I've had a craving for kanafeh ever since a friend of mine brought his homemade kanafeh to a potluck. After an extensive online search, I came up with a few places that seemed quite promising - Baklawa King and Patisserie Royale. I decided to stop by Baklawa King, as it was on my way home today.
The place is rather cramped inside, with only a few small tables by the door. The display cases are neatly stocked with a large variety of Middle Eastern treats, included baklava (obviously), mammoul, mafroukeh, and kanafeh.
The kanafeh was good, but I prefer the kataifi crust to the semolina crust that is used here. The cheese was nice and mild with just the right amount of salt, although it was a bit too chewy for my taste. Syrup was added just before serving. I think the server was a bit heavy handed on the syrup, as it was bordering on too sweet for me - which is saying a lot because I have quite the sweet tooth. I also feel like the syrup could have used some (or more) rose water, as it was not at all perceptible.
Overall, it seems like I am still on the hunt for my perfect kanafeh, but this was a decent alternative. Next time I will probably try their namesake pastry instead.