 6AM-12MN, daily
Expect to spend: Around NTD 750 per person with drinks

How to Get to Addiction Aquatic Development

Take the MRT to XingTian Temple Station, Exit 3. Though not far, it’s a bit of a walk so it’s best that you take a taxi or Uber from there. The fare will run you around NTD 70.

For more restaurant suggestions, check out our post on 13 Must-Eat Restaurants & Night Markets in Taipei.

Bowl of beef noodle soup in Taipei

Disclosure

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