Addiction Aquatic Development - King Crab, Deep Sea Abalone, and Fresh Salmon in Taiwan! (picnic time!)

Addiction Aquatic Development

If you're a foodie looking for a great place to wrestle up some grub, the one place you MUST visit is Addiction Aquatic Development. 

Why? Aside from being a giant complex dedicated to seafood... It's also...

THE BEST PLACE FOR KING CRABS!

That's right. I said it. King Crabs.

The stuff you see on "The Deadliest Catch"... You see them LIVE swimming around in the tanks. You can buy them fresh or you can get them from the grocery... Chopped up, cooked, and served in more affordable portion sizes.

IT'S A PLACE WHERE BUYING KING CRABS WON'T BREAK THE BANK!

You can buy lobsters, Snow Crabs, and other different species of crustaceans as well. But I strongly recommend you buy King Crabs when you're here. 

The price for crabs and lobsters start from NT$ 600 (PHP1, 006.75) to NT$ 3, 000 (PHP 5, 033.77) for a generous portion.  The crustaceans are boiled and their shells pre-cracked so you can easily access the sweet tender meat. 

They have different aisle for different kinds of food. Some aisle featured grilled food, some featured baked goods but the aisle you'll want to visit is the aside dedicated to sushi, sashimi, and boiled sea food. 

They also have restaurants and dining areas within the market complex itself. 

My family and I stuck to the grocery side and we saved seats in the picnic area. 

SASHIMI & SUSHI ASILE

I strongly recommend that you buy their fatty tuna, deep sea abalone, salmon sashimi, and their boxed sushi sets. The boxed abalone rice is also very good as an accompaniment to all their seafood. 

Here are some of the items that we bought:

ABALONE

The tender abalone NT$320 (PHP604.05) moist and supple. It went perfectly with soy sauce and wasabi and had a salty flavor of its own. This dish was eaten cold since we got it from the sushi / sashimi area... Although, I would have personally preferred it freshly boiled... That would have been perfect.

BAKED ABALONE

The abalone was stuffed full of creamy cheese and baked in an oven. This tasted good but there was definitely more cheese than abalone meat in this dish. So for NT$320 (PHP536.94) for one piece... I felt short-changed since the meat portion of the abalone was so small...  It looks big but it's mostly cheese... 

KING CRAB & SLIPPER LOBSTER

This dish cost NT$2, 235 (PHP 3, 750.16) and is enough to share between a family of five.

The slipper lobster was a little bit tough since it was over cooked but it was still sweet and tasted fresh. 

The king crab was one of the highlights of my experience. The flesh of the crab was so moist and tender. It was naturally sweet and easily came out of the shell. The experience felt so surreal since it was like a scene from a summer vacation in an anime. The flesh is perfect as it is and doesn't need much. Try it on its own first before adding any lime, soy sauce or wasabi to it.

FATTY TUNA SASHIMI

This fatty tuna cost NT$ 667 (PHP 1, 119. 32) and consists of 5 pieces. The meat was absolutely melt in your mouth. You can feel the fats disappear as soon as the piece lands on your tongue. It was so delicious and it's a must eat with soy sauce and wasabi. SO GOOD!!!

FRESH SALMON SASHIMI

This portion of fresh salmon cost NT$ 320 (PHP 537.01) and consists of 20 thick pieces pieces. The meat was tender but had a firmness to it that only fresh salmon has. The fish was so unbelievably fresh that its fat had a sweetness to it! I just kept eating! I strongly recommend that you buy their fresh salmon sashimi when you go here. This is my favorite item next to the king crab!

SUSHI BOX SET

A boxed sushi set has a variety of different toppings. It will cost you NT$ 440 (PHP 737. 56) and consists salmon, snapper, tuna, abalone, scallops, eel, salmon roe, and tamago yaki (sweet egg). Each item was delicious and fresh! The salmon roe was definitely the highlight for me since I absolutely love salmon roe. 

SCALLOP SASHIMI

We tried their scallop sashimi NT$ 290 (PHP 486.46) which had eight pieces of scallops. The scallops were sweet and had a slightly slimy texture to it. The meat itself had a soft texture to it when you bit down. Personally, I'd rather have my scallops cooked but it was a pleasant experience none the less.  

FRESH OYSTERS

Here are some tips based on my experience in the place... 

1. All the prices here are based on the weight of the item. 

Scout around first... if you're on a budget, find the portion size of the item that will fit it. Everything is based on the item's weight.

2. They only accept cash and do not have ANY credit card so make sure you have a lot of cash on hand before you go to this place. 

I had the embarrassing experience of having to leave my items at the counter... Run to my family and run back. But the cashier lady was very kind to me and held my items while I went to get cash.

3. It's not easy to find a seat in their picnic area... 

While some people are buying food, some people should scout for a place to sit. It's not easy to get a seat. My traveller's tip: Ask if you can sit down next. 

Staring and waiting might work... But sometimes, if the place is especially full, try to ask the table before you if you can use the table once they're finished. This is for cases when there are several groups scouting for a place to sit.

4. It's Clean as You Go... 

When you've finished eating, make sure that you clean up after to make room for the next group of people who will use your table. 

5. There's a reason why they call it Addiction Aquatic Development.

Don't get their meat. Their meats are tough. 

My rating... 

Quality:  4.5 out of 5

The food there is super duper fresh! However, after eating the meats and that baked abalone... I knocked out half a point. The meat was tough. Every seafood item however... ABSOLUTE BLISS! 

 

Comfort: 4 out of 5

I stayed in the picnic area and the place was extremely crowded. Once you're settled down however, it's not so bad. 

Cleanliness: 4.5 out of 5

It's incredibly clean for a market place. Smells good too which is actually surprising. 

Service: 5 out of 5

The act of kindness from the cashier won this category... 

Value: 4.5 out of 5

You get to buy premium items at a relatively fair cost. You just need to know what to pick.

OVER ALL RATING:  4.5 out of 5

Addiction Aquatic Development is a must visit when you go to Taiwan especially if you're a foodie! If you have to go out of your way for something... Go here! That King Crab and Salmon sashimi is a must have!