Cannoli King

Some bakeries build their reputation on a single specialty and let the name on the sign do the advertising. Cannoli King works that way, operating out of 950 Seaborne Avenue in Port Coquitlam with a focus on the Sicilian pastry that gives the shop its title: crisp fried shells wrapped around a sweetened ricotta filling. The pastry has a long history in Sicily and a loyal following wherever Italian dessert traditions have travelled, including this corner of Metro Vancouver. Cannoli King stands as one of the city's independent bakeries, an operation with its own character rather than a franchise template.

A phone number and a website are both on record for Cannoli King, and both are useful before a visit. Calling ahead is sensible for larger orders or for checking what is available on a given day, and the site can fill in details on the current selection. For anyone whose family keeps a tradition of Italian sweets, a specialist like this one can save a trip into the bigger cities nearby. PoCo's food scene is the richer for independent shops that commit to one thing and do it on their own terms, and a stop here, box in hand, is a pleasant way to test that claim.