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Taipei dessert – Pai Pai Cannoli – A great snack around Zhongshan.

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Pai Pai Cannoli really knocks it out of the park with some incredible snack options if you’re ever in the Zhongshan area of the city (and, really, it’s worth a trip out of your way to go, anyway).

The exterior of Pai Pai Cannoli is concrete meets pastel coloured walls, with a bright green and yellow neon sign guiding you in.

What I really like about Pai Pai (apart from their Cannoli, of course) is the modern take on their neon-meets-concrete edgy vibe they’re going for. It’s kind of like Shoreditch meets Williamsburg (Brooklyn, of course! Not Virginia…).

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Also very exciting about Pai Pai Cannoli, is that they have more recently introduced gelato to their menu. I mean, really, who can resist both Gelato and Cannoli?

Small round tables and small chairs are set out inside. The whole space is modest and quite close.

The space inside Pai Pai is modest, so we opted to take out. But, if you get there and it’s empty, then it looks like a nicely secluded date spot with a twist.

The ordering counter is unassuming. Being right in front of the kitchen it gives that direct feel to the food that some people really look for and prize.
There’s not a whole lot to take in when you go inside Pai Pai, but it feels welcoming.

Their menu got me a little too excited as I picked off 5 cannoli that I desperately wanted to try:

  1. 巴薩米可莓果 Balsamic berries
  2. 開心果 Pistachio
  3. 西西里檸檬 Sicilian Lemon
  4. AMEDEI巧克力 AMEDEI Chocolate
  5. 焦糖肉桂 Caramel cinnamon

But, alas, I was reminded of my eyes being too big for my belly, and we chose 2 this time, and decided that we would choose different ones next time… You can check out Pai Pai Cannoli’s menu here.

What did we get at Pai Pai Cannoli?

We went for the AMEDEI巧克力 AMEDEI Chocolate and also the 開心果 Pistachio this time. It’s no secret that I will lurch for pistachio-flavoured anything whenever I see it, and it’s safe to say that this time was no different.

Their take out boxes are bright yellow and green with cute detailing on the Pai Pai Cannoli lettering.

The packing at Pai Pai Cannoli is also pretty striking, making it memorable. We took it home, and picked up a coffee from Pallas Cafe on the way, too.

The box is fashioned like a matchbox in that the inside slides out to the side, revealing the delicious Cannoli on the inside. The chocolate one is just one beautiful tube of chocolatey cannoli goodness, and the pistachio one has more of an 'original' cannoli casing, but is filled with pistachio mousse and finished off with chopped roasted almonds.

Let’s get into detail about the cannoli

AMEDEI巧克力 AMEDEI Chocolate – crunchy cannoli gives way to a rich dark chocolate mousse in this beautiful creation. The cannoli is in no way oily or greasy, and the filling is plentiful without it being too excessive. All flavours sing through, and put you in a (good) chocolate daze.
開心果 Pistachio this time – Yes, yes, yes. I love pistachio. This pistachio flavour was complimented with some toasted chopped almonds on the end, which added a flavour other than pistachio to the cannoli… I wasn’t wild about the almonds, but I guess without them, it would have possibly been too rich. The pistachio flavour was great, though, I strongly encourage you to go for this!

The bottom line

Pai Pai Cannoli crushes the cannoli world in Taipei. Get the pistachio, and thank me later.