Monday, August 24, 2015

revisited/japanese/sushi: i still strongly recommend ADDICTION ACQUATIC DEVELOPMENT



ADDICTION AQUATIC DEVELOPMENT 上引水產
No. 18, Alley 2, Ln 410, Minzu E Rd
台北市民族東路410巷2弄18號
(02) 2508-1268

MRT: Zhongshan Jr. High School Station or XingTian Temple Station

website: addiction.com.tw

hours:  6AM- 12AM midnight

$$- $$$ (cash only)

Kid friendliness: sushi and raw bar are standing only. outdoor seating for seafood bbq area, room for strollers. lots of raw and cooked eats at indoor market

Visit reviewed: 4/21/2015
Previous visit reviewed: 10/2012


ready to eat uni and hokkaido scallops 

Addiction Acquatic Development is THE most popular post on the blog, and at my last shopping trip there a few months ago, I found that they smartly revamped several sections of it. So I thought I'd write up a quick new post with some of the changes. 

LIVE SEAFOOD TANKS 

live seafood tanks
When AAD first opened, you entered through the main entrance into the supermarket, but after awhile, they shifted that to be the exit and had you enter through the left into the seafood tanks area. It's very clean and not smelly for the size and space, so just hustle past it if you are looking for the main market/dining area. But don't miss the sections along the wall where they've added a few fridges with uni, scallops, oysters and a section with cooked crabs, lobsters and fresh oysters on ice, sold by weight.
 



MEAT & GROCERIES MARKET


I was pleasantly surprised to see a new section selling steaks, beef, shabu meats, cured meats and condiments, as well as a revamp of their freezer section which previously seemed like storage for fish. Now it is all easy to recognize what's inside and I could totally pick up some ingredients for cooking dinner along with sushi. 

These iberico salami were so good, but it was disappointing to see a price hike a few weeks later from NT$194 to almost NT$300!


Packs of veggies/tofu/mushrooms to-go to do shabu/hotpot at home, super sweet corn, shabu cut meats, totally high end supermarket packaging and easy to browse.



Ton of fresh veggies, fruits and cheese! There's even packaged condiments, noodles, pastas, and even packaged macarons, foie gras and drinks. Their cheese selection has definitely increased since my earlier visits, with cheeses like brie, parmesan, blue cheese,  and the prices are fairly reasonable for Taipei.




RAW BAR


Still standing only along the bar, I've had friends who come over to this side to snack while waiting for the sushi bar. Here you'll find cooked cold crab, lobsters, shellfish, oysters and bubbly.



HOUSEWARES/WINE BAR



Before this section was filled with beautiful but expensive glass vases, ceramics, cookbooks and housewares. I thought it was very smart of AAD to transform most of this area into a corner for a wine bar as well as a transition area into the supermarket, with fresh fruits and veggies. Maybe a glass of wine and cheese to end the night?

SUSHI TO GO


If you've ever enjoyed supermarket sushi, then you'll be awed by the variety of rolls, sliced sashimi, mini chirashis and even cooked seafood packaged and ready to eat. I used to live off of spicy tuna rolls at Nijiya in West LA and loved their rolls wrapped in the yellow soy wrapper and I think this is the first time I've seen that wrapper in Taipei here at AAD. Granted, it is supermarket sushi, so the rice will be cold and slightly hard if it's later in the day, but I feel the fish is comparable to the sushi you'll get at the AAD standing only sushi bar with less of a wait. But the rice can be pretty bad, even for supermarket sushi, so you might be best getting sashimi or rolls. 

The sushi at AAD's sushi bar isn't the best there is to be eaten in Taipei, but the sets are a great value for price and better than sushi I've paid twice the price for in LA. Just grab a ticket early for the waiting list for the sushi bar so you can spend your time browsing while you wait. The popularity of Addiction Acquatic Development comes from the whole complex, not just the sushi bar, as well as the value and freshness. I've definitely come here over the years to grab a box of uni, some sashimi or even some rolls. 




On this visit I tried the pre-cooked lobster and it wasn't as good as I expected, slightly overcooked and not sweet.. would skip it next time.



Crab cucumber roll with sweet shrimp and ikura 
I'm totally happy with the smallest box of bafun uni (NT$510) that AAD has and eating it with a bowl of rice at home. Sweet, creamy and indulgent, but a whole lot cheaper than ordering uni at the sushi bar and getting just one piece.  This is my favorite thing about Acquatic.



The sushi bar and outdoor courtyard where you can order live seafood to be grilled are the same, so you can look at my previous review for pictures. 

AAD has also added a hotpot restaurant now, Tresors De La Mer, on the other side of the courtyard where you can order live seafood (choose them from the tanks) and meat for shabu, as well as order grilled seafood, sashimi, oysters, and sushi hand rolls from the hand roll cart. It's the perfect place for the relatives/friends that don't want to stand while they eat, and you can sample a bit of everything Addiction Acquatic has to offer in one place. (Full review coming!)


Addiction Acquatic Development is definitely a must visit in Taipei for any seafood or sushi lover, and an awesome place to have as a neighborhood market.  It's been open until midnight for awhile now, which I think is so crazy, but I might have to go late one night to see what's available and how crowded it is at 11pm on a weeknight! 

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

My kitchen: KRISPY KREME FRENCH TOAST



Ever have stale #krispykremes left over? I decided to try making #frenchtoast with them this morning. The sugar perfectly caramelized, the egg and milk softened the insides and you get hot #dessertforbreakfast, like creme brulee #donuts. Ah! Such an evil revelation!! #hungryintaipei_mykitchen #whatdiet #eeeeeats #meltinyourmouth #breakfast #brunch #breakfastrecipes #breakfastofchampions


#krispykremefrenchtoast 
Whisk 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk with a dash of vanilla and cinnamon. Cut two or three donuts in half and dip cut side into egg milk mixture. Pan fry on low to medium heat with a pat of butter. Flip over to fry both sides until golden brown. Serve hot with a glass of milk.


Monday, July 27, 2015

revisited/night market: i strongly recommend RAOHE NIGHT MARKET



Raohe night market is one of the most popular and oldest night markets in Taipei. A short subway or taxi ride from Xinyi or DaAn districts, Raohe has two bright signs marking the front and back main entrances of the night market.

I had what I thought was some mediocre food the last time I visited Raohe with some out of town friends, so it's been a few years since I've had the urge to revisit. Thanks to some new friends from Singapore who chose it as our meeting spot, I fell in love with the popular flaky pepper buns, the grilled oyster mushrooms, mango shaved ice and found a vendor serving one of my favorite night market snacks, the ice cream "burrito" with peanut candy shavings and cilantro. 

The pepper buns at the entrance of the Raohe night market and can be spotted by a winding queue of people waiting and a team of quick fingered people wrapping minced pork and green onions in doughy balls to be cooked in tandoor like ovens. The result is a pepper bun that is too hot to hold, a crunchy crust on the bottom and peppery and sweet meatball inside the bun. It's worth coming to Raohe just for this. 






Here's a glance at some of the other stands I spotted at Raohe. What's your favorite thing to eat at this night market? 







 




Rubber duck cotton candy 


Get your Taiwanese sausage from this vendor.. The first one we got from another vendor was so bad- pretty much just fat inside a sausage casing and the first time I had to throw something away that I bought at the night market. Taiwanese sausage should be firm and slightly chewy, on the sweet side and not all fat!!! 









Yeaaa. Favorite! 












Monday, July 06, 2015

drinks/american: i strongly recommend WOOGO SMOOTHIES



WOOGO JUICE
No. 42, Lane 233, DunHua S. Road, Sec. 1
敦化南路一段233巷42號
(Edited 8/2016: this location has been closed for awhile. I've spotted their shops in various Citylink malls and near Taipei Main Station. Check their Facebook page for updated addresses)

(02) 2778-0182 

MRT: ZhongXiao/Dunhua

website: WooGo's FB page 

hours: 11AM - 10PM

$ (Cash only)

Kid friendliness: yes

Visit reviewed: 6/9/2015


Taipei skipped over the smoothie phase straight into cold-pressed juices, juice cleanses and juice bars craze this past year (with the openings of Juice In, Juicy Diary, Juice 8, Boost Juice, Goodies Cleanse, Vegg Out), but smoothies still hold a special place in my heart. At each of my jobs post college, there was a Jamba Juice nearby to hit up with co-workers during our lunch break or after work. Sometimes when we didn't have enough time to eat, we drank our smoothies on the go. 

When I first moved back to Taipei, there was a smoothie shop at (then) Warner Village, but it eventually closed down. There were plenty of sugary boba tea shops or fresh fruit juice places, but somehow no smoothies. The five founders of WooGo noticed this gap too, and opened WooGo Juice in 2013 to serve California style smoothies,  icy smoothies blended from frozen fruit, yogurt or sorbet and ice of styrofoam cups. All the sorbets and yogurts are made in house, and prices are quite reasonable from NT$75-110 with M, L and XL sized cups available.

Located in an alley behind Ming Yao Department Store, I must have passed by the store dozens of times since one of my favorite bakeries is nearby. I'm glad I finally gave it a try. Now I (and you) have a place to go when I'm craving Jamba Juice. 


Both English and Chinese menus available, with over a dozen smoothies to choose from, in categories of classics, WTF and Tropical. Hot drinks and bagels and cream cheese are also available. There's a couple of small tables to chill inside as well as on outside on the patio.


Scanning the menu, the one that popped out to me was the Raspberry Mojito (NT$$95 for large) with cranberry juice, lemon juice, mulberry sorbet, raspberries and mint leaves. The mint and lemon definitely gave it a brightness and it was a good mix of sour and sweet and the perfect thickness and iciness. Loved it, who wouldn't want to drink mojito smoothies? 

The PBJ Sandwich sounds so strange to me, but lots of people on Instagram said it was their favorite. On my second visit, I tried the Strawberry Lemonade and the Pineapple Paradise, which were both great too, the lemonade being slightly more sour than the pineapple in a side by side tasting. 



The WooGo cup is a lot of fun with charts and facts to read on the go, and it's interesting they choose to make it completely in English with no Chinese. 


Are there enough people in Taipei who want to drink California Smoothies? I hope so. It seems healthier than boba milk teas and blended ice coffees, and cheaper than a Starbucks or shaved ice fix. I wonder if the juice bars have taken off more than smoothies because it seems more healthy and it's not as "icy", since some Taiwanese people avoid ice water and icy drinks. (I've never had more warm water until after I moved back to Taiwan. Now when I go back to LA, I can't drink restaurant water where the ice is filled up to the brim.) But smoothies... happy to have smoothies I can grab and go in Taipei. 



OTHER LOCATIONS

HOYII Taipei Main Station 台北車站店: 
No. 36, ZhongXiao W. Road, Sec. 1, B1 
忠孝西路一段36號B1 
(02) 2311-4733

中山南西店: 
No. 1 Nanjing W. Road
南京西路1號1F 
02-2567-7657

:)