The pastry on top is called 'kataifi' - it looks like very fine yellow-orange noodles or shredded wheat. The cook melts butter, mixes it through the pastry, and then presses a thick layer into a wide round tray.
Underneath the pastry goes a thick layer of soft, mild white cheese. The whole tray is baked until the pastry is bright orange and crackly. Then it gets a generous drizzle of sugar syrup with a hint of orange blossom or rose water. The hot cheese stretches into long ropes when you pull out a slice.
The most famous knafeh in Lebanon is from a small city called Tripoli, in the north. People drive for hours from Beirut just to eat it fresh. Knafeh shops there often have a queue at 8am - because the best time to eat it is for breakfast, hot from the oven.
Knafeh is shared. The tray is huge - usually big enough for 10 or 20 people - and the cook scoops slices straight onto plates. Families and friends often go out for knafeh together, the way other families might go out for ice cream or pizza.