Ouch. $700 is a roundtrip ticket from LAX to Japan these days.
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@CiaoBob Your caviar service sounds cool 
. Since you have 2 pans, why not do a shrimp 
with squid ink paella in one and a pork or chicken with veggie based paella in the other?
BTW - Your pans look like they’re rusting. If you coat them lightly with vegetable oil before storing, it’ll be easier to clean before using next time. I cover the pans with parchment paper to prevent oil transfer to other surfaces. More info on caring for paella pans: Buying and Caring for a Paella Pan - Article - FineCooking
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Thanks for your detailed review @PorkyBelly
I’ve really enjoyed the TFL, Red Medicine and Cuba takeout menus at Vespertine, but I’m skipping this one 'cuz I don’t think Japanese cuisine is well suited for leftovers (except sukiyaki - makes a tasty bento).
Reading your review makes me wanna visit Otafuku for soba and Midoh and/or Kimukatsu for pork katsu. As for unagi, I’m gonna stick with the Binchotan-smoked Kagoshima frozen unagi ($32 - 39 depending on whether from Marukai, Nijiya or Mitsuwa). However, using fresh cod instead of unagi for hitsumabushi style sounds interesting and I might do a DIY.
Too bad Jordan Kahn didn’t consider a tie-in and simply use Meiji Tofu’s pudding-like kinugoshi tofu - now I want to drive to their flagship store in Gardena since FTCers have mentioned it being sold out at times at the local Japanese supermarkets. Robata Jinya used to have a tableside prep of fresh organic hot tofu, but not sure if they kept it on the menu (I’m still longing for the shrimp toast and annin almond tofu dessert Robata Jinya discontinued about 3 years ago).
That’s truly sad about Vespertine’s Japanese style desserts - the strawberry sando should’ve been wrapped in plastic to prevent the bread from drying (at some afternoon tea places they cover the tea sandwiches with a damp dish towel). I’d rather go to SomiSomi for fresh taiyaki filled with soft serve or custard; Yamazaki Bakery in Little Tokyo for “pudding a la mode” and get my green tea fix with matcha kit kat bars.
9/12/2020 Update: More alternatives to Vespertine’s Japan menu
Handmade fresh soba noodles made by @losnooyado in NoHo See FTCer takes by @PorkyBelly Soba and Wagashi @losnooyado
And J_L
Japanese style fruit sando/sandwich at Katsu Sando in Little Tokyo
Green tea cream puff with craquelin at Ototo in Echo Park - please see @hanhgry ‘s write up Ototo - Echo Park | Opening 5/22/2019 - #7 by hanhgry
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@foodshutterbug that would be an excellent diy vespertine menu at a fraction of the cost and 100x more satisfying.
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Never had that.
Just heat and serve with sansho?
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Hi @CiaoBob Yes, just heat and serve, sprinkle some sansho, sprinkle torn or shredded nori on top of steamed white rice and top with unagi.
Matter of fact, I’m defrosting some unagi now for Sunday or Monday.
Pics of the brand I’m taking about are here in my post on JL’s Toku Unagi thread:
PS: @CiaoBob If you prefer sauce with your unagi, some local Japanese markets might sell “Kabayaki sauce,” but if you can’t find it just make it at home with 2 parts Mirin; 2 parts Soy Sauce; 1 part sugar. Here’s an article from the NHK station in Japan: https://www.nhk.or.jp/dwc/recipes/detail/171.html
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Duplicate
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Meanwhile…we have this influencer
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEqMIofDdsP/?igshid=b4y2h97dze39
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Who ate less?
Pro tip @turningoffjapanese: if you dice your tofu into small cubes you can toss it down the sink instead of throwing it in the trash.
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And this is why most influencers are bullshit. Average wannabe global diner has no idea what they are talking about. At least most people here on FTC dont buy into the hype most of the time.
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If you click on his name on a post - his avatar will pop up and a bar underneath will say message.
And welcome!
Yeah, Chef Cimarusti and the Providence team give you a helpfully fun video for the En Voyage series and it only costs about $120 icl. tax, tip & fees… and it feeds two. 
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…and free Maine lobster if they screwup!
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Interesting. Emergency switch?
I noticed their dinners through TFL sold out much quicker than the ones after. Plus this one seems like a low-grade disaster. They must have heard.
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To my eye he (Jordan Khan) does not know how to properly cut fish for sashimi.