This post was written by Hatchet reporter Marissa Kirshenbaum.

The petite cafe Pineapple and Pearls (think dorm-sized), which just opened in Eastern Market at 715 8th St. SE, makes up for its size with vibrant flavors from around the globe.

Despite the lack of signage outside, I found the cafe had a pleasing –if minimal – aesthetic display.

Owned by Aaron Silverman, the chef behind Rose’s Luxury, Pineapple and Pearls is both a coffee bar and a fine-dining restaurant, although the restaurant is not yet open.

The cafe, which opened its doors Feb. 12, immediately puts patrons at ease with its friendly staff, sleek and modern interior and a display of sweet and savory rolls in neat little rows ($3). Inside, there was a gray, granite countertop spanning a few feet and a ledge with cream and sugar for coffee to fill the small space. A chandelier dangled from the ceiling and an intricate star-like pattern covered the floor.

The menu is colorful and honestly a little confusing, since it includes everything from Middle Eastern to Spanish and Japanese, like scrambled Japanese uni, or sea urchin, served in an eggshell with live uni on top. In the end, I decided on a falafel green garbanzo in-house pita sandwich ($10) and a filtered coffee ($2.50).

The falafel was comparable to dishes I’ve eaten in Israel and heads and shoulders over the falafel sandwiches at Roti. It was soft, smooth and lacked any chickpea chunks – the perfect combination for a falafel ball. The pita was lightly browned and chewy without being tough.

The coffee comes from a supplier in Brooklyn, N.Y., but what makes it most unique are the alternative milk and cream choices to mix with your beans. There were some tried-and-true favorites like hazelnut, but there were also some adventurous flavors like macadamia or pistachio.

If you want to grab some falafel for yourself, the cafe is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m, as well as Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.