A six-minute walk from Central Square, Verveine Cafe & Bakery is known for offering a beautiful array of Asian-inspired bakery items. The cafe is home to a bustling city atmosphere, as people of all ages enjoy the environment. Young adults reading were seated across from families taking their children out for lunch and, despite not being far from campus, it offers the comfort of being outside of the Harvard bubble. The cafe is busy and, despite the cold, people take their food to the outside tables. The staff behind the counter were elbows deep in preparing the 10” personal pizzas they offer.

Having gone with the intention of purchasing the red velvet cookie — sold out by 1 p.m. on a Friday — the remaining baked goods included a white chocolate matcha cookie and an ube brownie. After consulting the friendly staff, the cookie emerged as the clear winner, as it is a recent and popular addition to their selection, while the brownie is a long-time offering.

The size of the cookie is stress-inducing. It is about the size of a child’s face and hard to the touch. The cookie is reminiscent of high school cafeteria cookies, overspread and likely to bring a certain chance of chipping a tooth. To one’s surprise, the cookie is moist and resulted in only a reasonable amount of crumbs when eating, rather than the sandstorm of green powder that the initial brick-like density insinuated as a possibility. The texture is perfect. It is not only crunchy on the edge, but encased in a layer of crunch with a fudgy center. The high quality of each ingredient elevates the overall taste and clearly separates it from a cafeteria cookie.

For those pained by cafes that water down their matcha, this is the cookie for you. Every bite contains a concentrated, umami-rich flavor with just enough sweetness to cut through. The matcha does not taste bitter or grassy, as is often the case with matcha desserts replicated on this side of the ocean. Instead, it tastes as earthy and rich as the ones made in Japan. It is easy to finish the entire cookie without experiencing flavor fatigue or searching for an imperceptible matcha flavor. The white chocolate pieces are also well-balanced — almost unnoticeable because of how seamlessly they complement the matcha. Though white chocolate and matcha are not a new combination, it is rare to find a dessert that balances the two so well. The flavors act in harmony instead of competing for space on one’s taste buds. The white chocolate itself is not overpowering or sickly sweet.

The staff is attentive despite appearing to have plenty to do. Verveine feels homey; not just because of the butter they likely use generously in all of their bakery items, but also because of the light, bright atmosphere filled by the faint buzz of excited chatter from their patrons. The color palette of the cafe adds to this effect, with green tiling along the vertical walls of the counters melting into the warm white ceiling. The large chalkboard behind the till with hand-drawn flowers and muted colors is the bow to tie the scene together, reminding one of a time before screens and time pressure.

Sitting in Verveine feels like taking a moment to stop and smell the roses in a world getting busier, without feeling secluded. While Verveine is not a cheap place to eat, it aligns with the prices of the Square. Verveine succeeds not by reinventing the cafe atmosphere, but by executing distinctive flavors with precision, making it a compelling destination just one T-stop away from Harvard Square.