In honor of @PorkyBelly’s ahem, underwhelming, Vespertine: Japan experience, I wanted to recreate it with a bunch of substitutions from spots with track records executing these dishes.
I’d been caught up in the hype, and despite my own gut feeling, ordered right away for the second weekend. Without that critical first report, my friend and I (his trip to Japan was cancelled due to COVID) likely would have been saddled with a highly disappointing meal 
thankfully we were able to save ourselves.
Let’s begin.
soft tofu - Meiji Tofu
fresh and non-gmo
I could have eaten this whole thing with a spoon.
zaru soba - Otafuku
cold buckwheat noodles served with dipping sauce and accompaniments
Incredible buckwheat taste and toothsome, perfectly cooked noodles. I could have drank the dipping sauce straight.
broiled black cod - Nozomi
with sweet saikyo miso
This was a highlight–superbly flavorful and great char.
tonkatsu - Kagura
premium black pork fillet cutlet
Nearly as good with takeout as served fresh, and no trace of blood. Kabocha squash was good.
sashimi - Wadatsumi
five kind assorted sashimi (10 pcs)
Perfectly sized cuts.
taiyaki - SomiSomi
baked fish waffle cone filled with custard on top of milk soft serve
Confirming this was filled with custard.
fruit sando - Katsu Sando
strawberry, mango, kiwi, raspberry
The bread was still soft, but the variety of seasonal fruit is what really stood out in the sweet whipped cream.
le matcha - Patisserie Chantilly
green tea mousse
They were out of cream puffs when I got there, so I pivoted and stuck with the matcha theme. Outstanding.
The end.
Full disclosure I couldn’t eat all of this–it was a massive amount of food and I have rice for days.
) - light, yet with some nice intense flavors
