Taipei Leechi — Restaurant in Zhongshan District

So, apparently, pineapple cakes are a big deal in Taiwan. For those who are unfamiliar, these are not large cakes, but small, individual portions, each in its own wrapper. Don't be fooled by the wrapper though. These individually wrapped cakes are quite perishable. Per the employees at Taipei Leechi, these need to be consumed within two weeks of purchase. There was another store nearby to our hotel that sold similar cakes, but it was more of a showroom, with sales consultants trying to sell boxes filled with these cakes. Taipei Leechi is more of a grab-and-go sort of place. You can buy boxes here too. But, you can also buy individual cakes. This option was ideal for us. We still had more stops on our vacation, and cramming our suitcases with boxes of perishable pineapple cakes wasn't a desirable option for us. On the other hand, buying some individual cakes in different flavors was a perfect way for us to indulge in this Taiwanese treat! I will say that these cakes are far more expensive than most baked goods you'll find in Taipei. But, the quality at Taipei Leechi is quite good. There were samples available both times we stopped here, which was nice. Contrary to what another reviewer stated, the samples were available to anybody and not just tour groups (we were not a part of a tour group). The service here was pleasant. The employees were polite and not at all pushy. I'm glad we came here. My favorite flavor was the Gourmet Pineapple with Fig. My second favorite flavor was the Gourmet Pineapple. My companion, however, liked the Pineapple with...

Have tried almost all their different pastries during my first visit. Out of all, only the [ mini white bean moon cake w mashed egg yolk ] is my best, the filling is very fine & with mashed egg yolk blended inside tasted very flavourfully nice! When I first tried it, blown my mind away! Legend! Came the 2nd time & i only buy this!

Others? [ White bean only mooncake ] filling tasted weird to me & without the egg yolk is not nice. (I prefer ChiaTe which has a smooth paste filling & gives a very rich n nice mung bean flavor + skin is flakey & tasted like suncake).

[ Taro mooncake ] is not bad, but flavor is not as rich, I feel it doesn’t brings out the taro taste very well & it’s sweeter.

[ Pork bean mooncake ] the pork filling tasted weird, not nice at all. (For meat filling, I prefer the ones at 丰丹嚴選本舖 which their pastries r more rich in flavor & tasted very nice, but more exp side).

[ Egg Yolk Bean mooncake ] the egg yolk flavor tasted too overpowering, it feels like I only eating the egg yolk itself.

[ Black Sesame Suncake ] Black sesame flavor is quite strong, not so sweet, I quite like the black sesame in it, but suncake overall tasted drier.

[ Original Suncake ] It tasted drier & more sweet, overall taste is quite normal. (My best suncake is from Ruyi which is flakey, not dry, tasted milky & richer in flavor).

[ Pineapple tart ] tasted normal. The best is still...

This is hands down my favorite pineapple cake among the famous brands in Taipei. The crust is a perfect balance between cookie and cake — not too soft, with a slightly crumbly, sandy texture (in the best way, like moist shortbread). The salted egg yolk version is especially good. You can really taste the salted yolk, more so than with other brands, and the filling has a lovely balance of sweet and just a hint of tang, making it much more flavorful than those that lean purely sweet. It was so good, my friend actually turned back and bought more right after we’re tasting one in front of the shop.

They also offer a variety of other traditional treats, and the signage is super friendly for non-locals — with cute illustrations explaining what each filling is made of. The shop itself is clean, bright, and beautiful, with great service and no long lines. Definitely worth a visit and buy lots...