New angle in an old market
Thanks to the Internet's power at spreading information-just google Ah Ji Shi (or "A Ji Shi") and you'll see the name mentioned on numerous blogs-every day from 10:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon (7:00 on weekends) there is always a group of people circling for one of the six standing spaces in front of Ah Ji's stall. Diners step forward to take their turns under the envy-filled stares of those behind them.
"I get stressed out when I see all those people lining up, and have no time to chat with customers at all," says Ah Ji with a laugh. He has never had the chance to enjoy the leisurely pace and friendly relationships typical of the traditional market, and his "semi-retired" days are more like non-stop fire drills!
With no plateware and no decoration, what Ah Ji really cares about is freshness, health, carving skill, and authentic ingredients. Customers can order what they want, or just say how much they want to spend (NT$500 is not considered too little, nor is NT$2000 considered particularly much) and the master chef will plan your meal. Ah Ji explains that each fish has both good parts (the lower jaw, stomach, spine) and bad parts, so the prices will naturally vary depending on the quality.
"Step by step" is the standard principle for serving, with light flavors (like seabream and halibut) arriving first, shellfish in the middle, and heavy flavors (like bluefin tuna) at the end. A complete 12-course meal-seabream, sweet shrimp, sardine, geoduck clam, Sakhalin surf clam, oyster, scallops, sea urchin, and more-that costs about NT$2000 leaves you feeling full and satisfied.
If you care more about atmosphere, decor, or presentation, then you'd probably be better off going to a restaurant in a big hotel, or one of those kaiseki places where they serve Japanese food with as much decorum as French haute cuisine. But if you just want to have a really good meal, why not head to Chef Ah Ji's at the Shidong Market-for the sake of the food, you'll certainly be able to "stand" it.