The rich aroma of coffee wafts through the cafe on Halsey Street, and with every flaky, nut-crunched layer drizzled in chocolate, chocolate baklava awakens the taste buds with a burst of sweet buttery flavor.

Qaalii’s Cafe, at 41 Halsey St., opened on Sept. 2, offering a rich mix of traditional coffees, teas and desserts that has been well-received by the public.

“I love a strong coffee. I need my coffee to hurt me a little bit. I got essays to grade,” Bird Jackson, instructor at the Rutgers writing program, ordered a brown sugar shaken espresso. “It's also got like a hint of sweetness, and it's just, like a really rich flavor, so I'm enjoying it well."

The cafe emerged from the connections among four entrepreneurs: Omar Bareentto, Huseyin Bayram, and brothers Omar and Sikandar Khan.

See Full Page