Kanaan is the other great Sidon sweet shop — equally beloved, equally argued over. The recipes overlap heavily with Al-Baba's, but enthusiasts will swear there are subtle differences in the sweetness of the syrup or the texture of the cheese. The only way to settle it is to try both. The mafrouka (semolina cake with cream and pistachios) is particularly good.
The shop is small, the turnover constant. Box up an assortment for a picnic on the corniche, or eat the knafeh hot at the counter before it cools and loses its magic.